On the morning of February 8, the Chinese freestyle skier Gu Ailing won her first gold medal of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games at Big Air Shougang. The wonderful live broadcast of the event made more people learn about Big Air Shougang, and athletes from many countries praised the former steel mill as an amazing venue for the competition.
Gu Ailing of China lavished praise on the facilities of Big Air Shougang, noting that it is the most beautiful ski jumping she has ever seen and the best venue she has ever skied at.
The Norwegian male freestyle skier Birk Ruud won the big air championship of 2019 Air+Style Beijing FIS Big Air World Cup at Big Air Shougang. He loved the venue so much. "Compared to 2019, the ground is smoother, the kicker is great, and the quality of the snow is much better!"
Source: Shougang Group News Center [Photo by Yuan Dexiang]
Makeshift platforms for ski jumping have been set up in parks in cities such as Boston and Atlanta in recent years, but American freestyle skier Colby Stevenson said these platforms were like "scaffolding" and were "pretty rough". "It's kind of scary because you might feel the jump shaking," noted his teammate. The giant Big Air Shougang does not have these problems. "It's like being on a mountain," said Swedish freestyle skier Oliwer Magnusson.
Source: Shougang Group News Center [Photo by Yuan Dexiang]
Big Air Shougang is the only snow event venue in the central area of Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the world's first permanent big air venue for long-term usage.
The curve design of Big Air Shougang was inspired by the image of "Flying Apsaras" from Dunhuang murals. The ribbon curve of the "Flying Apsaras" is similar to the movement track of the athletes, and "Flying Apsaras" and "Big Air" both mean jumping into the air, so Big Air Shougang is also called "Snowy Flying Apsaras".
The Associated Press reported that the shuttered steel mill enables Olympic skiers to fly into the sky.
"The sprawling old Shougang factory has been transformed into a beautiful urban oasis", said the article. Rusting machinery remains, but the space is filled with lawns, glass ponds and plenty of greenery. One of the blast furnaces was renovated and turned into a steampunk-style event space with shops, commercial offices and a museum.
There are also facilities for athletes to do the training of short track speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and curling. Here also sits the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
"I think it would be really cool if venues like this could continue to spread around the world," said U.S. freestyle skier Nick Goepper. "It will bring skiing closer to the public."
(Source: China Daily, Beijing Daily)