23 years of sports career, 59 world champions, she is China's "ice queen" - Yang Yang.
Twenty years ago, at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the United States, Yang Yang won the short track speed skating women's 500m final with a time of 44.187 seconds. At that moment, she broke the "spell" for the Chinese team and achieved the "breakthrough of zero" for the Winter Olympic gold medal.
As an athlete, Yang Yang participated in 3 Winter Olympic Games. However, her fate with the Winter Olympics is not only that.
Twenty years later, in Beijing, China, Yang Yang is about to welcome his 4th Winter Olympics. This time, her identity is no longer that of an athlete, but as the chairman of the Athletes' Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.
"I'm lucky," Yang yang said, adding that winning the championship as a child was my dream and later came true. Unexpectedly, after retiring, I participated in the bidding and preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and I could host an Olympic Games at my doorstep.
In interviews with the media, Yang Yang often said that in an Olympic Games, the problem of athletes was solved, and the Olympic Games were 98% successful.
How is the Beijing Winter Olympics preparing for athletes? In which projects can we look forward to? At a time when some Western countries have been trying to politicize sports, what would Yang Yang say to athletes around the world as a former Olympian and chairman of the Athletes' Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee?
Before the official opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Observer Network interviewed Yang Yang, the winner of the first gold medal of the Chinese Winter Olympics and the chairman of the Athletes Committee of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee.
China's first Winter Olympic champion , Yang Yang
The following is a transcript of the interview:
【Interview/Observer Network Deng Ruikan, Wang Hui】
Observer Network: You have participated in 3 Winter Olympics as an athlete and have a lot of personal experience with the Winter Olympics. At this year's Beijing Winter Olympics, your identity is no longer an athlete, but as the chairman of the Athletes Committee of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee. In your opinion, how is the preparation for the Winter Olympics in matters related to athletes? What do you expect from athletes?
Yang Yang: When bidding for the Winter Olympic Games, the Beijing Winter Olympics delegation put forward the concept of "athletes as the center". In order to better reflect this concept and give play to the role of athletes in the preparatory work, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee has established an athletes' committee.
This committee, which includes me, has a total of 19 members, including representatives of active and retired athletes, representatives of winter sports athletes and summer sports athletes, and representatives of athletes with disabilities.
The development of winter sports in China is relatively weak, so we hope to provide some comments and suggestions by absorbing experienced athletes from the Summer Olympics. Table tennis star Wang Hao and shooting Olympic champion Du Li, the two members of the athletes' committee, are from the summer program.
In the preparatory process, 19 members combined their own experiences to provide suggestions and suggestions for the organizing committee through regular meetings, daily communication and coordination.
We often say that in an Olympic Games, the athletes' problems are solved, and the Olympic Games are 98% successful. During the Olympic Games, no matter how big the officials are, they are all for the athletes to participate in the competition and train well, and everyone is the waiter of the athletes. The opinions and suggestions put forward by the Athletes' Committee are to allow athletes to get more appropriate services and meet their needs.
In addition, athletes as Emissaries or stars of the Olympic Games, their performance will affect many people, which is what we are very much looking forward to.
Chinese female freestyle skier Gu Ailing
In the past, when other countries held the Olympic Games, we might pick some of China's advantages to broadcast, but I can tell you that even if they are not advantageous, they are very, very good.
This time the Olympic Games are on their doorstep, and it is the Spring Festival, and I believe that Chinese audiences will feast their eyes. While feasting on the eyes, you can also experience winter sports. In the end, we will find that many people like winter sports because of this Winter Olympics.
Whether it is China's goal of "300 million people participating in ice and snow" when it bid for the Olympic Games, or the better development of ice and snow sports in the future, the Winter Olympics are a particularly good opportunity.
Finally, I think that if we can serve the athletes of the world well, they will be the first to pass on their good feelings to the world and become a particularly convincing ambassador for the Beijing Olympic Games.
So, in any way, it's worth our best efforts to serve the athletes.
Observer Network: The members of the Athletes' Committee have made many suggestions to the organizing committee based on their own experiences, can you share with us a few specific examples?
Yang Yang: The committee members put forward a lot of suggestions and took care of many details, for example, figure skaters often have broken clothes and broken locks, and Zhao Hongbo, the first gold medalist in figure skating at the Winter Olympics of the Chinese delegation, suggested providing some sewing kits on the spot in case of emergency.
