During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, many avid fans in Beijing followed the sport of figure skating. Chinese skaters have dominated the pairs discipline for years, with the pair Sui Wenjing (隋文静) and Han Cong (韩聪) having an emotional Olympic win on home ice. Sui and Han, pictured center, first teamed up in 2007. In their years competing together, they have won all major competitions at the junior and senior levels, being the first pair to achieve a Super Slam. After losing gold to German pair Savchenko and Massot by 0.43 points at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, they returned in 2019 to win their second world title. Sui and Han achieved the Super Slam after winning Olympic gold in 2022.

Though China may not be as dominant in other disciplines, there are still strong competitors in the men’s field. Jin Boyang (金博洋) began skating at the age of seven. Throughout his career, he has podiumed on the World Championship stage and won the Junior Grand Prix Final and the 2018 Four Continents Championships. Four Continents includes skaters from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. The quad revolution in figure skating has also been partially attributed to Jin. It refers to the technical advancement of figure skating programs, particularly in the men’s discipline, with quadruple jumps becoming increasingly common. Jin is the first skater to land a quad Lutz-triple toe loop combination in international competition, one of the most difficult jump combinations currently competed today. He is also the first skater to land four quad jumps in a free skate and six quads in an international competition. Though he finished ninth at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, he still achieved two of his seasonal bests at the competition.

There are also many rising talents in the women’s discipline in China. Chen Hongyi(陈虹伊) is only 19 years old, and she began skating in 2008. She is a three-time Chinese national medalist in her career and won the 2020 Cup of China by almost 40 points. Though she finished twenty-first at the 2021 World Championships, her result was still enough to net a spot for China at the 2022 Olympic Games. Another young skater whose journey has been closely followed by fans is An Xiangyi(安香怡), pictured above. She is reported to have begun skating when she was born and is currently not age-eligible for senior international competitions. However, An won the 2020 Chinese Figure Skating Championships at the age of 12, and we can expect great potential as she begins her senior career.

In the ice dance discipline, Shiyue Wang (王诗玥) has competed with Xinyu Liu (柳鑫宇) to win the 2017 Asian Winter Games and the 2018 Asian Open. They have also won the Chinese national four times. The pair represented China at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympic Games, achieving twenty-second and twelfth place, respectively.

Though becoming successful in skating requires years of practice and hours of training daily, figure skating as a sport can still be fun to learn as a beginner. Many skating rinks are open in Beijing and are also a great way to avoid the humid heat of summer. These rinks are in malls so anyone can go skate for fun, and it is a great environment even for non-professionals!

Find it:
B2, China World Mall, 1 Jianguomen Outer Street, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号国贸商城中区B2层
Tel: 6505 5779

Find it:
C7, Joy City, 101 Chaoyang North Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳北路101号朝阳大悦城C7层
Tel: 8552 6637 or 8552 6695

Find it:
4F, Longde Mall, 186 Litang Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区立汤路186号龙德广场4层
Tel: 57171211 or 84813345

Images: Instagram: @wenjingsui, @1j0b0y3, @nini_fanclub, @shiyue_wang21

You’d have to be living under a rock if you still don’t know who Eileen Gu is. The Olympic gold medalist is China’s newfound golden child and she’s everywhere.

The 18-year-old Olympic skier is currently featured in campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Victoria’s Secret, and Estée Lauder, as well as sponsored by Red Bull, Bank of China, the People’s Insurance Company of China, Kohler, Mengniu, Luckin Coffee, Cadillac, and many more. According to campaignasia.com, a marketing deal with Gu could reach about RMB 15 million. Everybody wants a piece of Gu, and for good reason. She’s basically the dream child that every parent wants.

She’s an Olympic gold medalist, a pianist, a model, and a confident wholesome young woman who seems to have her head on straight. Oh and let’s not forget that she was accepted into Stanford.

The latest brand to jump on Eileen’s coattails is China Mobile, now selling MeetGu collectible figurines.

Since a collectible Winter Olympics Bing Dwen Dwen is essentially impossible to get a hold of now, you can still get your hands on a piece of the Winter Olympics festivities with one of the Eileen Gu collectibles.

One collection features Eileen working out in a pink headband and doing stretches with an adorable kitten, as well as Eileen on a ski slope in a white beanie, sitting next to pink skis and waiting to take on her next challenge.

The other features Eileen on the slopes, along with Eileen dressed in a purple qipao running around Beijing’s hutongs holding a red lantern.

To purchase your Eileen Gu collectible, scan the QR code below to visit China Mobile’s WeChat store.

Images: Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool, wikipedia, China Mobile, Weibo

Although they’re a bit different this year, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games are back in full force after having been postponed due to COVID-19. All over the capital, neighbors are cheering and their TVs are blasting, the Games are a hot topic of discussion, and social media feeds are flowing with information. Whether you’re an avowed sports fan or simply someone who wants to know what all the hype is about, here are four ways to get in the Olympic spirit.

#1: Check out some livestreams

A week ago, YouTube was serving up a steady stream of funny cat videos. Now, everything on the recommended page is all about the Tokyo Summer Olympics. The same goes for just about every other social media account. So save yourself the trouble and download the Tencent Sport (腾讯体育 téng xùn tǐ yù) app on your devices (especially your phone) to access the livestreams of the games. With so many sports overlapping one another, make sure you scroll through the schedule to catch the ones you want to see most. You can also check the competitors’ schedules in case there’s a specific athlete you want to see.

If you already have WeChat on your device, then you can skip Tencent. WeChat’s Top Story section also allows you to access The Olympic livestreams, see each country’s status, and the competitor’s line-up.

#2: Get me the stats, stat! 

So, all your friends are raving about how China just won the diving competition, and how we’re dominating table tennis this year. But you have no clue? Don’t worry, Tencent Sport and WeChat also have all the stats, so you can be the first to tell your friends about China’s newest shiny gold medal. The reporting comes through in real time, so as soon as someone earns a medal, the rankings change. For example, if you clicked on WeChat’s Top Story and opened the ranking window, you’ll see that China, Japan, and the US are at the top of the leaderboard, for now.

#3: Discover new, lesser-known sports

Tokyo’s Summer Olympics features a total of 33 sports with 206 participating countries. Popular sports such as archery, aquatics (which includes swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming), table tennis, basketball (including 3×3 basketball), and volleyball (both indoor and beach-volleyball) are included in the list. However, all of the lesser-known sports like surfing, Judo, kayaking, and cycling can also be found. Last but not least, for the first time in history, the Olympic organizing committee introduced skateboarding as a sport. So get ready to see some of your favorite skateboarders make history!

#4: Check the schedule

The Games opened on Jul 23 and will close on Aug 8. But the actual competitions kicked off two days before the Opening Ceremony with softball in Fukushima – in line with the Games’ theme of recovery. This year’s Olympics features 339 medal events and 42 venues. There are fewer competitions on the opening and closing days, however, the rest of the schedule is jam-packed with different sports that you can tune into.

With these four tips, we hope you enjoy the Tokyo 2020 (2021?) Summer Olympic Games, and are super jazzed about next year’s Winter Olympic Games right here in Beijing. Friendly reminder, there might be some heavy displays of patriotism happening this season, but don’t take anything too seriously. Just cheer very loudly for your home country or any other than you have an affinity for, and be a good sport about it.

KEEP READING: Go Team Go! Olympic Lessons for Children of All Ages

Images: XueFei Liu, Sina Weibo

I am not a sportsperson. I don’t enjoy watching them and I don’t really like to play anything beyond a casual game of frisbee during a picnic. I have traveled my entire life so there’s no home team I feel particularly tied to and my alma mater’s athletic program…well let’s just say the fighting Cardinals don’t really inspire rabid fandom.

However, there is one exception. The Olympics…sort of. Every two years I roll my eyes as the world whips itself into a frenzy over the pursuit of gold. But by the end of the proceedings, I’m a convert. Invariably, I have laughed, cried, and been inspired by something over those few weeks of athletic competition. The Olympics teach us some incredibly important lessons about humanity and then, a few years later when we have forgotten all the pomp and circumstance or become jaded once more, they come around again to reinforce those lessons.

