The 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, promises to be a sporting event of excellence and fair play, empowered by cutting-edge technology used by the organizers.

From the innovative design of the torch to the high-performance materials used in athletes' clothing, as well as tools designed to ensure fair play and advanced security systems, technology is intricately woven into every facet of the event.

Ice torch

The torch for the upcoming Asian Winter Games is a masterpiece of design and engineering. Crafted by Harbin Engineering University, the torch is made of transparent special functional materials and takes the shape of a blooming lilac flower, showing a gradation of colors from ice crystals to snowflake white. When lit, it creates a mesmerizing visual effect of ice and fire, beautifully symbolizing the vibrant spirit of the city.

Sun Gaohui, a professor from the College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Harbin Engineering University, said that the design process involved overcoming significant technical challenges, including ensuring transparency, resistance to extreme temperature fluctuations, flame retardancy, and cost efficiency.

Waterproof clothing

The Chinese sports delegation will be outfitted in specially designed clothing made from high-performance materials.

Developed in collaboration between sportswear brand ANTA and Donghua University, the clothing features a cutting-edge material that provides exceptional waterproofing and moisture-wicking properties. This ensures that athletes remain dry, comfortable and protected against harsh weather conditions.

Chinese skater Liu Guanyi praised the clothing's remarkable windproof and waterproof capabilities, noting that they can keep athletes cool and dry throughout intense training sessions.

Video replay

To ensure fairness in high-speed racing events like short track speed skating and speed skating, the research team at the Harbin Sport University has developed an advanced dual-screen video replay system.

According to Shan Baohai, a professor at the university, unlike the International Skating Union's standard equipment, which provides only one replay screen for referees, this innovative system adds a second screen, allowing referees to simultaneously view multiple angles.

Shan emphasized that this technological advancement plays a crucial role in enabling quick and accurate decision-making during competitions. Additionally, the system can leverage accumulated data and big data analytics to provide scientific insights for athlete training, competition strategy development, and event organization optimization.

Security management

For the first time, the competition venues will utilize 5G NR indoor enhanced positioning technology, developed by telecom operator China Unicom. This cutting-edge system enables real-time tracking of personnel responsible for operations and maintenance, ensuring rapid response in case of emergencies and guaranteeing the smooth operation of the event.

Ji Yanqi, an expert from China Unicom's Heilongjiang branch, highlighted the importance of this technology in enhancing event security and efficiency.

Furthermore, other advanced technologies such as 5G-A network have been deployed to elevate the event's overall security capabilities.