Chinese figure skating duo Sui Wenjing/Han Cong Source: IOC official website
Freestyle skiing aerial skiller Nina Li proposed that barrier-free access be opened during the Winter Olympics and wheelchairs will be available in the venue. Skiers are more likely to be injured and need a wheelchair to walk, Li Nina herself was injured in the Winter Olympic Games, but due to the lack of wheelchairs in the Olympic Village at that time, she had to take a supermarket cart to collect the prize.
In the past, washing clothes in the Olympic Games was also a problem, one was that the washing machine was not enough, and the other was that the waiting time was relatively long. Wang Bingyu, a former captain of the Chinese women's curling team, said that if athletes lined up for an hour to wash their clothes, it would delay their rest. So, she proposes to alleviate this problem by queuing online and so on.
I've paid attention to the needs of mom athletes, some of whom come with their children, to help them share some of the pressure of taking care of their children, so that they can rest better and have more energy to compete.
In addition, I also made some suggestions for athlete honors, such as leaving the names of the participating athletes and the handprints of the winning athletes in the competition venue. In the future, when they return to the venue, they can see the imprint of that year.
In 2002, I won the first gold medal of the Chinese Winter Olympics at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in the United States, and after retiring from the united states, I once went to Salt Lake City with my children and returned to the venue where I won the gold, but there was no trace of anything, and I was still a bit lost. Therefore, I hope that when athletes revisit their hometown after the game, they can see the traces they left behind and feel the sense of honor and belonging.
2002 Summer Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA, Yang Yang in the competition Source: Xinhua News Agency
Observer Network: This Winter Olympics is still being held in the context of the global epidemic is still spreading, and it is not easy to adopt a closed-loop management model. For athletes, it is very necessary to ensure that they can compete normally and compete at a high level, but also to take preventive measures. In this regard, what preparations have been made for the Beijing Winter Olympics? What specific work has the Athletes' Committee of the Organizing Committee done to this end?
Yang Yang: The epidemic prevention manual has been in close communication with the athletes' committee at the planning stage, and after the first and second editions of the epidemic prevention manual were officially issued, as a representative of the athletes' committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, I cooperated with the International Olympic Committee to hold three online briefings for athletes around the world, mainly to answer their questions.
Due to the different cultures and national conditions of athletes in various countries, some athletes are not very familiar with the contents of the epidemic prevention manual, so we need to answer their questions one by one.
On January 23, the Beijing Winter Olympic Village pre-opened the village, and the members of the delegation's advance team collected the room key at the super resident service center Source: Beijing Winter Olympic Village
Observer Network: After the Beijing Winter Olympics, Beijing will become the world's only "double Olympic city", what does this mean for a city? You are a member of several international sports organizations, what do you and your colleagues say about this?
Yang Yang: I think Beijing is particularly fortunate to be able to become a "double Olympic city", which means that the Olympic Games have deeply rooted in the city and have a very long-term significance for the development and impact of this city.
For example, because of the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics, Beijing has left a lot of sports facilities. In the post-Olympic era, we have seen that these sports facilities have become a good place for people to relax and exercise. Without the Olympics, in an era of rapid economic development, these places may have become various real estates.
In addition, the interval between the holding of the "Double Olympic Games" in Beijing is not very long, and I think this will allow two or three generations to continue to feel the Olympic Games. Now, teenagers can receive Olympic education through activities such as "ice and snow sports into school", which has a great impact on their growth.
Finally, from the perspective of software, hosting an Olympic Games can accelerate the improvement of the overall ability of software services in the entire city, of course, more importantly, the improvement of international influence.
Water Cube gorgeous transformation into Ice Cube Source: Beijing Youth Daily
Observer Network: When bidding for the Beijing Winter Olympics, China put forward a vision of bringing 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports. That goal has now been achieved. As of October 2021, the number of residents participating in ice and snow sports nationwide is 346 million, and the participation rate of ice and snow sports is 24.56%. Do you think this enthusiasm can continue after the "Winter Olympics effect"? How can we maintain the sustainable development of snow sports after the Winter Olympics?
Yang Yang: I think the word "maintenance" is too conservative. In fact, after the Winter Olympics, the development of winter sports on the mainland has just begun.
