On January 4, 2025, Vasaloppet China 2025 opened in the Jingyuetan National Scenic Area in Changchun, Jilin Province.
At the opening ceremony, more than 2,000 athletes from 33 countries participated in the event, including 50 km, 25 km and 6 km, 1.5 km and 0.3 km. Among them, more than 600 international athletes and guests participated in the event.
Since December 20, 2024, the Vasaloppet China flag has been passed in 11 cities and famous landmarks in 35 locations. At the opening ceremony, the flag was passed on to Qi Guangpu, the Chinese Winter Olympic champion, by Mats Budh, founder of Vasaloppet China and Honorary President of Swedish Vasaloppet Association.
The race track is 25 kilometers, and the starting and finishing points are set in Jingyuetan Snow World. The track covers a variety of terrain such as forest stage, lake stage and road stage, providing a rich and diverse race experience for skiers. The track is surrounded by more than 100 square kilometers of artificial woodland and 4.3 square kilometers of water, rolling mountains, dense forests and vast lakes, adding to the charm of the track, so this track is praised by the FIS as “the world’s most beautiful cross-country ski track.” During the competition, the skiers can not only sweat and challenge themselves, but also enjoy the unique forest and snow landscape here.
In men’s 50km race, Fabián Štoček won the first prize in 02:05:22.914; Rolf Markus Hallen Johansson finished second in 02:05:40.481, and Lorenzo Busin finished third in 2:05:40.775.
In Female 50km race, Malin Börjesjö won the first prize in 02:25:31.309; Li Lei finished second in 02:27:13.621, and Chi Chunxue finished third in 2:27:56.524.
Ms. Epp (CEO of Worldloppet International Ski Federation) also participated in the Female 50km group wearing the No. 161 bib, and she won the title of “Worldloppert Global Skier” while successfully completing the race.
The top three in the men’s 25km category are Hades Badri, Pan Mengnan and Zhang Yinghao. Ma Qinghua, from Changchun Winter Sports Management Center, won the champion of the Female 25km.
Vasaloppet China, not only shows the rich local snow and ice culture, but also provides a platform for global athletes to exchange and compete. The unique natural scenery and hospitable citizens make every participant feel the unique charm of Chinese ice and snow. In the future, we look forward to seeing more world-class athletes and skiers here. In Vasaloppet China 2026, we will meet again to meet new challenges and glory together!
