Liu Qiuhong, torchbearer of the two-time Winter Olympics. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
February 2, the second day of the Lunar New Year, is a meaningful day for liu Qiuhong, the world champion of short track speed skating. As a torchbearer, she participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Torch Relay. This is already Liu Qiuhong's second time to hold the Torch of the Winter Olympics, and in 2018, on the eve of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, she participated in the torch relay in a foreign country.
Liu Qiuhong, who completed the torch relay at his doorstep, was very excited, "I think China is very thoughtful in all aspects, and the service is also very good, which makes people particularly comfortable." ”
feel
"Torch relay at home, like athletes competing at home"
Because of the needs of epidemic prevention and control, Liu Qiuhong entered the centralized management hotel a day in advance. She woke up at 5 a.m., more than 4 hours before the alarm clock she had set to ring. Liu Qiuhong slept "unsteadily", in addition to leaving his son for the first time, the main reason was because he was more excited. She said: "I was as excited as we were to be in the game and felt very lucky to be a torchbearer again. ”
This year's Beijing Winter Olympics is the second Winter Olympic Games in which Liu Qiuhong participated as a torchbearer.
In 2018, the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic torch was relayed in South Korea, and Liu Qiuhong was the 43rd stick torchbearer. At that time, she said that she was more looking forward to participating in the torch relay in the motherland in 4 years, and now, Liu Qiuhong has realized her dream of Beijing. She said she was notified about a month or two ago that she would be the torchbearer for the Beijing Winter Olympics, "at the time, I also flipped through my phone and looked at some photos of my 2018 torch relay." ”
In the two torch relays, Liu Qiuhong's feelings are not the same, "The mood of participating in the torch relay at the doorstep is like the athletes competing at home." What made Liu Qiuhong feel very deeply was that on the day of the event, on the way from the hotel to the Olympic Forest Park, a little girl waved excitedly to them through the window, "That scene made my heart particularly warm, everyone can feel the passion and excitement brought by the Winter Olympics, leaving her childhood memories, I think it is particularly beautiful." ”
Liu Qiuhong was also impressed by the service guarantee of the Beijing Winter Olympics, summing up everything as "safe and orderly". Before entering the centrally managed hotel, the torchbearers had already undergone several nucleic acid tests. After entering the hotel, a nucleic acid test was also carried out again to ensure safety. In addition, there are manuals, videos, etc. on the hotel dedicated to the torch relay process, "the staff is also very welcoming, will be detailed about our itinerary and various details." ”
Through this torch relay, Liu Qiuhong also met many old friends. Her last stick was shan zhaojian, the first national ski champion, and the two communicated the relay details in advance on the car, "I followed the teacher shan to design his hand forward, and then I made a short-track speed skating start posture." ”
Although he only ran a short distance of tens of meters, Liu Qiuhong enjoyed it. During the run, she had a lot of pictures in her mind that she used to play with her teammates. After the relay, Liu Qiuhong took the torch home, "I think this is very meaningful, like the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics torch is costly, I also bought and brought it back." ”
Liu Qiuhong competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics and served as the standard-bearer of the Chinese delegation at the closing ceremony. Infographic/IC photo
Sentiment"Pain is not terrible, experiencing difficulties and facing it positively is the most important"
During his athlete period, Liu Qiuhong twice prepared for the Winter Olympics.
On the eve of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Liu Qiuhong, who had high hopes, accidentally fell down during training, and his left leg was cut by a right foot ice knife, and more than 200 stitches were stitched. Although she returned to the ice rink as soon as possible after surgery and rushed to Vancouver as quickly as she could, she was ultimately unable to get on the field.
Looking back at that difficult time, Liu Qiuhong has been able to face it calmly, she said: "After so many years, I don't think the pain is terrible. After going through these difficulties, we were still able to face the game with a positive mindset, which is the most important thing. ”
For Liu Qiuhong, the experience of the low point has brought her a lot of changes in mentality, and the regret of the Vancouver Winter Olympics has taught her to face problems with a more relaxed attitude, solve difficulties, and become less impetuous. Whether it is a good result or a bad result, she can easily face it, "but the premise is to do her best and be ashamed, which is the most important thing." ”
After four years of adjustment, at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Liu Qiuhong played with the team and finally realized the dream of the Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, she did not win a medal in Sochi. But at the final closing ceremony, Liu Qiuhong was elected as the flag bearer of the Chinese delegation, which gave her a little comfort, "Becoming the flag bearer of the closing ceremony made me feel that the sky in Sochi suddenly lit up." I feel the same mood as the torch relay, it is an incomparable honor, and I am also very proud, which is the recognition of the leaders and coaches, and it is an affirmation and a great encouragement for me. ”
Looking back at his sports career, Liu Qiuhong scored 80 points. She confessed that she had done her best, "but I think life is definitely not so complete, there are still some regrets, this is the norm of life, so I keep 20 points, or I still have to give myself more encouragement and more cheering." ”
lament "Players who did not stand on the stage of the Winter Olympics are also heroes"In 2016, Liu Qiuhong officially retired. Currently, she is a teacher at Capital Sports University. In the teaching process, in addition to imparting professional skills, Liu Qiuhong hopes to convey the Olympic spirit to students.
While completing the regular teaching work, Liu Qiuhong also spares no effort to promote ice and snow sports, and she often lectures in various primary and secondary schools, sharing her sports experience and transmitting positive energy to children. In addition, she has participated in a number of public welfare activities to promote short-track speed skating and popularize the Winter Olympic Games. "Although I am not an athlete, I still hope to be able to contact the Winter Olympics in a different capacity, do work related to the Winter Olympics, and contribute a little to the Winter Olympics."
During the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Liu Qiuhong was a guest commentator on the game. She likes to do commentary, which makes her feel close to the Winter Olympics, and she also hopes that through the commentary, more people can understand, like and participate in short track speed skating. But Liu Qiuhong revealed that this year's Beijing Winter Olympics, because she has to take care of children, she can not enter the closed loop to participate in the commentary, which makes her very regretful, but she will try to participate in it through other means.
Talking about the Beijing Winter Olympics, in addition to the most familiar short track speed skating, Liu Qiuhong is also a family treasure for participants in other sports. From Gu Ailing, Xu Mengtao and Cai Xuetong in the snow project to Jin Boyang, Han Cong, Sui Wenjing in the ice project, Liu Qiuhong talked about it. She laughed and said that because she pays attention to each project, she also knows the players better.
As a former Winter Olympic player, Liu Qiuhong believes that the Chinese athletes participating in this year's competition are very lucky, "I think they have caught up with a good era, can participate in the Winter Olympic Games at their doorstep, and hope that they can live up to their mission and achieve better results in the Winter Olympic Games." ”
Speaking of the contestants, Liu Qiuhong shared some ideas from the perspective of athletes. She said that in addition to the players we saw in the Winter Olympics, there were many athletes who prepared for four years, but for various reasons, they could not stand on the stage of the Winter Olympics. As an athlete who has had the same experience, she especially understands these players, "if they don't participate in the Winter Olympics, they will feel particularly uncomfortable." But I would like to say that their efforts, their spirit to overcome injuries, are indelible, and they are also part of the Winter Olympics and the Olympic heroes in our hearts. ”
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Liu Qiuhong's husband, short-track speed skater Han Tianyu also did not have the opportunity to participate because of injury, Liu Qiuhong said warmly: "Tianyu especially hopes to show his son as a heroic father at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but in fact, he has always been the best in his son's heart." ”
Beijing News reporter Zhao Xue
Edited by Han Shuangming Proofreader Zhang Yanjun