Hebei snow park provides exciting glimpse of new Olympic sport

In flag football, players in offense wear belts with flags hung on their waists and minimal equipment. Instead of tackling a player heavily as in the full-contact version, defenders try to pull an opponent's flag off to stop a play.

The Yunding Bowl adopted a special format of four-plus-one, requiring each team's five-a-side roster to include at least one female on the field to promote equality and unity across genders.

After playing on a hectic one-day schedule covering the round-robin group stage and knockout phase, the Crazy Wolves from Capital University of Physical Education and Sports met Zhejiang University Football Club in the final. The Wolves eventually edged out ZJU Football 19-18 in a seesaw battle that saw both teams put their team-work, athleticism and strategic thinking on full display.

Wolves' running back Yang Cheng was declared the tournament's Most Valuable Player after delivering two touchdown assists and completing a touchdown by himself in the final.

"This tournament was very well organized and provided us a great opportunity to improve our play against some very good teams from home and the States. I enjoyed it very much," said Yang, a member of the national team's spring training camp roster.

By hosting the newest Summer Olympic sport at an iconic winter sports site, the mountain resort has set another excellent example for its post-Winter Games legacy use and sustainable four-season business operation, said Shu Wen, CEO of Yunding Snow Park.

"It's not just a competition for young talents to enjoy the sport in sweat and passion, it's also a platform set at the Olympic stage for young people of different countries to communicate and make friends. We hope to create more of such cultural exchange opportunities in the future," added Shu.