Today's first torchbearer Ma Long: I hope to bring ice and snow sports to everyone

On February 3, the Winter Olympic flame began to relay at the Badaling Great Wall. As the first torchbearer of the Badaling Great Wall, Ma Long, the men's singles champion of table tennis at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games, wore a sportswear printed with the olympic rings and enthusiastically held aloft the torch, waving to the audience while running forward. He said excitedly: "I believe that with the Beijing Winter Olympics, more people will like ice and snow sports, and I hope to bring ice and snow sports to everyone." ”

When it comes to the Summer Olympic Games, every Chinese is proud of the "national ball" table tennis project, just after the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Chinese table tennis team ended with 4 gold and 3 silver, and Ma Long, the captain of the Chinese table tennis men's team, won the men's team and men's singles championships, and he also became the first athlete in history to defend the Olympic table tennis men's singles championship.

Now, Ma Long participates in the Beijing Winter Olympics as a torchbearer, and he feels extremely honored. "I was very happy to learn that I had been selected as the torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics. As a sports person, it makes a lot of sense for me to be able to contribute a little bit to the Beijing Winter Olympics. Malone said. In fact, the Beijing Winter Olympics is not the first time he has served as a torchbearer, in the 2021 National Games, Ma Long was selected as the fifth torchbearer for the opening ceremony of the National Games. Malone smiled and said, "Because of the experience of a torchbearer, there may be a little bit of preparation, especially in the posture of holding the torch and the process of handing over the torch." But I think whether it's the National Games or the Winter Olympics, they are very special, so I am also very happy to have such an opportunity to be the torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics. ”

The relay of the flame at the Badaling Great Wall at the Winter Olympics also made Ma Long feel of great significance. Ma Long said proudly: "I think the Great Wall is one of the most emblematic buildings in China, and people often say that 'it is not a good man to not be a good man if you don't reach the Great Wall'. The Great Wall is also a window for the spread of Chinese culture, and I also hope that foreign audiences and friends will learn more about Chinese culture while paying attention to the Beijing Winter Olympics. ”

Ma Long, who grew up in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, also participated in many ice and snow-related sports as a child. "For me, snowball fights and snowmobiles should be counted as one, but I haven't had the opportunity to engage in some professional ice and snow sports." Referring to the most concerned Winter Olympic sports, Malone said: "Short track speed skating, speed skating and figure skating, these are the traditional sports in our country, I will pay attention to. ”

From the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, many people are using these 14 years to measure their changes and people's attitudes towards sports. Malone recalled that at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he also participated in the work related to the Olympic Games for the first time. "At that time, I was a sparring partner and participated in training with the team, which made a very deep impression on me. That experience also gave me some experience and foundation for my next Olympic games. For Chinese, "the successful hosting of the Olympic Games in the mainland in 2008 is a very important node, which makes more people like sports and understand sports." Ma Long also said that with the holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics, he also found that many people around him have begun to participate in ice and snow sports, and "driving 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports" has moved from a vision to a reality.

(Beijing Daily)