Rock (ski course)

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]

  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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Siol was invoked but never defined (see the help page).