FIS cross-country ski tour begins in Xi Ujimqin

By Zhao Xiao (chinadaily.com.cn)

Updated: 2017-01-20

The 2017 International Ski Federation (FIS) Cross-Country Skiing China Tournament was held in Xi Ujimqin Banner, Xilin Gol League from Jan 6 to 7, gathering together 80 athletes from 12 countries to compete on snow-covered hills.

Skiers compete during the men’s 5.7km freestyle race in Xi Ujimqin Banner, Xilin Gol League on Jan 6. [Photo/Xinhua]

The skiing track was set for 1.9 kilometers. On Jan 6, the event contained two long-distance freestyle ski races, men’s 5.7-kilometer ski (three tracks) and women’s 3.8-kilometer ski (two tracks). Jan 7 included men’s and women’s short-distance races with qualifications, semi-finals, and finals.

During men’s 5.7km ski, Samuel Rege Gianasso from France sped past Norwegian Haakon Hjelstuen, a brand-new winner during the tournament in Changbai Mountains of Jilin province on Jan 1, and Jack Novak from the United States. Chinese skier Zhu Mingliang took fourth place, and was the champion during the tournament in Deer Valley (Luminggu) in Changchun on Jan 3.

During the women’s 3.8km ski, Chinese athlete Li Xin was first to cross the finish line, and had previously won the Changbai Mountains tournament, and Julia Jansson from Sweden ranked second. Chinese skier Meng Honglian won third place, while ranking at the top for the women’s tally in 2017.

The event was jointly sponsored by the International Ski Federation, China Ski Association, Inner Mongolia Sports Bureau, the people’s government of Xi Ujimuqin Banner, and several sports companies.

The ski tournaments in China were set at several stations, including Changbai Mountains in Jilin, Deer Valley in Changchun, Xi Ujimqin in Inner Mongolia, and Yanqing in Beijing. Athletes from Austria, Chile, the Czech Republic, Germany, Venezuela, France, Italy, Finland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, and China participated in the event.

International Ski Federation (FIS, short for Fédération Internationale de Ski) is the world's highest governing body for international winter sports. Founded in 1924, it is responsible for the Olympic disciplines of Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding. The FIS is also responsible for setting the international competition rules. The organization now has a membership of 118 national ski associations and is based in Oberhofen am Thunersee, Switzerland.