How to build a curling field? 40 seconds of "point water into ice" - remember the Winter Olympics female ice maker Zhang Zhiyuan

Shanghai, 20 Jan (Xinhua) -- The moment Zhang Zhiyuan's upper body arched slightly, her feet alternated and quickly retreated, and the uniform fine droplets of water were thrown out with the swing of her arms, covering the entire curling track, taking 40 seconds.

This action, which is called "dotting" by the ice maker, is an important part of the ice making work of the curling field, and Zhang Zhiyuan repeats it many times a day.

Less than 15 days before the Beijing Winter Olympics, 27-year-old Zhang Zhiyuan, who served the Beijing Winter Olympic curling arena as a member of the Chinese ice-making team, will "turn water into ice" in the "ice cube".

The love of "two-way running"

Grinding pots, painting, pressing ice carts, rehydrating, fixing ice, dotting... From scratch, every link is time-consuming and laborious, and in the eyes of many people, the work of an ice maker is not suitable for girls, but Zhang Zhiyuan does not see it that way.

The curling competition venue requires the icemaker to hand-make it on the cement floor. A 1.5 cm bottom ice is first made, which is conducted by cold air and refrigeration to freeze on the cement floor. Then spray white paint on the bottom ice, draw lines, lay "base camp", and finally raise the ice surface of about 4 cm to 5 cm, and the curling track is paved.

"People like me, in other areas, can be annoying. It just so happens that the ice maker needs such an attitude, which is fine when it is fine and cannot be dealt with. For his own choice, Zhang Zhiyuan summed it up as "character caused, two-way choice" eight words.

In 2009, the 24th Winter Universiade was held in Harbin, and Zhang Zhiyuan learned about curling for the first time. The following year, with the support of her father, a ski enthusiast, Zhang Zhiyuan officially began to learn curling. I fell in love with the sport, from athletes to referees to coaches, "I have done everything I can on the curling field".

In 2015, Zhang Zhiyuan applied to Study for a master's degree at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. At that time, China had just successfully bid for the Winter Olympics, "I also want to do something for the Beijing Winter Olympics." ”

She studied accounting, but applied for a sports management major. Subsequently, Zhang Zhiyuan had more opportunities to contact ice and snow sports. By chance, Zhang Zhiyuan met the famous ice maker Mark when he participated in an event in Scotland. This world-class ice maker is recognized in the circle and has become a good mentor and friend for Zhang Zhiyuan to start his ice making career. From ordinary competitions to European Championships and World Championships, Zhang Zhiyuan grew up with her master and her love for curling became more and more enthusiastic.

A magic game of speed and refinement

"Ice makers are very respected in curling, it is a very sacred job, it is very meaningful." Zhang Zhiyuan introduced, "Reverse osmosis water, deionized water is the two kinds of filtered water commonly used in curling venues, and curling venues do not accept water impurities. "Compared with short track speed skating, figure skating and other ice sports, curling has higher requirements for the ice surface of the field, and the ice making process behind it is more cumbersome.

First evenly pour out the high hardness of the initial ice layer, and then brush the paint to make the ice rink appear pure white, and then use red and blue pigments to draw the base camp, "the curling track has high requirements for point accuracy, pedals, bottom line, front throw line, midline and all other lines must not deviate, otherwise there will be athletes and referees in the process of the game, it is a very delicate work." After everything is completed, the track is "replenished", each layer needs to be spaced three to four hours apart, and it takes two to three days to completely make up, and finally form an absolutely flat upper ice surface without bubbles and impurities.

Before the game, the ice maker also sprays pure water on the ice surface to form a uniform ice particle, that is, "dotting", and after playing, scrape out the required height and shape with an ice sweeper - even the speed of "dotting" has strict requirements, "the first time to hit cold water, 40 seconds to 45 seconds to complete, the second to hit warm water, 35 seconds to 40 seconds to complete." ”

"The Winter Olympics, this is my careful wish"

"Girls' dreams are simple, you can work hard!" This is what Zhang Zhiyuan posted on social platforms on October 20, 2021.

Zhang Zhiyuan in the video is wearing a black down jacket, measuring temperature, watering, painting, wiring, dotting... After a series of skilful maneuvers, a vacant lot was turned into a curling ice rink with 5 tracks.

When she first learned to make ice, she dreamed of participating in the Winter Olympics held by her country, and in her 12th year with curling and the 6th year of becoming an ice maker, this dream came true.

In the past 12 years, from an athlete to an ice maker, Zhang Zhiyuan has grown up on his own and witnessed the growth of ice and snow sports in China.

In 2008, Shanghai built the first standard ice rink, and a group of professional athletes and coaches from the north of the winter sports went south one after another to promote and popularize ice and snow sports. In 2018, the Shanghai Youth Curling Training Team was established, and Zhang Zhiyuan settled in Shanghai through talent introduction, joining the team of ice and snow sports popularization.

Now, in Shanghai, a southern city with almost no ice and snow, more and more children like curling, more and more parents feel the charm of ice and snow sports and support their children to learn curling, and even many primary and secondary schools have taken curling as a universal physical education class for the whole school.

In the midst of the ice and snow boom brought about by the Winter Olympics, Zhang Zhiyuan has a grander ideal, "I hope that one day the team members I have led can represent China in the World Series, on the track I paved as the main icemaker."

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is getting closer and closer, Zhang Zhiyuan is about to go to the "Ice Cube", as a member of the Chinese ice team of the Winter Olympics, directly serve the Olympic arena, witness the style of the Chinese curling team, "it is very satisfying to participate in it, looking forward to the good results of the national team, and their hard work and efforts are rewarded." ”