Changchun greets Universiade flame

The flame for the Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade arrived in Changchun, the capital of Northeast China's Jilin province, on Wednesday, marking a milestone in the preparations for the event, which will bring young athletes from around the world together for competitions and cultural exchanges.

As of Monday, a record 3,716 athletes, coaches and officials from 63 countries and regions had registered for the games, which will be held from Jan 15 to 25.

"The Winter Universiade is more than just a winter sports competition. It is an important platform for young people worldwide to engage in dialogue and deepen mutual understanding through sport, culture and academic exchange," said Wang Jiayi, vice-minister of education and vice-president of the games' organizing committee, at a State Council Information Office news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

The games will feature 97 medal events across 12 sports, with Changchun as the main competition zone and neighboring Jilin city hosting events at its ski resorts.

Wang said China plans to send a delegation of more than 400 members, including 240 athletes, to the games. The team is scheduled to compete in 11 of the 12 sports, with ice hockey the only exception. The delegation will organize training camps across disciplines, and athletes will be selected based on open and fair competition, merit, and a balance between competitive ability and personal qualities.

A series of test events will begin in November to assess venue operations, transportation, accommodation, equipment and emergency response.

Rather than building new permanent facilities, organizers will use existing venues. Sun Jian, vice-governor of Jilin province and vice-president of the organizing committee, said that targeted upgrades would improve the refrigeration systems, ice surfaces, lighting and dehumidification equipment. The measures are expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 4,200 metric tons, and the existing venues will be opened to the public after the games.

At Wednesday's flame welcome ceremony at the Changchun History and Culture Museum, 12 representatives took part in a flame lantern relay. Short-track speed skating champion Zhou Yang handed the flame lantern to Changchun Mayor Gu Gang. Members of the flame protection team then lit the first torch of the games, named Ji Xiang. Gu passed it to Jilin Governor Hu Yuting, who used it to ignite the games cauldron.

The flame was collected from Turin in Italy on Oct 8. Turin hosted the first World University Games in 1959 and has been the permanent collection site for the International University Sports Federation Games flame since 2018.

Ji Xiang, which translates as "auspicious flight", draws inspiration from the clivia, Changchun's city flower. Its design incorporates a filmstrip motif to pay tribute to the city's film industry.

Academic and cultural programs will complement the sporting events. The FISU World Conference, scheduled from Jan 16 to 18, will bring together more than 400 scholars, teachers and students worldwide.

Under the theme "University Sport in Action: Innovation, Education and Sustainability at the Heart of the Winter Universiade", participants will discuss ice and snow sports science, balancing academic studies and athletic careers, and sustainability in university sport.

Changchun, which is home to more than 50 higher education institutions and over 600,000 university students, will also host youth exchange programs, cultural exhibitions and Chinese-language activities.

Organizers have selected 8,100 student volunteers from about 120,000 applicants to support the event and help visiting delegations connect with local communities.

Nan Chunhua, an executive director of the organizing committee's major events department, said the flame ceremony would facilitate cultural exchanges between China and Italy, and help young people from different countries deepen their understanding of one another.

Zhou Huiying in Harbin contributed to this story.