National Biathlon Championships closes in NW China

LANZHOU, China, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 2022-2023 National Biathlon Championships closed Tuesday in Baiyin city in northwest China's Gansu Province.

A total of 86 athletes from 11 teams competed in the first national biathlon tournament of 2023 which featured 11 events, including the women's 7.5km sprint, the men's 10km sprint, the women's 10km pursuit and the men's 12.5km pursuit.

The championships was held at the Baiyin national snow sports training base which was built in 2019 and hosted the 2020-2021 national cross-country skiing championships.

Nearly 100 winter sports events have been held in Gansu over the past few years.

"The development of winter sports in Gansu has a bright future after Beijing 2022," said Zhou Jinping, director of the winter sports management center of the province.

It is encouraging that winter sports also boost tourism in the province, Zhou added.