OlymPicks: The Surprising Side Benefits of Beijing 2022

OlymPicks is an ongoing blog series whereby we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.

While Beijing has already broken ground by winning the bid for the 2022 Olympics, becoming the first city to ever host both editions of the games, the forthcoming event is also leading to plenty of other surprise benefits, both at home and abroad.

Case in point: players in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) are getting paid for the first time, thanks in part to China. Those checks are a measly step in the right direction, ranging from CAD 2000-10,000 depending on the player, but it’s still the first “tangible reward for all those hours of training” that the league has offered players “in its 11-year history,” according to an article by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

The story went on say that the CWHL acquired the money for those salaries in part because two Chinese teams are joining the league as part of the Middle Kingdom’s investment in hockey in preparation for the 2022 Games. The checks for these players are minuscule compared to what their male counterparts make in the National Hockey League (NHL) and payment for their efforts is of course long overdue, but it's nonetheless great to see at least some progress being made in this regard, no doubt inspiring those in the league to push for greater equality going forward now that this breakthrough has been made. For now, Montreal Canadiennes player Cassandra Poudrier says: "We are not making millions yet, but it's definitely going to help with expenses, buying some equipment ... Obviously, I'll have to keep my day job. It's not a living wage yet ... Our dream is just to live off of that."

The cash influx from China that helped make those players’ paycheck possible prompted CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress to list off other potential benefits, from the acquisition of new sponsors to further exposure for women’s hockey in general.  She added: "If you look at China and the magnitude of their business and the magnitude of the population there, it's the perfect opportunity to grow our game.”

And hockey certainly has been growing in China, at least when it comes to viewership of the men’s National Hockey League (NHL). An increase of 70,000 viewers watched this season’s opening game between longtime Alberta rivals the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, compared to last year. The National Post cited rating totals by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The story pointed out that “the sport is growing in China, in which the NHL trying to deepen its foothold by staging a pair of exhibition games in Beijing and Shanghai between the Canucks and Kings last month.”

An increase in average goals scored, along with a greater number of rising star players facing off against established vets in what appears to be a generational shift, all bode well for the sport’s prospects in the Far East, according to the Post. Of course, there’s a major hitch – the NHL and the International Olympic Committee’s recent falling out, meaning the league won't send players to the next Games in South Korea in 2018. The author summed it up thusly: “The kids are not only good enough to represent their respective countries, but also lead the way. And yet, we will have to wait until the next World Cup or possibly the 2022 Olympics in Beijing to see it. Of course, who knows what the rest of the league’s stars will look like by then.” Still, fans are holding out hope that the issues could be sorted by then and their favorite NHL star players will be back to vie for gold in Beijing. Those longtime hockey diehards are also no doubt pleased to have more fellow fans in China wishing for the same thing.

Outside of hockey, skiing fans are sure to be pleased by Beijing’s preparation when it comes to the slopes. The Associated Press reports that the building of three skiing courses on two mountains in Xiaohaituo, located 90 kilometers from Beijing, are ahead of schedule.

Course designer – not to mention 1972 downhill skiing gold medalist— Bernhard Russi says the prep for 2022 is "further along than at the same stage ahead of both the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia or in Pyeongchang (in 2018).” The speedy readying of those courses is all the more impressive considering an early obstacle: all of the 2022 skiing was initially supposed to happen on a single hill. But when officials were told that the vertical drop of 870 meters for the downhill course was just too steep in some parts for races such as the slalom and giant slalom, the designers found another mountain two kilometers away to host those competing skiers.

“With this solution, the downhill course is much more attractive and that's the key issue," Russi told the AP. The author of that story went on to write about how the Beijing 2022 Olympic “organizers want to create a sports hub served by a high-speed train line, due for completion in 2019,” along with other attractions for fans of cold weather games. Judging by the fast track preparation of skiing, and the spillover benefits for hockey, Beijing is quickly shaping up to be a far greater winter sports haven than ever before.  

Photos: cbc.ca