OlymPicks: Chinese Winter Athletes Striving Ahead; Snickers Named Official Olympic Chocolate

Joey Knotts, Contributing Editor | Dec 24, 2019 8:30 am | Add a comment | 278 reads

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

Chinese teams and athletes gear up

Things are, on the whole, looking up for Chinese teams and athletes as they refine their skills and in preparation for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

It was announced last year that women's monobob would be added to the games as part of seven new events in the Beijing Olympics. China is off to a good start in this single-woman bobsled sport as Qing Ling tied for first place at the latest monobob series put on by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, along with Breeana Walker of Australia.

Meanwhile, in short track speed skating, many Chinese eyes will be on Shaolin Liu (pictured above right ), who although of Chinese descent, skates for Hungary. Liu won two gold medals at the sport's world cup in Shanghai this month, and his team won silver in the 5,000-meter relay.

China's own short track speed skating team is also getting a helpful shakeup this year, according to Xinhua News, and couldn’t ask for a better coach than China’s most decorated Olympian ever, Wang Meng. From 2010 to 2014, Meng earned four gold medals, one silver, and one bronze under the Chinese flag. Now, at age 35, she hopes to pass on her expertise to the next generation of speed skaters.

The country’s curling team, meanwhile, finds itself with not one, but two new notable leaders. Wang Bingyu, who helped to win the country’s first Olympic medal in curling at the 2010 Vancouver games, stepped on board as the team’s program director earlier this year, followed by the appointment of former Swedish national coach Peja Lindholm, who hopes to work his magic in the same position here.

Snickers will supply chocolate for the 2022 games

Last Monday, Snickers was awarded the honor of becoming the exclusive chocolate supplier of the 2022 games. That means if Olympians start craving chocolate, they will have to take it with caramel, nougat, and nuts.

That should be helpful to refuel after a tricky race down the slopes, and it also means that athletes from around the world will get the chance to try strange and wonderful snickers flavors that we have access to here in China. Flavors such as: