On the afternoon of January 28, the sound of curling slides, ice rubbing, and curling impacts echoed at the National Aquatics Center – a place that has changed from the former "water cube" to the "ice cube". Zhang Zhiyuan, a member of the Chinese ice-making team, and his companions incarnated as "jug surveyors", aimed at the points indicated by the foreign ice makers, and threw the pots out again and again.
Hans Usrich (left) communicates with Chinese people at the curling circuit.
British icemaker Mark Cullen and Canadian icemaker Hans Usrich keep an eye on the curling trajectory, exchanging pot throwing and ice rubbing with the "jug surveyors" from time to time.
Since stepping into the Ice Cube on January 17, handing over 4 curling tracks that match the Winter Olympics has been Usridge and Karen's only goal. On the evening of February 2, the first game of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Curling Mixed Doubles Round Robin Tournament, will be unveiled here.
Karen and Usrić have long served in the World Series, and this is the third time they have collaborated on ice making at the Winter Olympics. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, Usrić is the main ice master and Karen is the deputy; during the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Karen will stay in Beijing as the main ice master of the wheelchair curling competition.
"Being able to serve the Winter Olympics is definitely the highest honor in the field of ice making, and it is also one of the happiest things for me." Karen said that the Chinese colleagues in the "Ice Cube" venue have high professionalism, and they have a tacit understanding of cooperation with foreign experts, and the ice making work is progressing smoothly.
Mark Cullen (center) briefs reporters on ice making.
In recent days, the Ice Cube curling track has gradually taken shape, and its appearance has become the same as when it was raced. After completing multiple rounds of pot testing, Usrić told reporters on the afternoon of the 28th that the track has met the standards of the race.
"For the ice team, getting the track ready is simple. The real difficulty is to ensure the 'consistency' of the track during the race, i.e. every team can compete in the same ice conditions whenever they set foot on the field. Usridge said curling competitions have the highest demands on the ice surface compared to other winter sports, and small differences can lead to far-fetched results.
In line with the idea of "repeated use, comprehensive utilization and lasting utilization of sports venues", the National Aquatics Center has transformed the swimming pool into a curling track by building a movable and convertible venue structure, so as to achieve the goal of coexistence and free conversion of the two functions of water projects and ice sports events.
It is understood that the "Ice Cube" has conducted many test races, and sensor data such as displacement and ambient temperature in the venue show that the stability of the track fully meets the requirements of curling competitions.
"The stability of this track is perfect, my Chinese colleagues have put a lot of effort into it, and I sincerely congratulate them on such a successful result." Usridge said.
For the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, the two ice makers are full of expectations. Karen said: "I feel the unity and olympic spirit here 100%, and I really feel that everyone is working towards the same goal. Everyone is like a family, fully committed to ensuring the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics. ”
The graphic is written from Xinhua News Agency