Su Bingtian, the first Chinese sprinter to race in the Olympic men's 100 meters final, was unveiled by the WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 Executive Bureau as an ambassador to promote the 46th WorldSkills Competition next year.
The WorldSkills Competition is an event organized by WorldSkills International biennially and is regarded as the gold standard of skills excellence. It aims to inspire young competitors to reach new heights and help them turn their passion into a profession.
The competition will be held on the Chinese mainland for the first time on October 12-17 next year, with Shanghai the host city.
It will feature more than 1,400 participants from 60-plus countries and regions competing in 63 skills in areas ranging from construction and building technology to manufacturing and engineering, as well as information and communication technology and social care, creative art and fashion.
Su, 31, made history at the Tokyo Olympics on August 1 when he became the first Chinese to qualify for an Olympic men's 100m final, setting a new Asian record of 9.83 seconds in the semifinals. He finished sixth in the final, which was won by Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs.
In the men's 4x100m relay race, the Su-led Chinese team came fourth again after the 2016 Rio Games in 37.79 seconds that tied China's national record.
The bureau said Su has shown unremitting persistence and strength in striving for excellence, just like the skills competition.
In a recorded video, Su stated that the WorldSkills Competition provides a broad platform for skilled competitors to show off their talent, just like the Olympics for athletes.
"Around the world, there are countless ordinary people achieving their dreams and contributing to society with their skills," he said. "They deserve our encouragement and cheers."
He also called on people to follow the WorldSkills Competition and encouraged more young people to develop a passion and achieve their dreams in skills.
To promote the 46th WorldSkills Competition and artisanship among young people, event organizers have invited several celebrities to highlight its importance.
Among them are Chinese idol group "Teens in Times;" China's top beauty influencer Li Jiaqi; young Chinese actors Yi Yangqianxi and Ding Yuxi; actresses Tan Songyun and Mao Xiaotong; as well as former WorldSkills winners Song Biao, Chen Yifan and Yuan Qiang.
Preparations for the event are well under way. Work is also ongoing to convert the century-old Yong'an Warehouse in Yangpu District into the WorldSkills Museum, which will tell the story of how skills have changed the lives of people and societies around the world and the efforts of the WorldSkills global community.
The WorldSkills Conference 2021 – for experts from international organizations and government officials, as well as business and industry leaders – will be held live in Shanghai and online on October 25-29.
The conference will discuss the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on vocational education and training and how skills can address some of the world's pressing challenges, such as climate change, poverty, or the future of work.