On November 7, the temperature plummeted. In the Yanqing Olympic Zone at the southern foot of Haituo Mountain, the National Sliding Centre, known as the "Xue You Long", is bustling. Starting, pushing, accelerating, and jumping on the car, in one go, the skeleton athletes instantly disappeared from sight. 93 athletes from 18 countries and regions are preparing for the 2022-23 IBSF Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup, which kicks off from November 17th to 19th.

In the Winter Olympics, the bobsleigh is also called "F1 on ice". On the track, its speed can exceed 140 kilometers per hour. The speed as fast as lightning is the sport's biggest attraction.

As the world's 17th and Asia's third operating artificially cooled bobsleigh track, and China's only bobsleigh venue, the National Sliding Centre will continue to be used as a competition venue after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to host various high-level competitions and provide a professional training ground for the national team.

At the same time, the National Sliding Centre reserves a public experience departure gate on the track, which is convenient for the public to experience the bobsleigh and skeleton project under the condition of professional safety security, and supplements the leisure and entertainment space, which has the dual attributes of large-scale events and mass leisure experience. "Since last year, we have arranged a public experience program on the track, where tourists can wear helmets, protective gear, action cameras, and other equipment to experience, which has attracted a large number of tourists to come to participate." Yanqing District Sports Bureau deputy director Liu Qianxun said.

In Yanqing Olympic Zone, in addition to the "Xue You Long", the National Alpine Skiing Centre known as "Xue Fei Yan" is also located here, together with the Yanqing Winter Olympic Village (Winter Paralympic Village) and other venues and facilities, they constitute an important Olympic legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic Games in Yanqing. Undertaking international and domestic high-level events is the main function of the Yanqing Olympic Zone in the post-Olympic era. At the same time, through the driving effect of the Winter Olympics, World Cup, World Championships, and other high-level events, it organizes and carries out domestic mass skiing events and promotes the development of skiing.  

Translator: ZHOU Huilin

Reviewer: LIU Siqi