Beijing all set for winter thrills

A week later, the action will find its way to Beijing's downtown venues with two highly anticipated events — a speed skating World Cup and a free ski and snowboard Big Air World Cup. Both running between Nov 29 and Dec 1, the overlapping events will make it a hard choice for winter sports fans as to which one to choose. Both events will offer important qualification ranking points for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, each drawing a glittering cast of international stars to battle for podium finishes in Beijing.

The Big Air World Cup — which involves skiers and snowboarders hurtling downward, taking off, performing spins, flips and grabs before landing in style — will return to the iconic giant slope at west Beijing's Shougang Industrial Park. It has emerged as perhaps the most sought-after competition this season, with two extremely popular Olympic champions in men's snowboarder Su Yiming and women's free skier Gu Ailing both having signed up for the home showpiece.

With the snow cannons blasting at full capacity and venue staff manicuring the steep ramp, the permanent Big Air slope at Shougang, the world's first of its scale, is taking shape as the optimal venue for hosting the high-flying event, and one that international athletes love so much.

As last year's Cup winner in Shougang, the 20-year-old Su is primed to defend his title at home, while his fellow Olympic champion Gu, who leads all men's and women's skiers with a record haul of 15 freestyle ski World Cup wins, will make an eye-catching return to the Olympic slope for the first time since her golden bow at Beijing 2022.

Tickets for the Big Air, and the concurrent live music concerts featuring renowned local bands, priced from 360-1080 yuan ($50-150), have been among the hottest in town, according to the organizing committee.