The World Cup for women ski jumpers will be visiting the Olympic ski jumps for the first time this weekend. It’s a rare visit. The men have not been back since 2022.
Stefan Horngacher doesn’t want to go back to China, at least not as national ski jumping coach: “It’s pretty far and pretty cold”said Horngacher after the controversial Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022. Since then, the men’s World Cup has given China a wide berth. Horngacher was asked at the time whether he would like to come back: “Not like”he replied.
The ski jumpers are now competing in the first ever World Cups on the expensive ski jumps in Zhangjiakou this weekend. “I really like them and I’m looking forward to the World Cup”says Katharina Schmid. Germany’s top jumper won individual silver in 2022.
Expensive and almost unused
Since then, little has happened on the facility, which is said to be the most expensive one ever built, with construction costs estimated at just under 100 million euros. The (Inter-)Continental Cups last weekend with the participation of the German women who arrived early – Schmid won both competitions – were the first international competitions since the Olympics. It was like 2022: freezing cold and almost deserted.
The ski jump could be described as a grave of millions. Five Olympic competitions have been held there, but never a men’s World Cup.
Hardly any World Cups on the facilities
Things don’t look much better in other sports: the sports facilities in Beijing themselves continue to be used. But things look poor at the outposts far outside. Both in Zhangjikou – where the area for ski jumping, Nordic sports and biathlon had been built at a horrendous sum – and in Yanqing (bobsleigh/tobogganing and alpine skiing) there were hardly any World Cups taking place.
The bobsledders made their way to China again, but with a thin crew due to the logistical challenges. Biathletes never showed up in Zhangjiakou anymore; there were only lower-class Alpine races. The 2022 Olympics are said to have cost $3.9 billion, but experts assume ten times that amount – Beijing could even exceed the Sochi Winter Games ($29 billion).
The Chinese are still satisfied
The Chinese themselves are nevertheless convinced of themselves: “China’s winter sports industry has experienced rapid growth”the state news agency Xinhua quoted sports economist Wang Xueli. The popular sports goal of getting 300 million Chinese people on skis has long since been achieved, especially through the Olympics.
However, the most expensive facilities – ice channels such as ski jumps – are unsuitable for recreational use. And that remains the biggest problem with the Winter Games. Of the eleven Olympic jumping facilities of the past four decades, only Lillehammer (1994) has seen significant World Cup reuse.