I have heard a fair number of friends and colleagues say they are having trouble getting into the Olympic spirit this year. I get it. No fans in the stands, lots of masks, and protesters. It has a Twilight Zone meets zombie apocalypse feel to it, but then so did everything else that came out of 2020 so it’s at least on brand. But I think that is why this year, it’s even more important to be inspired. Here are a few lessons the Olympics have taught me over the years, lessons that I hope the young people around me can internalize as well.

The best aren’t afraid of the best: In fact, they welcome being in a room with those who can actually challenge them. When you are skilled, other people’s skills don’t intimidate you, they excite you and drive you to learn even more. Because ultimately, your only competition is yourself.

“It’s not about winning at the Olympic Games. It’s about trying to win. The motto is faster, higher, stronger, not fastest, highest, strongest. Sometimes it’s the trying that matters.” Bronte Barratt, Australian Gold Medalist.

Don’t quit even when it looks like it’s over: The Olympics often give us incredible moments that have nothing to do with the gold medal. One that stands out for me was Derek Redmond in 1992. He tore his hamstring seconds into the 400-meter dash qualifier. It was obviously painful, and heart-wrenching to watch him roll on the ground clutching his leg. And then he got up. No chance of a medal but he got up and finished the race. As if that wasn’t inspiring enough, his father ran onto the track and helped support his son the last few meters across the line. The entire world was crying and cheering Redmond on because this moment touched something powerfully human in all of us. Fall, but get back up. Keep going, help will come.

There are a lot of ways to define winning: I have no idea who the 400-meter dash medal winners were in ’92. I doubt many people do. But we remember Redmond. I bet you can’t tell me who the medalists were in the 1936 Olympic long jump either. But the iconic photo of Jessie Owens and Luz Long (a Black American and a white German) walking around the track hand in hand literally under the nose of Hitler is the most inspiring display of sportsmanship I can think of. Those human connections and recognition are the real win. There are plenty of stories of other athletes who don’t win a medal but go on to lead incredible lives and complete amazing tasks because of their experiences in the arena. It’s not about the disk around your neck, it’s about the experience of pushing yourself to your highest bar physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Don’t assume you’ll win: That is this year’s lesson courtesy of Team USA Basketball. Just because you have always excelled doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed this time. You need to bring you’re A-game every game. No exceptions.

Patriotism is not the same as nationalism. You can and should be proud of your country. But the Olympics give us the rare opportunity to not only cheer for our home team but be inspired by the best of every other nation as well. I love watching Simone Biles dominate and am thrilled and proud that she represents the US but I also find myself fist-bumping for China’s own Fan Yilin when she slays on the uneven bars. You can have pride without believing you are superior. You can believe in yourself and still respect others and find them inspirational. Couldn’t the world use a little more of that?

Will the 2020 Olympics give us a historically iconic moment? Maybe, maybe not. That’s not the point. The point is that for a few weeks every couple of years, we come together as the human race and challenge each other to be just a little better than we were last time. We take a moment to salute the excellence in each other and learn a little bit more about our fellow human beings and ourselves. Right now, I think we all could use a little more of that in our lives.

KEEP READING: Getting in Tune with All the Emotions

Images: Unsplash and Pinterest

Despite the fact that we may be secretly brimming with excitement at the prospect of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, some of us might be hard pressed to outwardly show our enthusiasm, what with years’ long news stories and complaints about massive crowds, road closures, and seemingly endless construction seeping into our collective consciousness. But whether you’re dusting off your old skis eager to hit the slopes, or stocking up on survival food so you can hunker down through the duration of the festivities, the one thing we can all take comfort in is an adorable mascot greeting us from every shop window in town.

And what better harbinger of all the fanfare and splendor to come, then the newly unveiled, and dare we say absolutely charming, Bing Dwen Dwen.

While “Bing” literally means ice, it’s also a symbol of purity and strength, with “Dwen Dwen” representing children. What’s more, the design of the mascot speaks to China’s 21st century commitments on the global stage. For instance, the heart in Bing Dwen Dwen’s left palm is a symbol of China’s hospitality, the bright colors around its face speak to “connectivity and advanced technologies,” and its astronaut like body is indicative of a “future with infinite possibilities.”

