Athletes and officials laud Chinese capital

Skaters have fun painting Chinese opera masks on Tuesday ahead of the weekend's world championships. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

William Dandjinou found the firm ice suits his tall build, Brendan Corey had fun painting Peking Opera masks and Kristen Santos-Griswold revisited her favorite Beijing park.

Everyone from across the sport's international community seems in high spirits as the short-track world championships make their impressive return to the Chinese capital, enjoying resounding acclaim from athletes and officials alike.

Kim Jae-youl, president of the International Skating Union, said that, whenever the Chinese organizers decide to host an international skating event, they never disappoint.

"It is a great pleasure to be back in Beijing, the one and only great sports city that has hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics!" exclaimed Kim, a South Korean sports administrator, who has visited China multiple times since being elected head of the governing body after Beijing 2022.

"Beijing is especially important to the ISU, because it is a frequent and reliable host of our major events. And, each time, the city has welcomed the global skating community with open arms. Beijing has world-class venues, excellent event organizers and passionate skating fans."

This year will be the third time Beijing has hosted the short-track worlds after the 1993 and 2005 editions, both at the Capital Indoor Stadium. This year's edition marks a dynamic rebrand of the worlds, with the event decorated by new logos, and facilitated by a new video replay system to aid the referees.

With winter sports promotion in China taking leaps and bounds over the past two decades, ISU director general Colin Smith said the return to Beijing was a "no-brainer".

"The reason (for coming back) is really simple. The professional organization here is really second to none," Smith said. "You know when you come to Beijing you can rely on the quality of the ice and the facilities for the skaters to perform well."

After a few days of relaxing and training, athletes all hailed Beijing as a generous and warm host that has helped them get into the groove quickly.

"For me, being in Beijing is always incredible. Just the fans and the atmosphere. I love the ice here. I think, for my profile, as a little bit heavier, a bit of a bigger guy, the ice is really good quality, and that helps me a lot," said Canada's 1.91-meter-tall Dandjinou.

"For me, it's spectacular ice. It's grippy and fast at the same time, which is, like, a perfect combination," said American star Santos-Griswold. "Beyond that, is the location of this venue. It's really nice, and I've got a hotel right across the street. We have probably the most beautiful park that I've been to just across the street, and it's, like, the perfect place to go before a race that can really get you into the right mindset."

The cultural experiences on offer at the hotel are also something that particularly appeal to the international skaters, especially Australia's Corey.

"It's fun, and I'd love to see more of the culture here. It's a good vibe," Corey said after learning to paint a traditional Chinese opera mask on Tuesday.