On June 23, the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (Beijing 2022) officially launched the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Philanthropy Platform, alongside the kick-off of the "Blue Tracks" philanthropy event.

The philanthropy platform spreads culture and knowledge of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, encourages people to exercise regularly, and promotes rural revitalisation to realise the goal of engaging 300 million people in winter sports. The vision of "benefitting from development and progress" has transformed the support and participation of all sectors of society for the Winter Games into actions, building a special legacy for Beijing 2022.

The user interface of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Philanthropy Platform [Photo provided by the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games]

The "Blue Tracks" event is the first activity initiated by the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Philanthropy Platform, and will last from 23 June 2021 to the beginning of January 2022. Participants will pledge their steps contributions on the philanthropy platform through walking, running and other sports. Sponsors of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games at all levels will pave Winter Games-themed blue tracks for rural schools in economically underdeveloped areas to improve the local students’ access to quality physical exercise spaces.

In the future, the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Philanthropy Platform will also integrate philanthropy activities with important cultural activities before and during the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, and carry out a series of philanthropy activities through a combination of online and offline events.

Preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games are progressing smoothly, with significant achievements made in engaging 300 million people in winter sports. The number of Olympic education demonstration schools nationwide has reached 835, and the number of special schools for ice and snow sports has reached 2,062.

Tong Jian, World Champion Figure Skater, and Yang Yang, two-time Olympic Champion Short Track Speed Skater, encourage everyone to use the Beijing 2022 Winter Games Philanthropy Platform [Photo provided by the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games]

At the end of 2020, the main construction of all competition venues for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games was completed as scheduled, and the National Sliding Centre went through on-site pre-homologation and inspections with the International Federations (IFs), receiving high praise from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IFs.

In February, the "Experience Beijing" winter sports testing activities, including sliding events and snow events, were completed in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou areas, and the ice testing activities were held in Beijing in April. In the second half of this year, 10 international test events and three international training weeks will also be organised.