Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic test events kick off with speed skating

(ECNS) -- A series of test events for the Beijing Winter Olympics started with the three-day "Experience Beijing" Speed Skating China Open. The competition ended last Sunday at National Speed Skating Oval (The Ice Ribbon) featuring athletes from China, the Republic of Korea and the Netherlands.

From Oct. 5 to Dec. 31, the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee will hold 10 events, three training weeks and two domestic activities in eight venues across Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, with Speed Skating China Open the first international test event.

Apart from overseas athletes, test events also welcomed representatives of International Ski Federation (FIS) and International Technical Officials (ITO), etc. Most are involved in stadium operation, media, command systems and other aspects of standard-setting, to provide athletes the greatest opportunity to adapt to venues.

For pandemic prevention and control, Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee has made meticulous arrangements for each venue. National Speed Skating Oval is divided into "inside the closed-loop" and "outside the loop" areas - with personnel related to overseas athletes being within the closed-loop range where people live, eat and move together without any contact with the outside world.

The Netherlands has always been dominant in speed skating. Sophie Kleiveld won the gold medal of the first women's 3000 meter event while another Dutch athlete Isabel Grevet, the big winner of this test competition, won the women's 500 meters, 1000 meters, 1500 meters, alongside women's collective start championships.

Yang Binyu, a 19-year-old Chinese athlete won the silver medal of the women's 3,000 meters and collective start competition.

Next, the 2021 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, ISU World Cup Short Track 2021/22 and other events will also be launched.