Qiu Zhaoyi is a professor at Beijing Sport University as well as an A-level referee certified by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for freestyle skiing. During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, he worked in two events, freestyle skiing aerials and moguls, making him the first referee from China in the above categories in the Olympics history.

The selection of referees for the Olympics is the toughest among all selections, requiring more than 20 years of experience and A-level qualifications. There is no room for different interpretations of the rules, so Qiu learned all the changes made in match rules made by FIS.

For Qiu Zhaoyi, working as a referee in a dozen stops of the World Cup and World Championships every year has become a part of his life besides academia.

When he was selected for the 2018 Winter Games, he knew he needed to use this opportunity to deepen his understanding of the sport, and to understand what the Olympics are truly about. 

Qiu has since been bringing Chinese athletes updates and feedback from international referees to help them improve training. He believes that by doing so, there will be more Chinese referees accepted by FIS and the Olympics. 

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)