On July 5, the Beijing Ice Sports Training Base was brimming with energy as the “Run, Youth!” fitness campaign for children and adolescents officially launched alongside the 2025 “Yan-Hai-Qi Cup” Short Track Speed Skating Invitational. The event brought together more than 300 young short track speed skaters from various districts of Beijing and Qitaihe City in Heilongjiang Province, all gathering in Yanqing to compete in thrilling showdowns on the ice.

With the sound of the starting gun, young skaters in brightly colored uniforms shot off the line like arrows. The crisp sound of blades carving into the ice echoed through the rink. Overtakes on the bends, sprints on the straights, and daring crossovers—athletes demonstrated precise positioning techniques and agile movements, drawing waves of cheers from the audience. The competition was divided into five age groups: U9, U11, U13, U15, and U17, covering individual events of 500m, 1000m, and 1500m, as well as a 2000m mixed relay, providing a comprehensive test of the young athletes' competitive skills.

Huo Porui, a competitor in the U17 1500m individual race, said: “I learned a lot from my peers today. I will continue to work hard towards my goals and hope to achieve even greater success in short track speed skating in the future.”

As a flagship event rooted in youth ice and snow sports in Yanqing District, the “Yan-Hai Cup” has now been held for four consecutive years. This year marked the first time the event expanded beyond city boundaries, co-hosted by the sports bureaus of Yanqing District, Haidian District, and Qitaihe City. “Each year, the event has improved, and the athletes’ performance and spirit have been remarkable,” said Wang Zili, the event’s technical representative. “I hope that sports and education departments will continue to work closely with parents to discover and nurture more outstanding young talents who can bring glory to the country.”

In recent years, leveraging the legacy of the Winter Olympics, Yanqing District has intensified efforts to promote youth involvement in winter sports. It has established short track speed skating and alpine skiing teams, currently registering 203 athletes. As of June 2025, the district has cultivated one national-level elite athlete and 26 national first- and second-level athletes, achieving an impressive haul of 199 gold, 192 silver, and 189 bronze medals in city-level and above competitions. Notably, Yanqing has also integrated winter sports into the physical education curriculum of its primary and secondary schools. All 15 designated winter sports schools in the district now have full ice rink access, laying a solid foundation for widespread participation in winter sports.

“This event not only provided a high-level competition platform for youth from the three regions but also injected new momentum into the coordinated development of the ice and snow industry in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region through the ‘Sports +’ model,” said Liu Qianxun, Director of the Yanqing District Sports Bureau. “Looking ahead, Yanqing will establish a joint training mechanism with Qitaihe City for athlete development and deepen cooperation in areas such as technical exchanges, coach exchanges, and event co-hosting. Together, we aim to build a cross-regional talent cultivation system for winter sports, nurturing new strength to drive the high-quality development of China's ice and snow sports.”