Steep learning curve

China was a late starter in the development of winter sports. That means a lack of expertise in competition organization, event management and technical support in almost two-thirds of Olympic winter sports, especially those on snow, has been a pressing issue.

In response, the organizing committee for 2022 has pulled out all the stops to train staff members, while recruiting, and learning from, international experts.

According to Wang Yanxia, a CPPCC National Committee member and a deputy director of the Sports Department of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, 3,000 technical officials for ice sports alone were trained last year. However, that may not be enough.

"It's highly technical and demanding for Games' staff members in certain areas such as alpine medical support, snow making and course grooming," she said. "We have to train our own people to levels of Olympic proficiency so they can be real assets for us and keep winter sports thriving after the Games."

Assembled by the 2022 organizing committee, a volunteer skiing team, selected from a pool of more than 3,000 medium-level skiers, has undertaken regular training programs at ski resorts in Zhangjiakou.

The Genting Resort Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou's Chongli district, where the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events will be held, has hired renowned course shaper Alli Zehetner to lead a Chinese crew that has built and maintains the Olympic half-pipe course at the resort, thus allowing the Austrian's experience and know-how to be absorbed and shared.

According to the Sports Department of Beijing 2022, event managers have been appointed for all 15 sports disciplines at the 2022 Games. They are being trained by employees of a number of sports federations, and their skills will be tested at upcoming World Cup series events.

"All the facilities and personnel for the 2022 Winter Olympics will be 80 percent ready by the end of 2019," said Tong Lixin, the department's director.