Chinese winter sports academy to open in Vuokatti

The major co-operation project will bring up to 150 Chinese athletes to Vuokatti on a permanent basis and is a natural extension of the collaboration that began back in 2016.

Chinese winter athletes have been training in Vuokatti for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, although the vision goes beyond the games, to build a strong foundation for winter sports in China.

“Vuokatti’s proven record of developing Finnish cross-country skiing significantly influenced our decision to establish the academy right here,” saysHong Ping, head of winter sports at the Chinese sports ministry. “The most important factor was the trust in the local knowledge that has been built during our previous collaboration and reinforced during a recent visit by a Chinese sports minister.”

Vuokatti Sport will take care of all the needs of the Chinese athletes in terms of training, coaching, and daily life. The project will also have a significant direct and indirect commercial impact on the region.