From the beginning of August 2021 to the beginning of January 2022, the Chinese men's ice hockey national team successfully completed the preparation task for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The leader of the ice hockey project preparation team of the Winter Olympic Games said that in the past period, the training team has faced difficulties, worked hard to improve the level of competition and practical combat ability, fully demonstrated the Chinese sportsmanship, sports strength and sports responsibility, and achieved remarkable results.
On August 3, Chinese men and women's ice blew the rallying call and began the task of training in the foreign competition.
On September 3, the national training team wearing the Kunlun Hongxing battle robe ushered in the first battle of the KHL.
On January 11, the national training team completed the last KHL regular season game before the Winter Olympics.
On January 22, the national training team returned to Beijing in full gear, waiting for the opening flute of the Winter Olympics.
In the context of the new crown epidemic, professional leagues have been interrupted, international competitions have been cancelled, and preparation plans have been disrupted. The Olympic Preparation Office of the General Administration of Sport and the Kunlun Hongxing Club worked together to undertake one of the most difficult challenges in the history of the Chinese Olympic Games, and spent 160 days to create a team that won glory for the country in the Winter Olympic Games.
In all the events of the Winter Olympics, ice hockey is sought after as the jewel in the crown. With fierce competition, many fans and high commercial value, ice hockey is the most influential sport in the Winter Olympics. In the men's ice hockey tournament of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Chinese team is in the same group as the three world's top teams from Canada, the United States and Germany, and each appearance will attract the attention of sports fans around the world.
Using the limited time of several months to create a national team with the highest standard in the history of Chinese ice hockey, and to show the style of Chinese ice and snow athletes in the Olympic arena, it has become the mission of the national training team to compete in the KHL season.
From assembling the team to selecting players, from pre-season warm-up to successive vicious battles, from the initial test lineup to the tactical playing style, in 160 days, under the guidance of the front line of the preparation team and with the support of the Kunlun Hongxing Club system, the Chinese men's ice hockey team withstood huge pressure and completed the task step by step.
For 160 days, Chinese ice hockey players who greeted the call of duty made unremitting efforts to embrace the dream of the Winter Olympics. Ye Jinguang, Wang Taylor, Fu Jiang, Jian'an, Luo Jia and other professional celebrities, Young talents such as Ying Rudi, Zhang Zesen, Yan Ruinan, Chen Zimeng and other young talents, formed the first men's ice hockey team in the history of Chinese ice hockey to participate in the Winter Olympic Games.
'Our players come from different training systems and there are a lot of gaps in the way they play. Team head coach Zanetta believes that with everyone's efforts, the team's kneading has been very smooth: "I encourage competition and promote each other, and we have a good dressing room atmosphere. ”
Nearly half of the players in the team's squad lack experience in the world's top league like the KHL. Because of the interference of the epidemic, many players have lacked the opportunity to play in the past two seasons.
With 25 points in 48 regular season games, this is not a commendable professional record for the Kunlun Hongxing team. However, for the national team that honed their squad for the Beijing Winter Olympics, this is an excellent battle for them to fight against world-class players and improve themselves.
"Ying Rudi and Zhang Zesen have all played a very good professional level." Coach Zanetta feels that young Chinese players who lack experience in top professional competitions have shown great potential during the preparation period. "They're getting more and more time to play, showing the strength to play against the top players."
Extremely difficult schedules, often troubled injuries, under the 160 days of concerted efforts of the general, all difficulties and obstacles have become a light past. Chinese ice hockey athletes, who have been away from beijing for two full years, can finally step on the ice surface of their hometown stadium after ten days.
'We now have a relatively healthy squad and our own tactical play." Saneta stressed that participating in the Winter Olympics as the host can completely stimulate all the energy of Chinese players: "China's ice hockey world ranking is not high, and our opponents are the top 12 teams in the world. I believe that the Chinese team can play a wonderful game and win the respect of the world with our performance. ”