National skating marathon kicks off in northern China

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The 2017-2018 National Mass Speed Skating Marathon kicked off on January 28 at the Laoniu Bay in Pianguan County, northern China’s Shanxi Province. The event was held on a frozen stretch of the Yellow River for the first time. Around 300 skating amateurs and former professionals from across the country joined the one-day event.

The first National Mass Speed Skating Marathon held on a frozen stretch of the Yellow River. /CGTN Photo

Temperatures in the area have been around 20 degrees below freezing point, which is more than enough to keep the ice hard. Local officials say the ice on the Yellow River here is as thick as 60 centimeters to one meter, much thicker than the national standard of 15 centimeters. It’s safe enough for sports activities.

Participants can’t hide their excitement skating on the river. Du Yuqin, 60, is a participant from the city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province. “I feel so happy. I’m about to take part in the six-kilometer race and I hope I will have good performance,” she said.

Winners of the race will be awarded up to thousands of yuan. /CGTN Photo

Yu Chunlin, 46, is a former skating athlete from a skating association in Hebei Province. She and her teammates took part in all the games of the marathon. She said she felt so excited and enjoyed the beautiful natural view at the Laoniu Bay.

A closed-loop track was cleared out on the frozen Yellow River. /CGTN Photo

Laoniu Bay is located at the intersection of the Yellow River and the ancient Great Wall. The frozen Yellow River here has become an ideal place for many winter sports lovers. After China won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, there’s been a 30 percent increase in the number of people engaging in winter sports.

Many participants are professional skaters. /CGTN Photo

Yao Jianhua, Yu’s teammate, said, “We hope we can contribute to China’s 2022 Winter Olympics and we call on more Chinese people to join winter sports.”

Li Zhixin, another teammate of Yu, said, “We fully support China’s goal to have 300 million people doing winter sports. We will teach more young people to learn skating.”

Local officials say Laoniu Bay has also attracted many foreign skaters in recent years. They believe the frozen Yellow River here is a perfect place for outdoor skating.

Participants at the starting point. /CGTN Photo

Fan Long, head of the Laoniu Bay Scenic Spot Company, said, “Many foreign skating lovers came to China to look for an ideal outdoor venue for skating. When they arrived here at the Laoniu Bay, they found the frozen stretch of the Yellow River here is a perfect place for skating. And they also told me they expect to join the skating marathon in China next year.”