We see that there are already many people involved in ice and snow sports, but after the Winter Olympics, everyone's understanding of winter sports will improve as a whole, and we can attract more people's attention and participation.
In particular, these venues will also be open to the public after the Winter Olympics, and I believe that many people will want to try. The organizers of this Winter Olympics will also become the main force in the development of ice and snow sports in China in the future.
On December 22, 2021, students at a primary school in Shanghai's Huangpu District practice skating under the guidance of a coach Source: Xinhua News Agency
Observer Network: In the preparations for the Winter Olympics, some Western countries have been trying to politicize sports. As a former Olympian and Chairman of the Athletes Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, what would you like to say to athletes around the world?
Yang Yang: The practices of individual Western countries just show that our sports have great influence, and they want to use this wave of influence to create momentum for their own affairs. I look at these problems with a normal mind, not angry, but also not beautiful.
I think for athletes, to keep themselves free from other noises, some things should be watched as clowns. It is more important to focus on your own profession, show your best side to the world, and live up to your efforts in recent years.
The Four-Year Olympic Games is an opportunity to show our most shining side, and everyone should adjust their state and use their strength to show the charm of human beings to challenge difficulties and surpass themselves. I believe that the performance of athletes will affect more people, especially teenagers, so that they can bravely pursue their dreams, which is also the biggest influence of athletes.
Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming Source: Xinhua News Agency
Observer Network: Compared with European and American countries, there is still a gap in snow projects. But this Winter Olympic cycle, the veterans and newcomers represented by Xu Mengtao and Su Yiming have shown an international first-line level, does this mean that China's phenomenon of "ice is strong and snow is weak" is changing? What do you think about China's future catching up with the highest international level in some weaknesses?
Yang Yang: I think that catching up is inevitable, as a competitive sport, we just want to be strong and competitive, but in this process we must also learn with an open mind.
China's ice and snow sports have developed relatively late, but Chinese have the tenacity and determination to do things well, coupled with our institutional advantages, we have the best guarantee in all aspects. Therefore, athletes should cherish such opportunities and their talents, strive to do what they should do, and show themselves in all directions on the Olympic field.
In addition to competitive level, talent, and fighting spirit, it is equally important to abide by the rules, respect for referees, respect for opponents, etc., which are important Olympic values.
We want to make people really understand mutual respect through competitive sports. Although there is only one winner in each game in terms of results, everyone who works hard deserves our respect.
Chinese freestyle skiing aerial skill athlete Xu Mengtao Photo source: Xinhua News Agency
Observer.com: Have you experienced the arena and the Winter Olympic Village? How does it feel, is there an urge to play?
Yang Yang: I am very familiar with the first body (Capital Gymnasium), which was there when I was an athlete. Later, when I was renovated, I was in the first half, and I had not been there since I left the International Skating Union in the second half. The Olympic Village is also in the first half, including planning and design, construction phase, etc., but it has not been recently.
For playing again, I don't want to fantasize about the impossible, but speaking from the heart, it is also a fortunate thing for me to be able to participate in a different identity.
Observer Network: Some time ago, a snowboarder named Zhang Jiahao attracted attention on social media. He transformed himself from baker to professional athlete. How do you think his experience inspired grassroots athletes? What role will it play in spreading the Olympic spirit?
Yang Yang: I also saw the story of Zhang Jiahao, and I was very emotional.
Many people think that athletes are not a "mortal group", but Zhang Jiahao's transformation from a baker to a professional athlete will make everyone feel that athletes are not so mysterious, and we can all try.
In addition, I think Zhang Jiahao is the most fortunate that he has been doing what he likes, and although he has not received much support in the process, he is still very persistent. After I became a mother, I really felt that once a child does what he likes to do, his power is very great.
I believe that Zhang Jiahao's story will affect many people to do what they believe and do what they love. Even if Zhang Jiahao was not selected for the Olympic team in the end, his life was much broader and more likely.
Zhang Jiahao won his first international championship in Chile Image source: Xinhua News Agency
Observer.com: You are the first short-track speed skater among Chinese athletes to win an Olympic gold medal, and our readers are also very concerned about how Chinese athletes will perform at the Olympic Games on their doorstep.
Yang Yang: I think that being able to play an Olympic Games on their doorstep is something that all athletes dream of, but not everyone has such an opportunity. For example, even if I am the first gold medalist in the Winter Olympics, I still don't have the opportunity to participate in an Olympic Games on my doorstep.