“The launch of the mascot today will generate even more interest for these Games, especially among young people,” said Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, at the mascot unveiling ceremony in Beijing. “The mascot incorporates the best elements and characteristics of China and the Chinese people. What I can say already is that it will be a wonderful ambassador for China and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.”

Also unveiled at the ceremony was the Paralympic mascot, Shuey Rhon Rhon, a delightful little “lantern child ready to welcome friends from around the world.” Shuey Rhon Rhon’s name and design personifies warmth, friendship, courage, and perseverance, all of which are values at the heart of the Paralympic Games.

“Everywhere you go, you can feel the excitement and the anticipation that the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 are generating already,” said Bach. “This demonstrates that the legacy of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, spreading the joy and benefits of sport to all Chinese people, is already taking place.”

So while you may be quick to lament the inconvenience caused by the Games and the lead-up to them, try to take the whole experience in stride and remember what the event is about. Ultimately, it’s something that’s larger than all of us. It speaks to international cooperation, teamwork, friendly rivalries, and always striving to be our best while lifting up those around us.

Photos: International Olympic Committee, Kyodo News

A recurring idea in this issue is how organized sports make for a more well-rounded and responsible child. We couldn’t agree more with this. Along with providing some gains throughout their development into adulthood and looking great on a college application, sports have an amazing overall effect on a young person.

When I was in high school in the early 2000’s in Orlando, Florida, we were lucky to have an abundance of lakes and a pretty well-respected crew team. It sounds like a very posh sport I know, but this wasn’t really the case in the South. It was a newer sport, with most of the rowing programs in the state only being in existence for only 10-20 years. This is nothing compared to some of the prep schools we would compete with when traveling to the Northeast.

I loved being a part of something bigger than myself. The daily practices throughout the entire school year (the season was year-round) designed to push us to our physical limits, and the people all played a significant role in my development as a young adult.

But, it was probably the relationship we all had to our coach that had the most significant impact on our performance in and outside the boat. He was always there to push us along and was very strict when it came to our studies, checking our report cards every quarter, and was also aware if we got into any trouble at school. He was revered by all in the community, for his obsession with the sport and the positive impacts he had on many young lives. Some students would go on to receive significant scholarships and row at top universities, but all learned about the selflessness required to be a part of a team, which he perfectly personified through the countless hours of work he put into this motley crew of teenagers.

In this issue, we got to experience firsthand some of the people in Beijing’s community that personify this sort of involvement, along with the athletes benefiting from the mindfulness and structure that athletics can provide. In Schooled (p34) we talk with a handful of international school coaches about their views on the benefits of physical education. In Food for Thought (p22), Chef Pauline shares her high-energy snacks to keep your kid in the game. Then finally, in our cover feature, we cover some of the winter sports that have been gaining popularity in China in the years leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics (p46). This and more should give you a clear idea about the importance of competitive play in your child’s life, and how we could all use a little more “fun and games.”

Featured photo: Dave’s Studio

This article appeared on p5 of beijingkids November 2017 issue.
Download your copy here.

The Rio Olympics are now over halfway through, and as we predicted, many of the early concerns have been forgotten, while the world has gripped by some thrilling competition.

Our Beijing “two to watch” both have medals, and hopes of more to come. Diver Cao Yuan took the bronze in the 3m synchronized springboard, but recorded the best score in the preliminary round of the individual event, and competes in the semi-final tonight at 9pm. Gymnast Wang Yan also has a bronze for the team event, having finished 5th in the Vault and 6th in the individual All-Around. She can be seen again in the Floor Exercise final tomorrow.

You’ll forgive me a little twinge of nationalistic pride that my country is (at the time of writing) second on the medal table, one gold ahead of a certain country with twenty times our population. However that pride is tempered by some concern about the approach that’s got us there, and what it says about our attitudes to sport.

British sports receive funding from the government (the money coming from the National Lottery, not the taxpayer). However the funding is dependent on success in international competitions. So sports in which we have recently done well, such as cycling and rowing, are supported, while others are ruthlessly cut adrift.

