Haig Balian is a longtime Beijing resident. He is the producer of China Sports Insider, and hosts The Beijing Sessions podcast.
For years, China's small but dedicated Ultimate Frisbee community has been trying to grow the sport in incremental fashion. Last year, quite suddenly, Ultimate exploded in popularity — but for reasons no one could have predicted, with results that not everyone likes.
A former competitive-cyclist-turned-bike-maker seeks to solidify his legacy in the kingdom of bicycles.
"The general consensus around Chinese players in the system is that you can complain all you want, but you know nothing's going to change, so what's the point?"
Lots of snarky comments were directed at the site of the big air competition during the Olympics. But Big Air Shougang, an industrial park built around an abandoned steel factory, is a showcase for urban transformation.
In the final Olympic edition of the China Sports Insider Podcast, the hosts talk about China surpassing all expectations at these Games, an example of what not to do at an international press conference, and just how common it is for penises to freeze in cross-country skiing. (Apparently more common than you think.)
Chinese state broadcasters covering the figure skating events have made scant mention of the controversy surrounding Kamila Valieva. It’s one of the many ways in which China is determined to dictate the narratives of these Olympics.
An update on Dinigeer Yilamujiang, plus an honest assessment on the state of Chinese ice hockey in this special edition of the China Sports Insider Podcast.
In this week's China Sports Insider Podcast, the hosts begin by talking about Eileen Gu, who "represents this uneasiness right now between the United States and China. She's the perfect nexus of this rivalry."