I believe that athletes know that this opportunity is rare, and they will work harder to achieve good results at their doorstep, and show their efforts and determination to prepare for the Olympic games over the years through every knife, every lap, and every step.
As for the result, I feel like going with the flow. Although there is only one championship in the game, as long as you work hard and bravely face it at a critical time, everyone can see it.
Now the audience is very inclusive and likes to look at the athletes' performance from different perspectives. So athletes should be braver on the field, more focused on the process, show their best side, and everyone is successful.
I believe that our (Chinese athletes) will certainly be better than ever, but this is only one aspect, not all.
In 2015, Yang Yang, who was pregnant with Liujia, took to the stage as a declarant for the Olympic bid to make a statement
Observer Network: On December 2 last year, the 76th session of the UN General Assembly passed the resolution on the Olympic Truce at the Beijing Winter Olympics by consensus, urging all countries to truce and cease hostilities before and after the Beijing Winter Olympics. What do you think of the UN Olympic Truce resolution? What does this mean for athletes from all over the world participating? As Chairman of the Athletes' Committee, what would you like to say to the international community in this regard?
Yang Yang: The Olympic Truce is a tradition, a peace movement designed by the International Olympic Committee based on the ancient Greek Olympic sacred truce tradition. In 1993, the 48th session of the General Assembly considered and adopted the Olympic Truce resolution for the first time. Since then, the host countries of the Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games have submitted the Resolution of the Olympic Truce to the General Assembly.
From the athlete's point of view, we need to realize the value of the Olympic Games, which is not only a win or loss on the field of competition, but also a transmission of ideas and values, including faster, higher, stronger - more unity, the pursuit of excellence, peace, friendship and so on.
The Olympics brought together people of different colors, religions, beliefs, and political backgrounds around the world, and that's what we want to see the world look like.
However, there are many conflicts, disagreements and divisions in the real world, and we hope that through the Olympic Games, everyone will have the opportunity to come together and sit together for 2-3 weeks in the Olympic Village like a "little United Nations" to enhance mutual understanding. Then win mutual respect through fair and just competition, which is our yearning for a better world.
For individuals, the Olympics is to show the development and progress of human beings facing challenges and constantly breaking through themselves, and on the whole, the Olympic Games are the way we look in the ideal world, reminding everyone every 4 years that we can still get along like this, no war, no conflict.
Observer Network: In major sporting events held around the world, the post-match utilization of venues is a worldwide problem. This time we have also built a lot of new venues and facilities, after the Winter Olympics, are we ready for the use of these facilities?
Yang Yang: The three major concepts of the Beijing Winter Olympics when bidding for the Beijing Winter Olympics were "athlete-centered, sustainable development and frugality". In the sustainable development part, the post-game utilization of venues is a big theme, so the beijing Winter Olympics venues took into account the needs of the post-Winter Olympics at the beginning of the design.
For example, our ski jumping stadium "Snow Ruyi". Professional ski jumping is very difficult for ordinary people, but from the perspective of viewing, people can feel the charm of sports. I've been up there, and its angle and view are very impressive, and it's really remarkable that people can slide down from above and still be able to fly.
The designer of "Xue Ruyi", Zhang Li, dean of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, made plans for the use of the game at the beginning of the design, and designed a platform, sightseeing corridor and so on.
This is just one example, many of our site facilities are designed to consider the long term, including how to do a good job of environmental protection and so on. We have also set up a special sustainability committee and invited various experts, including experts in various fields such as environmental protection, venue operation, and sports industry, to give advice.
In the practice of the concept of sustainable development, the IOC also recognizes our approach.
Ski jumping venue "Snow Ruyi" Source: People's Daily client
Observer Network: The last question is about your personal feelings. You won the first gold medal for China at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA 20 years ago, and you are preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics in China 20 years later.
Yang Yang: Two words - luck.
I didn't expect that I would have so many fates with the Winter Olympics, and it was a dream to win the Olympic championship when I was young, and then I had the opportunity to realize this dream. I think this is already a very low probability, a very high level of difficulty. But what I didn't expect was that after I retired from the army, I participated in the bid and preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and I was able to host a Winter Olympics at my doorstep 20 years later. I feel fortunate to be in such an era of peace and development, and to do what I like and what I am good at.
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