Background Under growing global competition in elite sports, current research highlights talent transfer (TT) as a key strategy for overcoming performance bottlenecks. However, empirical studies on TT remain limited, particularly at the large scale implemented in China. Objective This study aims to systematically examine the core challenges hindering China`s winter sports development prior to the Beijing Winter Olympics (BWO), evaluates the implementation of TT strategies during the Olympic cycle, synthesizes comprehensive outcomes during the Games, and extracts replicable Chinese-specific experiences. Methods A multi-method approach was adopted, including policy analysis, questionnaires, and multidimensional outcome evaluation. Data were collected from official platforms and analyzed using SPSS and R. TT-related policies since 2015 were systematically reviewed, and 28 valid responses were collected from Winter Sports Management Center personnel. Outcome assessment covered both direct and indirect impacts, with select indicators excluded due to data limitations. Results Before China secured the bid for the BWO (2015), winter sports faced numerous challenges, including a limited athlete pool and weak infrastructure. Since 2015, 18 national-level policies and 33 provincial-level policies have been issued to promote the implementation of the TT strategy. Through standardized evaluations, each team generally conducts two TT sessions per year, selecting 0 to 20 athletes from the same or lower-tier teams. The number of athletes in China`s Winter Olympic delegation increased from 66 in 2014 to 176 in 2022, with the number of events participated in rising from 0 to 35 out of 109. China achieved a historic high with 9 gold medals and a record total of 15 medals. This period also saw rapid growth in winter sports venues, scientific research, and economic and social benefits. Conclusion China`s potential outcomes in the BWO provide initial evidence for the implementation of TT strategies worldwide and offer practical empirical experience for resource-constrained countries in rapidly advancing competitive sports. The key lessons can be summarized as a " state-led framework, multi-tiered policy incentives, and systematic implementation." This study is limited by incomplete longitudinal data, external influences such as the home-games effect and infrastructure investment, and the difficulty of isolating TT outcomes from broader systemic factors.
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