He still can’t walk, but he ‘rides’ (softly) the slopes on the snowboard. Just 11 months old, a little girl not even a year old makes a stir in China, in the place that will host the Beijing Winter Olympics. A little more than two months before the start of the Games (from 4 to 20 February 2022), Wang Yuji, wrapped in several layers of clothing, prepares to launch herself down a slope, under the tender gaze of her parents. Unlike many beginners who struggle to keep their balance, the little one shows great naturalness.
The story of the parents
“We put some boots on him and realized he was on his feet,” explains his mother, Fan Xueyin. “Then we took her up a small slope and saw her slide with the board,” he adds. Yuji discovered snow in early November during a family vacation. Since then, every morning he has joined other older fans on the slopes of the Thaiwoo Ski Resort in Chongli Zhangjiaku, one of the cities that will host the next Olympic Games.
The boom in winter sports ahead of the Olympics
Located approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Beijing, the site will host cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, freestyle skiing and snow surfing. Yuji is still too young to control her speed and direction, so her parents follow her closely. With the Olympics in the spotlight, China has heavily promoted winter sports. Ski resorts multiply and millions of Chinese, eager for recreation, begin to wear skis and surfboards in the snow. Yuji’s father, Wang Shu, encouraged by his daughter’s talent, says he wants to become an instructor to help her progress when she grows up.
Source-tg24.sky.it