China's 'father of skiing' hopes games will attract more ordinary folks to the sport – CNA

BEIJING: Shan Zhaojian stretches his arms and legs to warm up as the 83-year-old prepares to ski down a mountain just outside China’s capital of Beijing. The bespectacled skier is technically retired, but thanks to his nickname as China’s “father of skiing”, he has been a prominent icon in the country’s campaign to encourage an interest in winter sports as it gears up to host the Winter Olympics from Feb. 4-20. Shan has become a well-known advocate for the sport in the country in the decades since he was China’s first national skiing champion in 1957. “At that time, we…