OlymPicks: Flash Mob Surprises Olympic Fans; Veterans Take On Leadership Roles

In OlymPicks, we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.

Spontaneous Olympic Promo Springs Up

Flash mobs of any form are surprising enough, but how about one comprised of professional figure skaters, skiers, and curlers? Such was the surreal scene at Beijing’s Olympic Park on May 23, according to Inside the Games as Olympics organizers treated visitors to a pop-up promo of sorts in the lead up to the 2022 Winter Games.

The participants included short track speed skater Yang Yang (pictured in the lead image above) and freestyle aerial skier Han Xiaopeng, both of whom have on Olympic gold medals in the past. Other famous faces included actors Tong Liya, Chen Xiaoduo, and Yun Fei, who belted out anthems like "Beijing Welcomes You" and "Me and My Motherland."

READ: Jackie Chan Helps Kick off 1,000-Day Olympic Countdown

Our expectations are certainly ratcheting up for future hype and promo as 2022 draws nearer. Catch a glimpse of the glitzy festivities here.

Chinese Winter Sports Vets Take On Leadership Roles

Promotion is one thing, but progress has also been made in the more practical prep for the 2022 Games. In fact, when it comes to readying Chinese athletes for home ground victories, two pioneering sports stars have stepped up to offer wisdom gleaned from prior competitions.

First up: speed skater extraordinaire Wang Meng, who won a laudable trio of gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games along with a single gold four years prior in Turin. It was recently announced that Wang will be the head coach of the Chinese national speed skating team, overseeing the training of those junior competitors ahead of 2022.  

In an interview with state media about her new role, Wang said: “This is both an honor and a source of pressure.” She added: "I hope all relevant parties can work together to give a fresh new look to the speed skating national team."

Then there’s Wang Bingyu. She won the Curling World Championships in Gangneung all the way back in 2009, a full decade before the stone sliding sport became en vogue as the Chinese athletes overperformed at the Curling World Cup Final earlier this month. So, as the middle kingdom’s first world curling champ, she was a natural fit to help China keep its momentum going ahead of 2022 by becoming the sport’s program director for those upcoming Games.

"It never occurred to me that I would participate in Beijing 2022 in such a different capacity… It did make a big difference in my life – new colleagues, new tasks, new pressure – but I cherish my new life now," Wang told state media.

Brit Snowboarder Applauds Olympics Going Green

Now let's turn from seasoned veteran athletes to inspiring up-and-comers. Specifically: British snowboarder Katie Ormerod, a highly regarded athlete was poised for big things ahead of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics last year, until she suffered a devastating injury while training, breaking her right heel bone.

She is now on the mend and eager to make up for lost time in 2022, especially after studying up on China’s environmentally friendly efforts for the Olympics while she was recuperating. As Inside the Games puts it: “Ormerod… had become concerned about the future of snowboarding. She is taking heart, however… that all venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics would be powered by green electricity.”

"It is amazing that they want to power the Olympics like that," Ormerod went on to say. “I think if other committees and national teams do more, it will make a big difference.”

READ: Work Out Your Mind and Your Muscles With This Gym Vocab

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Inside the Games, Zimbio, Telegraph, sports.yahoo.com