National Winter Games provide opportunities for young athletes

The 14th National Winter Games is the largest and most prestigious comprehensive ice and snow event held in China after the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, signifying great importance.

"All events at the 14th National Winter Games have adopted the latest international rules of each sport, which are the same as the competition rules of the 2026 Winter Olympics," stated Wang Lei, director of the Winter Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.

Wang explained that this edition of the competition has included bobsleigh, luge, and ski mountaineering for the first time.

In this edition, the competition has also set up youth group competitions in advantageous events, such as short track speed skating, freestyle skiing, as well as fundamental events like cross-country skiing and alpine skiing, aiming to allow these reserved talents to build their skills and prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics selections.

This design quickly yielded results by providing a platform for young athletes.

As the captain of the Tianjin team, Li Zetai clinched the championship in the men's curling event youth division on Jan 17. A few days later, he stood on the stage of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon Province, South Korea, after helping the team secure the fourth place in the mixed curling event.

"For me, the 14th National Winter Games is a great opportunity to enrich my competition experience and elevate my athletic level," said Li.

The competition also provides guidance to the participating athletes based on actual circumstances.

"We have adopted a new competition qualification format, and the competition has proceeded very smoothly," said Zheng Zhenguo, leader of the national snowboard parallel giant slalom team.

Additionally, some key events have invited high-level foreign referees to officiate, helping athletes and coaches better understand the new rules and adapt to the refereeing standards of the 2026 Winter Olympics in advance.

Zhang Xin, director of the Competitive Sports Department of the General Administration of Sport of China, introduced, "For the first time, the 14th National Winter Games has used physical fitness as an entry qualification, and it has set a minimum performance standard for entering the finals in events such as speed skating and freestyle aerials." This encourages all teams to improve their technical levels and eliminates low-level competition.