Former champions are in a class of their own

Li Lingwei, an IOC Executive Board member and dean of the Chinese Olympic Academy, encouraged her younger compatriots to take full advantage of the program and get involved with international sports governance whenever the opportunities present themselves.

"Global competency does not come automatically with being a champion in sports. It can only be built, bit by bit, through continuous study, repeated training and real-world practice," Li, a retired badminton legend, said during his opening speech.

The deep understanding of their respective sports, proven credibility as champions and familiarity with foreign colleagues and governing body officials have given her fellow students an edge in navigating through the challenges of their post-athletic careers, Li added.

For curling world champion Wang, a priority in her career with the international governing body is to bring back best practices in curling promotion from around the world and translate them into development of the sport at home.

"I want to be a pathfinder for the next generation," said Wang, who captained the Chinese women's squad to its first and only world championships title in South Korea in 2009.

"I hope what I learn can pave the way for younger athletes, so they can step onto the international stage with greater poise and confidence."

The program blends online and offline teaching under a three-stage framework: domestic training, overseas study trips and comprehensive practice sessions. The first-stage training sessions run from Wednesday to Saturday at Beijing Sport University.