China's bobsleigh team prepares for Games debut
By Wang Meng
["china"]
The Chinese bobsleigh team finally met their sleds on Tuesday. Their all-red sleds traveled tens of thousands of kilometers from St. Moritz, Switzerland to the Olympic city of PyeongChang in South Korea.
This is the first time China has participated in bobsleigh at the Winter Games.
Team China spent weeks training at the Alpine resort to prepare for the Games. A total of four teams are participating in the Winter Games – a trio of two-man squads and a four-man team.
"It's great to see team China, in [South] Korea, in the Olympic Games in PyeongChang. We are very happy to greet them here, and they are so professional and so prepared with their coaches and athletes together," said Normunds Kotans, the bobsleigh event manager.
Each two-man bobsleigh weighs 170 kilograms, while the four-man sled can reach up to 210 kilos.
After arriving in South Korea, the athletes must put their rides together, and get them to the track. Each team needs to have their bobsleigh fully assembled a day before the Games begin. China's bobsleighs were tested for the first time on Wednesday.
Liu Jiayu of China at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics /VCG Photo

Liu Jiayu of China at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics /VCG Photo

Also among the arrivals is China's snowboarding team. The group touched down to a warm welcome and discussed their determination to reach the medal stand – especially captain Liu Jiayu, who is competing at the Games for the third consecutive time.