Rock
Place: China Yanqing District
Architect(s): Bernhard Russi (main)
Didier Defago (assistant)
Mountain: Xiaohaituo Mountain
Resort: National Alpine Ski Centre
Opened: 3 February 2022
Level: expert
Downhill
Men
Start: 2,179 m (7,149 ft) (AA)
Finish: 1,285 m (4,216 ft)
Vertical drop:    894 m (2,933 ft)
Length: 3.152 km (1.96 mi)
Max. incline:   34.2 degrees (68%)
Time record: 1:42.01 (Vincent Kriechmayr)
Top speed: 139.7 km/h (86.8 mph)
Adrian Smiseth Sejersted
Women
Start: 2,050 m (6,726 ft) (AA)
Finish: 1,285 m (4,216 ft)
Vertical drop:    765 m (2,510 ft)
Length: 2.704 km (1.68 mi)
Time record: 1:31.87 (Corinne Suter)

Rock[Chinese script needed] is the Olympic downhill ski course in China, located in Yanqing District, part of National Alpine Ski Centre resort, opened in 2022.[1][2]

It is approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) northwest of Beijing, which hosted the speed alpine skiing events of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The course was designed by Bernhard Russi, assisted by Didier Defago; both are Olympic downhill champions (1972, 2010) from Switzerland. According to Russi, "Rock" is most similar to the "Birds of Prey" course in the United States, located at Beaver Creek, Colorado.[3]

This course has a very unusual terrain configuration, which has no resemblance to any other top level course around the world, as it runs mostly along the top of the ridge and in the canyon in bottom part.[citation needed]

History

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Bernhard Russi, a retired Swiss downhill racer and course architect who planned and constructed six Olympic downhill courses, designed this very steep and unusual course for seven years.[3][4]

Two years prior to the Olympics, men's World Cup events (downhill, super-G) were scheduled for this course in February 2020, but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

On 7 February 2022, Beat Feuz took the gold medal at downhill, his last missing trophy, at premiere competition on this course. Adrian Smiseth Sejersted set the course top speed record at 139.7 km/h (86.8 mph).[6]

Olympics

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Date Type Gold Silver Bronze
7 February 2022   DH   Beat Feuz   Johan Clarey   Matthias Mayer
8 February 2022   SG   Matthias Mayer   Ryan Cochran-Siegle   Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
10 February 2022   AC   Johannes Strolz   Aleksander Aamodt Kilde   James Crawford

Women

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Date Type Gold Silver Bronze
11 February 2022   SG   Lara Gut-Behrami   Mirjam Puchner   Michelle Gisin
15 February 2022   DH   Corinne Suter   Sofia Goggia   Nadia Delago
17 February 2022   AC   Michelle Gisin   Wendy Holdener   Federica Brignone

World Cup

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Date Type Winner Second Third
15 February 2020   DH cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
16 February 2020   SG

Profile

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Course is very wavy and curvy in the upper section, very steep in midsection, and gliding part in bottom section. Course has long and fast curves, steep transitions and four big jumps.[citation needed]

Course sections

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  • Start, High Cloud, Pine Forest, White Face, Galleria, Dwen Dwen jump, Silk Road, Sugar jump, Roller Coaster, Rhon Rhon jump, Haituo Bowl, Canyon, Cliff jump, Finish.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "China claims to be holding the greenest Olympics..." CNN. 29 January 2022.
  2. ^ "First official men's downhill training (premiere on this course)" (PDF). International Ski Federation. 29 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Sedem let risal pekinški smuk, atraktiven kot proga Ptic roparic" (in Slovenian). Siol. 2 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Skiing into the unknown: Beijing's man-made Olympic pistes". France 24. 2 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Coronavirus outbreak forces cancellation of opening Beijing 2022 test event". insidethegames. 29 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Beat Feuz grabs Olympic gold in downhill; Johan Clarey makes history with silver in Beijing". ESPN. 7 February 2022.
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40°32′30″N 115°48′09″E / 40.5418°N 115.802567°E / 40.5418; 115.802567