A journey to the Winter Olympics for Chinese athletes

Source: Official website of the International Olympic Committee

China has sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 1980, and the 11 winter Olympics have won a total of 62 medals, including 13 gold, 28 silver and 21 bronze.

Which Chinese athlete won the first medal and the first gold medal in the major events of the Winter Olympics? Let us walk into the corridor of history and comb through for you.

In 1980

For the first time, China sent a delegation to participate in the Winter Olympics

In November 1979, New China regained its legal seat on the International Olympic Committee.

In 1980, the Chinese Olympic Committee sent a delegation to participate in the Winter Olympic Games held in Lake Placid in the United States for the first time, and 28 athletes participated in 18 individual events such as speed skating and modern biathlon.

In 1992

Ye Qiaobo: Medal "Breakthrough of Zero"

In 1992, at the 16th Albertville Winter Olympics in France, Chinese athletes won a total of 3 silver medals, achieving a "breakthrough of zero" medals. Ye Qiaobo took the injury to the team and won the silver medals in the women's 500m and 1000m speed skating. She hung an ice knife and rode in a wheelchair triumphantly, touching countless people.

In 1994

Chen Lu: The first medal in figure skating

At the 17th Winter Olympics in 1994, the Chinese delegation selected 27 athletes to participate. In the end, Zhang Yanmei won the silver medal in the 500-meter short track speed skating, Ye Qiaobo won the bronze medal in the 1000-meter speed skating, and Chen Lu won the bronze medal in the women's singles of figure skating, which was also the first Winter Olympic medal in the figure skating event in mainland China.

In 1998

Li Jiajun: The first men's medal

In 1998, the 18th Winter Olympics were held in Nagano, Japan, and the Chinese team won 6 silver, 2 bronze and 8 medals. Li Jiajun won the silver medal in the men's short track speed skating 1000 meters, the first men's medal in the history of the Chinese Winter Olympics. Xu won the second place in women's aerial skills in freestyle skiing, achieving a breakthrough of zero in China's snow sports medal.

In 2002

Yang Yang: The first gold of the Winter Olympics

The 19th Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, USA, with a total of 78 competitions, which was the largest number of competitions in the history of the Winter Olympics at that time. The Chinese team won a total of 2 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze. Yang Yang won China's first Winter Olympic gold medal in the short track speed skating 500m final, followed by the 1000m event. The Chinese Paralympic Sports Delegation also competed in the Winter Paralympic Games for the first time.

In 2006

Han Xiaopeng: The first gold in the snow project

The 20th Winter Olympics were held in Turin, Italy, in 2006, and the Chinese team finally ranked 14th in the medal table with 2 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze. Han Xiaopeng defeated the crowd with 250.7 points in the final, won the gold medal in men's freestyle skiing aerial skills with two perfect moves, won the first gold medal in snow sports for China, and he also became China's first male athlete to win gold at the Winter Olympics.

In 2010

Wang Meng: Won three golds

At the 21st Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, the Chinese team won a total of 5 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze, and the ranking rose to the seventh place in the medal table. Wang Meng shined at the Winter Olympics, winning three gold medals in the women's 500 meters, 1000 meters and relay in short track speed skating, becoming the first chinese athlete to win three gold medals in a single Winter Olympics. The 18-year-old Zhou Yang won the women's 1500m short track speed skating competition, becoming the first gold medalist in short track speed skating 1500 meters in Chinese history and the youngest Winter Olympic champion in China. The Chinese team also won all four gold medals in the short track speed skating women's event of the Winter Olympics. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the first gold medal for China in the Winter Olympics of figure skating. The Chinese team won the bronze medal in women's curling, achieving a breakthrough in this event.

In 2014

Zhang Hong: The first speed skating gold medal

In 2014, the Chinese delegation won 3 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze at the Sochi Winter Olympics. In the women's 1000m speed skating final, Zhang Hong skated a time of 1 minute 14.02 seconds, pushing other athletes to win the championship, which was the first speed skating gold medal in the history of the Chinese Winter Olympics. Li Jianrou, a 27-year-old veteran, won the women's 500m short track speed skating title. Zhou Yang won the gold medal in the women's 1500m short track speed skating. The Chinese team at this Winter Olympics has 8 post-90s medal winners, showing the vigorous strength of China's ice and snow sports.

In 2018

Wu Dajing: Men's short track speed skating first gold

In the men's 500m short track speed skating final at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Wu Dajing won the world record, winning the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation and the first gold medal for the Chinese men's short track speed skating. Liu Jiayu won the silver medal in the women's U-shaped track of snowboarding.

(The author is a member of the Cultural and Olympic Heritage Committee of the International Olympic Committee, and the reporter of this newspaper, Shi Fang, interviewed and sorted out)

People's Daily ( 2022-01-26 11th edition)