SCIO briefing on overall progress in preparations for Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 1, 2021
Xinhua:
Preparations for Beijing 2022 have moved into their final stages. What's happening with the training of Chinese athletes? What's the general situation, and are there any problems involving their training and preparation for the event? How will these problems be resolved? Thank you.
Li Yingchuan:
Thank you for your concern over Chinese athletes' training for the Winter Olympics. Hosting Beijing 2022 has sharpened Chinese competitiveness in ice and snow sports. In preparation for the event, Chinese athletes continue to train hard using innovative training methods scientifically. Together with improved training conditions, this has helped enhance Chinese competitive strength in ice and snow events. At present, a total of 480 athletes of the 29 national teams are undergoing intensive training for the snow and ice events in a bid to score at the upcoming Beijing 2022. We have focused at shoring up the weaknesses in Chinese athletes, coaches, and professional training facilities and established teams and trained athletes for all the 109 events of Beijing 2022, aiming for full participation in all the events of the Games.
When Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in 2015, around one-third of the 109 events had not been widely practiced in China. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, China participated in roughly half of the total events. As the host of Beijing 2022, we want to qualify for all the events, which will be a historic breakthrough. However, the global outbreak of COVID-19 has hampered the Chinese national teams to go abroad for regular competitions and additional training, which resulting in losing of some important points in the lead up to the Winter Olympics. These points are the basic qualifying conditions required for participation in Beijing 2022. This is the most prominent problem we have encountered in preparing for Beijing 2022 competitions.
Meanwhile, as most of our teams have not participated in international competitions for a long time, they have had little opportunity to compete with their main rivals. This poses challenges in organizing targeted trainings for them, thus raising the bar for athletes in their on-the-spot performance and strain capacity. What have we done to counter these problems? We made full use of the domestic conditions for all the events to practice training. The updating of training facilities in particular, the advanced training venues, in Beijing Shougang Park, CRRC Beijing Erqi Vehicle Plant, and in places like Chengde, Chongde, and Laiyuan in Hebei province, guarantees beneficial training conditions for Chinese athletes. Despite the continuous spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have ensured that Chinese athletes for the ice and snow events get systematic and continuous training. In previous Winter Olympics, Chinese athletes traveled to some European and American countries for training. Now we can conduct science-based training in our well-equipped venues in Beijing and Hebei province without going abroad. We have also improved the level of "intelligent" training, enhancing the management of the whole training process by making full use of science-aided systems to precisely monitor the training, effectively helping sharpen the competitiveness of Chinese athletes. In the final 100 days before Beijing 2022, Chinese teams will make full use the high-tech training facilities to make their training more targeted and effective so as to bring out their best at the upcoming Olympics. Thank you.
Wang Meimei:
I'd like to add some more. The training requirements and practices of Chinese athletes in preparation for the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games are similar to what Mr. Li introduced just now. I will skip this part and introduce our measures in ensuring Chinese athletes' normal training for Beijing 2022 under the premise of normalized epidemic prevention and control.
The China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF) sees the athletes' training and preparations for Beijing 2022 as an important political task. We worked on epidemic control and athletes' training for the event simultaneously. We have all hoped Chinese athletes do well at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics despite the COVID-19 outbreak. How to ensure their regular training and participation in the event against a backdrop of the pandemic is a major test for us. During the training for the 2022 Games, we have focused on implementing epidemic control measures. The CDPF issued a notice to guide provincial disabled persons' federations, training institutions, and sports teams to strictly implement the epidemic control requirements. We also called on disabled persons' federations in provinces and cities where the national teams are based to attach great importance to epidemic control of the national teams and step up efforts in inspection and services to coordinate the existing difficulties and problems. The national teams are under closed-loop management under the guidance of local disease control departments where these teams are based. We have customized epidemic control policy plans for each team member and clarified the division of responsibilities for the closed-loop management at training bases. Moreover, we have prepared sufficient materials for COVID-19 prevention, control, and disinfection, and improved the internal prevention and control responsibility system and management policies. Our staff have implemented all the measures and performed their respective functions. Chinese athletes have abided by the rules for self-protection from COVID-19.
Meanwhile, in compliance with epidemic prevention and control regulations of different competition divisions, we have participated in all the winter sports events of Experience Beijing, including test series in Paralympic alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, Paralympic ice hockey, and wheelchair curling events. We seized a rare window period from April to early June to hold alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, biathlon, curling, and ice hockey events at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 8th National Special Olympic Games. We also supervised the organizing committees of those events to formulate and implement stricter plans on the basis of local policies in the fight against COVID-19, and clarified the responsibilities of the local governments, relevant departments, organizations, and individuals so as to have the participating athletes, coaches, and staff of the events abide by the regulations and requirements for the fight against COVID-19 and ensure the successful holding of those events.
At the Tokyo Paralympics, the Chinese Olympic delegation attached great importance to ensuring the health and safety of disabled athletes. We have formulated plans for the fight against COVID-19 with a clear division of responsibilities and strict reporting of the whereabouts of Chinese athletes. We supervised each team to abide by the requirements of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Paralympics and the Chinese Olympic delegation and achieved the goal of zero infection. We will draw on our epidemic control experience in Tokyo to prepare for and participate in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. In particular, the practices for the fight against COVID-19 in the next three months will offer experience and reference for China's winter Paralympic delegation in their overseas visits for competitions.
As the training and preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics enter their final stages, we will continue the training and preparations in the context of regular epidemic prevention and control, strive to do well at Beijing 2022, and win honor for the country. We will make our due contribution to hosting a simple, safe, and wonderful winter Paralympics. Specifically, we will achieve this by:
First, we will adjust our plans as necessary. Under the leadership of the CDPF leading group for the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, we will analyze the changes to the epidemic and further improve the work plan to ensure the training and participation in the event in an efficient and orderly manner.
Second, we will select top athletes for the event. We will beef up epidemic prevention and control along with athletes' training, and formulate sound training plans to ensure that Chinese athletes can complete their training to the final stage before the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. We will hold international events in due time to offer more opportunities for athletes and sports teams to get international points.
Third, we will participate in international events. We will seek to compete in international events held in the next final months before the Games in a bid to increase the Chinese athletes' rankings and qualifying opportunities for more qualified participants.
Finally, we will strengthen the institutional guarantee. We will further improve supporting measures for athletes and enhance the supports and services for their teams and training bases. Thank you.
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