Luo Zhihuan, the first torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics: My dream has come true

On February 2, the launching ceremony of the Torch Relay of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was held in Beijing Olympic Forest Park. As China's first winter sports world champion, 81-year-old Luo Zhihuan served as the first torchbearer. In his old age, he held aloft the torch and slowly walked forward, and the affectionate kiss of the torch was full of emotions. "For me, what I hold in my hands is not only the torch of the Beijing Winter Olympics, but also the condensation of the fighting spirit of generations of Ice and Snowmen in China." In an exclusive interview with the Global Times reporter, Luo Zhihuan said, "I hope to pass on the fighting spirit of the older generation of athletes through the Winter Olympic torch." ”

Global Times: You participated in the torch relay of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, as a "double Olympic" torchbearer, how is the mood of the two passes different?

Luo Zhihuan: Counting the Beijing Winter Olympics, I participated in four torch relays, the first three of which were the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 24th Harbin Winter Universiade in 2009, and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Beijing has hosted two Olympic Games, and there are only a handful of such cities in the world. Beijing's ability to host the Olympic Games in 2008 proved our national strength, and I was very happy to be a torchbearer that year. My main event is at the Winter Olympics, and this time I am very excited. I didn't play in the Winter Olympics when I was young, I always had regrets, and being the torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics has always been my dream. Holding the Winter Olympics at my doorstep and passing on the spirit of our older generation to the next generation through the torch is my wish, and today I finally realized my dream! Come on Beijing!

Global Times: What do you want to say to Chinese Winter Olympic athletes?

Luo Zhihuan: My generation has very poor training conditions, I started skating at the age of 16, I have never seen a skate before. At that time, in October, we had to go north to find ice training, as far north as Heihe and Manchuria. There is no regular 400-meter field there, and you can only wait until the lake is frozen before you can get on the ice. But the ice in October, the freeze is not very thick, it is difficult to bear the weight, and if you are not careful, you will fall into the ice cave. After falling down, climb up, run home to change clothes and continue training. At that time, our training environment was very poor, relying on the quality of will and the spirit of winning glory for the motherland. Now that our training conditions are so good, young athletes must work hard and wish Chinese athletes, especially speed skaters, good results!

Global Times: On February 24, 1963, you won the first championship at the 57th World Speed Skating Championships in Nagano, Japan, becoming China's first winter sports world champion.

Luo Zhihuan: In the men's 1500m speed skating race that day, my opponent was an Indian athlete who was 1m 9 in height and the top three in the world, and it was very difficult to beat him. I was just about to stand on the starting line when the coach ran up to me and called my name and asked me to see what was on my chest. I looked down and saw two words embroidered on my clothes: China, and a national emblem in the middle. I understood the coach's meaning: to win glory for it, to fight for the motherland! As soon as the starting gun rang out, the person who rushed out seemed to be not me, it was crazy, and the Indian athlete was more than 10 meters taller. By about 1200 meters, my physical strength was exhausted a lot, and my opponent gradually accelerated, and the distance between the two of us was only about 1 meter. In the end, I reached the finish line 2 seconds ahead of him and won the championship. Standing on the podium, many overseas Chinese threw flowers at me and shouted long live China, and I was very moved. The Overseas Chinese Association said that from today onwards, they can walk with their waists up.

Global Times: What is your message for China's ice and snow industry?

Luo Zhihuan: I believe that the Beijing Winter Olympics will definitely play a positive role in China's ice and snow industry. Many foreign athletes and coaches have entered the Beijing Winter Olympics, and we can learn a lot of knowledge through exchanges. Although I have been retired for 25 years, I often go to the training of the national team and the provincial team to talk about my ideas. I'm 81 years old and I don't know if I'll be able to participate in the next Olympics, but I hope that I will be better exposed to winter sports for the rest of my life and contribute to the efforts to cultivate a new generation.