FIS President Johan Eliasch: China is winter sports "frontier" to conquer

International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) President Johan Eliasch has hailed the "tremendous impact" of the legacy of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, identifying China as the primary engine for the global growth of winter sports.

Speaking during the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, Eliasch emphasized that while traditional markets like Switzerland and Austria are saturated, China offers "tremendous potential" for expansion.

Eliasch praised China's initiative to engage 300 million people in winter sports, noting that the target has fundamentally shifted the landscape of the industry.

"It has dramatically increased participation and interest in the sport," Eliasch said. "In Switzerland or Italy or Austria, everybody skis. We can't grow our sport there, but China is a market that we have to conquer."

The FIS chief noted that such growth is supported by an infrastructure boom that has eclipsed traditional European hubs.

"China today has more winter resorts than Switzerland," Eliasch pointed out, adding that those facilities are the bedrock for building a "strong Chinese team" while also supporting grassroots development.

Central to this rapid acceleration is the emergence of global superstars. Eliasch specifically lauded the impact of athletes like freestyle skier Gu Ailing, noting that her influence transcends borders.

"She's unique. She does have a global footprint that she can inspire wherever she goes," he explained. "People want to associate, they want to identify themselves with these great athletes and that has a phenomenal impact for sport."

The FIS is now working in "close cooperation" with the Chinese Ski Association and Chinese Olympic Committee to provide coaching expertise and program infrastructure. Eliasch attributed the recent success of athletes like snowboarder Su Yiming to a distinct competitive mindset.

"They are very determined, very focused as athletes," Eliasch observed. "It goes with the Chinese way of thinking – they set the goal, they train and they execute the plan towards making that goal come true."