The Shougang Big Air ski jump, built on the site of a decommissioned steel mill, has been the most talked-about venue of the Winter Olympics. While there’s been praise, it has also been criticized as dystopian and dreary. Beijing hopes not to add white elephant to that list as well.
To keep the structure viable after the closing ceremony Sunday evening, China plans to use it to train the next generation of Winter Olympic athletes, many of whom might have been inspired by watching Team China stars Eileen Gu and Su Yiming win gold there. But that’s when the weather is cold.
In the summer, the city plans to turn it into a very large water slide. Alternatively, according to the organizing committee for the Beijing Olympics, it could also be covered with turf and used for grass sledding.
