On Thursday (24th March) a world champion figure skating pair launched a mobile app to promote ice skating in advance of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Retired skating partners Pang Qing and Tong Jian developed the app, iSkating (or Aihuabing in Chinese) to address the lack of information about facilities and coaching that has hindered China's bid to push winter sports on a bigger scale.

Developed in cooperation with an IT crew, the app offers news updates on international events, a search function for public skating rinks and online figure skating instruction via video.

Skating fans can also use the app to book rinks for practice and sign up for coaching sessions guided by Pang and Tong at selected rinks.

China's Winter Sports Administration Center also offered support to the partners by filming a series of figure skating teaching videos for the app that are performed by its affiliated athletes.

The pair, who announced their romance after winning a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, retired from competitive skating last year.

Source: Chinadaily