Ski orienteering event marks a year of China-Finland cooperation

The 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports came to a close over the weekend when more than 100 ski enthusiasts from the two nations participated in the Alpine Ski Orienteering Open in Suomutunturi, Finland.

Over the past year, various sports-related activities have been held in an effort to share knowledge ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Last month, Gao Zhidan, deputy director of the General Administration of Sports of China, said that over the 12 months, the two sides had organized a total of 62 activities.

Finland has been able to share its experience in coaching, building venues for winter sports, sports technology, in manufacturing sports equipment and teaching physical education.

Over the course of the 2018-19 winter sports season, a total of 389 Chinese athletes participated in training and tournaments in Finland, and eight Finnish coaches were hired to train Chinese teams in the sports of snowboard, Nordic combined, curling and ski jumping.

The theme for the year not only allowed for an exchange between the sports sectors of the two nations, but also laid foundations for industrial cooperation.