WARSAW, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Poland's snowboard team, who has had their first training sessions in China ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, said they are delighted with conditions in Zhangjiakou, describing it as a "paradise".
Aleksandra Krol, Aleksandra Michalik, Weronika Biela-Nowaczyk, Michal Nowaczyk and Oskar Kwiatkowski will start in the parallel giant slalom on February 8. After their Sunday training session, the Poles praised the Beijing 2022 organizers.
One of the most experienced Polish snowboarders, Kwiatkowski said that "the Poles feel like we are in paradise".
"While riding the lift, I spoke with one American who claimed that he had not seen such well-prepared objects for a long time. It's something beautiful. Great snow, great driving pleasure, and the perfect temperature. It is supposed to be about minus 10 degrees Celsius, but you don't feel it at all due to the strong sun. There are no clouds. The weather is just perfect and it is supposed to last until our start," Kwiatkowski said in an interview with the Polish Olympic Committee website.
According to Kwiatkowski, the athletes who will participate in Beijing have better conditions than four years ago in PyeongChang.
"In South Korea it was very different. There was no Olympic Village, we stayed at the hotel and it took about 50 minutes to get to the slopes by bus. Here we are in the village, where everything is provided, we don't have to worry about lunch, and we have an eight-minute drive to the route. It's fully professional. There is really nothing to complain about," the snowboarder added.
"It will be a very different Winter Games to previous ones, primarily because of the pandemic. However, we have already adapted to all requirements and restrictions and we are strictly adhering to them," Kwiatkowski concluded.
Kwiatkowski's teammates echoed his praise of the event's organization.
"These are the best conditions in which I have trained. The snow is perfect for me and I am impressed with the preparations," Michalik was quoted as saying.
"The snow is perfect and it drives really great," said Biela-Nowaczyk, who also competed in PyeongChang four years ago. She arrived in China with her husband Michal Nowaczyk, who trained with a camera on Sunday.
"I'm still trying to find an optimal line, the camera makes it easier. I believe that the conditions are perfect here and everyone should be satisfied with them. I'm full of optimism before the competition," Michal added. ■