Torchbearer Ding Ning: May every athlete fight for their dreams

"Being a Torchbearer of the Winter Olympics is also a very honorable and glorious thing for me." As the first torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympic Torch Relay at the Summer Palace, Ding Ning looks forward to showing our spirit by passing the torch. In the Winter Olympic Games, Chinese athletes can also show their spiritual outlook.

Ding Ning, 31, is a "Grand Slam" player who has won the Olympic, World Championships and World Cup singles titles in table tennis. After retiring last year, she became a 2021 master's student in the Department of Physical Education and Research of Peking University. In the preparation of the Winter Olympic Games, many of her classmates at Peking University have also become Volunteers for the Winter Olympics. Ding Ning said that the athletes, coaches, support teams and volunteers participating in the Winter Olympics have all twisted into a rope to welcome the arrival of the opening moment.

For athletes, the quadrennial Olympics are the highest temple of dreams. In Ding Ning's view, the Beijing Winter Olympics were held as scheduled and did not live up to the efforts of athletes around the world, which is very encouraging. I hope that every athlete who comes to China to compete can fight for his dream.

"For athletes from all over the world who come to participate, I hope they can feel the various guarantees and support we provide, share the Olympic spirit and wonderful competition, and feel the charm of sports." Ding Ning said that the Olympic spirit is very important, from the perspective of competition, it is a transcendence of the self and a challenge to the limit. But it is more than that, the Winter Olympics is also a process of experiencing enjoyment and communicating with each other. The experience could be culture, it could be an exchange of sports development between athletes from different countries, and a volunteer service team that also participated in the Winter Olympics with a spirit. The process of participation is a manifestation of the Olympic Games and the Olympic spirit. She hopes that everyone can communicate more on the platform of the Winter Olympics.

As an athlete, along the way, Ding Ning has participated in large and small competitions, including the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. For the athletes who are about to compete in the Winter Olympic Games, Ding Ning shared some of his own experience: "In the process of preliminary preparation and participation, the athletes' mentality may also have some ups and downs, because the projects of the large-scale games are constantly carried out, some people will end early, and some talents have just started, so it is more important to focus on the events they participate in first. ”

"This time there are still some differences from previous Olympic games, and the test for athletes may be greater." With regard to the Chinese athletes who are fighting on the mainland, Ding Ning said that the local operation has a very strong backing and strength, and I hope that everyone will win glory for the country and at the same time show our spiritual outlook.

"The process of going all out on the field and the spirit displayed are something that everyone can see. The charm of sports competition is not limited to competition, and the attitude of doing your best in the game is more important and very worthy of respect. She said.