A healthy degree of national pride seems to me to be a legitimate aspect of sport, as long as we don’t take it too seriously. As a soccer fan I enjoy the tribal aspects of the game: wearing my club’s colors, singing our songs, and engaging in banter with fans of our rivals. However I would never get into a fight over it, as happened far too often in football’s past. Ultimately these loyalties are what Kurt Vonnegut called “granfalloons”, wholly arbitrary groupings which say nothing about who we truly are as people.

And there is more to sport than nationalism. There is pleasure in admiring the skill and dedication of the athletes, the extraordinary feats of which humanity is capable. It is one of the joys of the Olympics that for a couple of weeks global superstars like Usain Bolt share the stage with amateur practitioners of more obscure sports. The world was recently smitten by the wit and down-to-earth charm of previously unknown Irish rowers Gary and Paul O’Donovan. (VPN required)

Perhaps most importantly, international events like the Olympics should inspire children to get off the couch and have a go. Here is where the British model fails: as our medal haul rises, participation in sport has fallen. American kids too are playing less sport, with pressure to succeed blamed for taking the fun out of taking part. Too much focus on elite success is unhealthy for us. So maybe it’s time to turn off the TV, and go for a bike ride, or a swim.

Photo: telegraph.co.uk

The 2016 Olympics gets underway in Rio de Janeiro today, and hopefully we can forget the talk of the Zika virus and unfinished apartments in the Olympic Village, and enjoy some fabulous sport. Of course each of us will be rooting for our home countries’ athletes, but here are two Beijing-born stars we can all get behind.

Cao Yuan is a 21 year old diver. He took up the sport at the age of five, when his mother enrolled him in classes to teach him discipline (we are saying nothing about the stereotype of pushy Asian mothers…). Her support bore fruit when, aged only fifteen, Cao won gold in the Men’s 10 meter platform at the Asian Games.

At the London 2012 Olympics Cao and his diving partner Yue Lin took the gold for the Men’s Synchronized 10 meter platform. In 2014 at the World Diving Series in Canada he broke two records, becoming the only diver ever to win three golds in one World Series. Along with his triumph in the 10 meter individual platform, he and Yue won the 10 meter and 3 meter synchronized dives, becoming the first men to claim two golds in a single day.

Cao says his motto is “Go your own way and see your own scenery. Be calm for life’s ups and downs.” He’ll be going up and down from August 7 to August 20, but watch for him particularly in the 3 meter synchronized springboard on August 10.

Gymnast Wang Yan is only 16, but has been competing at the highest level for three years. In 2014 she won all-around gold at the Asian Junior Games, and gold in the vault at the National Games of China. She became a “senior elite gymnast” in 2015.

We understand from informed sources that “her Rudi has some issues” (a Rudi is a forward twisting somersault), but she should be in competition for medals in the finals of the vault (August 14) and balance beam (August 15).

Photos: varietyvillage.ca, xinhuanet.com, xinhuanet.com

After the Olympics, cities like Beijing go back to just being themselves – no flurry and fluster, no sweep and swindle, just cities without any need to impress themselves upon the global consciousness as something they aren’t. What remains are a bunch of Olympic ring installations – ghostly reminders to the façade they once presented.

In Beijing, these are plentiful still. It’s been 8 years since the Olympic games were here (8 years already?) and the park next to our house still features large plastic rings implanted in the cement at the park’s entrance. I use them to reinforce English color names with my kids.  “Let’s run through the red one!” or “Quick, let’s go get the green one and give it a green monster hug!”

But when I visit cities that have hosted the Olympics, like Vancouver, it doesn’t seem as prevalent as Beijing – this remaining symbolism, I mean.

Is it an honor to host the Olympics? I wonder these things. How honored do the people forced to move house for the construction of Olympic buildings feel? I wonder if the long-term foreigners who couldn’t get renewed visas during the 2008 summer Olympics felt the “welcome to China” that the Olympic athletes felt?  And, despite the benefit to the air quality, I wonder if the factory workers on an unpaid leave of absence were happy about the Olympic games?

In any case, it’s a memory constantly whispering to us here in modern Beijing, continually voicing itself in the lingering décor of the city. They may never take these down. After all, there’s another bid to host more games, no? 2022 — another 8 years away. And that time will come far too soon.

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift