WITH world-wide pauses on sporting events due to COVID-19 there is uncertainty as to whether major winter sports will be held as well.

However, the Australian contingent of ‘hopeful’ aerial skiers for the Beijing Winter Olympics are not resting on their laurels – expecting by the time these Olympics come around pandemic restrictions may be lifted.

Training for the women’s Australian Flying Kangaroos Aerial Ski Team has been ongoing at Mt Buller with a 10-day regime at the Alpine gymnasium for Danielle Scott, Laura Peel, Abbey Willcox, Airleigh Frigo and Gabi Ash.

“We are training here and were expecting to go to Queensland but with that state’s borders still closed we are not sure – we may just stay here to continue training,” Danielle said last week.

"We are also still hopeful of competing at the world cup qualifying rounds but that is not certain as well."

The five girls are being coached by former winter Olympian David Morris who has also spent the time on Mt Buller and enjoying a little of the early snow and hospitality of the mountain staff.

Uncertain as to whether the Australian teams will travel to China, the Australian teams will be monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will be making final decisions closer to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games date.

Having won the bid for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games on July 31, 2015, Beijing is set to host the Olympic Winter Games in February 2022.

The coordination commission for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 recently praised the progress being made in preparation for the next Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games which China expects to go ahead.

On the official International Olympic Committee (IOC) website for the Winter Olympics Beijing recently reported the commission, joined by International Federations and World Para Sport representatives, met with the leadership of the Beijing 2022 organising committee via video-conference earlier this month for an update on the work accomplished.

Speaking after the meeting, IOC coordination commission chair Juan Antonio Samaranch said: “China has faced an incredibly difficult period over the past few months – our thoughts are with all those impacted.

“Despite these unique circumstances, Beijing 2022 has continued to meet key milestones, a true testament to its determination to provide the perfect stage for the world’s top winter athletes in just under two years’ time."

Beijing 2022 executive vice president Zhang Jiandong said: “After the outbreak of COVID-19 and following the recommendations and requirements of the Chinese government, Beijing 2022 not only prioritised the prevention and control of the pandemic, but also focused on Games preparations to ensure venue construction could resume at the earliest opportunity."

While the topic of legacy focused on the future, all stakeholders have acknowledged the current context in which the world finds itself, the impact COVID-19 is having across the sports industry, and the challenges facing Beijing 2022 in its preparations for the Games.

It was noted that the ability of international experts, officials and athletes to be able to travel to China will need to be closely monitored, and mitigation measures put in place should restrictions prove disruptive.