Chinese promising mogul skiers set sights on Beijing Winter Olympics

Source: Xinhua| 2018-02-06 21:52:37|Editor: Shi Yinglun
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PYEONGCHANG, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two of China's young mogul skiers have looked beyond the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games towards the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

17-year-old Guan Ziyan and 20-year-old Wang Jin, led by their American coach Scott Rawles, took their second training session here on Tuesday before the Winter Olympics kicks off three days later.

For Guan, who started skiing just six years ago, gaining experience is her priority in PyeongChang.

"Compared with those world class rivals, we didn't ski for quite a long time. We still have a lot to learn from them," she admitted.

"We came here to gain experience, and prepare for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China," Wang said.

Prior to coaching the Chinese mogul skiing team in October 2014, Rawles was involved with the US skiing team for 14 years. For him, experience may have more weight than the results this time.

"They have improved a lot during the past three years," Rawles said with satisfaction. "I really just try to get them to concentrate on their performance."

"I hope that they perform at their highest level and gain good experience that [helps] them [to be] better motivated and work hard going towards Beijing," he added.

Following every run during the session, Rawles would welcome his players with a fist bump to show his encouragement.

"For them, just being at the Olympics is a pretty amazing thing, and until you have been here and gone through it, you don't really understand it," Rawles said.

After coaching in China for three and a half years, Rawles can feel the development of ice and snow sports throughout the world's most populous country. Rawles says he can see the difference, in a little over a year. Guan and Wang will feature in Women's Moguls qualifiers on Friday.

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