2009 Winter Universiade in Harbin (China)

The 24th Winter Universiade is currently taking place at the Maoershan ski resort near Harbin, the capital of China's Heilongjiang Province. Modelled on the Olympic Games, the Universiade is a multisport event, with the difference that it is held every two years and is open exclusively to students. In odd-numbered years, the Universiade takes place at different venues, in both winter and summer, with the corresponding sports.

Until 28 February, the Maoershan ski resort in Harbin will host biathlon, curling, ice hockey, figure skating, short track speed skating, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and snowboarding. In addition to these standard winter sports, each Universiade host may designate three further sports to be included in the programme. The word “Universiade” itself is a combination of “university” and “Olympiad”. Harbin has chosen ice dance, speed skating and ski cross.

A total of just over 3,500 students from around the world are taking part in the 24th Winter Universiade in Harbin. However, only 22 winter sports athletes from Germany have made the long journey to the Maoershan ski resort in China. Since it is not uncommon for elite athletes to enrol at a university through distance learning, some established stars in their respective sports are also competing at the Winter Universiade in Harbin, significantly enhancing the event's sporting calibre.