Beijing, China, September 28, 2020: Construction of the National Sliding Center in Yanqing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing has progressed so quickly that the national team will start training there early next month.
Xinhua News reports that the center began ice-making on September 18 and that the complex will be completed by the end of this month.
The Beijing Major Projects Construction HQ confirmed on Sunday, September 27 that, up to now, 90 percent of the track ice-making work had been completed and 60 percent of the track ice-repairing work had been completed.
Eight international ice makers from Russia, France, Canada and other countries and regions participated in the ice making work along with 20 domestic ice makers.
The National Sliding Center will become the first competition venue of the Beijing Winter Olympics at which the national team can train, 16 months before the next Winter Olympics in February 2022.
A special field operation support management team has also been set up to guarantee the training tasks of the national team. According to the follow-up plan, by the end of 2020 the National Sliding Center, the National Alpine Skiing Center and Yanqing Winter Olympic Village will all be completed.
Offering a seating capacity of 2,000 and a standing capacity of 8,000, the National Sliding Center features the first bobsleigh, skeleton and luge tracks in China.