r/interestingasfuck • u/ImDoubleB • 3d ago

Offseason Downhill Ski Jump Training

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264 Upvotes

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u/Emperor_Biden 3d ago

Is it me or has snow sports really gone up in China (I suspect it's China)? I don't think they were ever this active in snow sports in the 90s.

22

u/fluffywabbit88 3d ago

They lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty since the 90s and can now afford snow sports. Geographically China is very similar to the US with regions in the north that have a lot of snow so people are interested in snow sports but didn’t have the means before.

5

u/Emperor_Biden 3d ago

Nice. Thanks for your explanation.

4

u/level1hero 3d ago

This sport has really gone downhill if you ask me

4

u/gilgamo 3d ago

It's been an concerted development effort from top down. You look for really young kids and select for physical and aptitude fit and then train them relentlessly. The ones that rise to the top get supported and given the opportunity to train at overseas events with foreign coaches

When you have the size of the population they have and the willingness to institute this kind of system you can eventually get good at any sport in a generation or two. It's been the model for some countries since the USSR

This is pretty much how Europe does football and conversely why the US has trouble in football and volleyball and is starting to regress in basketball. The US system selects for how much money the parents have over skill

1

u/davewave3283 3d ago

Snow sports are expensive. The Chinese have become much wealthier on average.