A specialized course combining ski instruction with regular school unfolded in Hebei province over the winter. Its aim: to train China's winter sports stars of the future.

The program - the Zhangjiakou Youth Winter Olympic Games School - is managed by the city's Xuanhua No 2 Middle School. It offered 48 students free intensive training in alpine skiing and snowboarding combined with regular compulsory school subjects.

Sun Yongqing, the principal, said winter sports training was provided at Zhangjiakou's Changchengling Ski Resort during the daytime, while general knowledge lessons were given at night.