Xizang set to soar as outdoor sports haven

Peak performance

Xizang is also proving a rich breeding ground for homegrown talent in mountain sports.

In recent years, the Chinese National Mountaineering and Skiing Team has selected an increasing number of young athletes from Xizang, training them to compete in various competitions. Approximately 10 young athletes from the region account for roughly half the national team, said Nyima Tsering, head of the regional sports bureau. Ski mountaineering, which combines snow mountain climbing with skiing techniques, will make its debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Tibetan athlete Yudron Lhamo has emerged as China's ski mountaineering sensation by winning multiple medals at international ski mountaineering competitions in recent years.

Her victories include dominating the U20 women's sprint category at the International Ski Mountaineering Federation World Championships in Spain last year to become China's first world champion in the sport.

"I think that Tibetan athletes hold their greatest advantage in terms of willpower and endurance in winter sport," said Yudron Lhamo.

An official ski team was established in the region in 2018 to support China's national strategy of encouraging 300 million people to participate in winter sports — a government commitment to the all-around development of ice and snow sports.

Koenig said as Tibetans are born, live and work at altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 m above sea level their genetic characteristics are different from average people. They have better capability for exertion at high altitude, which requires great cardiovascular capacity.

"This is the case for ski mountaineering, Nordic skiing, biathlon, trail running, mountain cycling. It is certain that with advanced technologies for the preparation of athletes, the Tibetans would be on many podiums," he said.

Koening also praised the founding of the mountaineering guide school in Lhasa, which he said had set the bench mark in the country and Asia for mountaineering sports. "This project was created and is managed by locals, with training aimed at a stratum of the population vital for the future, for young people," he added.

As part of a consensus reached at the forum, Xizang signed the "Framework Agreement to Enhance Exchange and Cooperation in High-Altitude Mountaineering "with Nepal.

In recent years, the region has hosted an increasing number of outdoor sports events including mountain climbing, white water rafting, and mountain biking, which have attracted domestic and international competitors. The third race of the 2024 China Mountain Bike League was held near the Biri National Forest Park of Nyingchi on June 29, attracting 16 professional representative teams from various Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, and cities along with amateur enthusiasts.

During this year's Dragon Boat Festival holiday, Nyingchi also hosted the China-Nepal Friendship Dragon Boat Race. The event, which featured dragon boat sprint races, attracted eight dragon boat teams from Nepal, Singapore, and across the country.

In April, the region hosted multiple rafting competitions in Nyingchi's picturesque Konpo Gyada, including the first international water sports competition in the region.

The event drew 128 participants from 30 domestic and international teams and took place in the Drasumtso National Forest Park.