Written by Zhang Mingfei
Editor/Li Xu Liang Lina
Visual/Wang Ye
"Spelled", "Done and finished", "Finished calves..." Before entering the village, Zhang Yangming cheered himself up.
As an alpine skier, Zhang Yangming's name is not well known to the public. Because this project is a minority for ice and snow sports, the threshold is high and difficult to participate. Most of the European and American athletes who play this sport come from ski families.
Like lone skaters, far from the hustle and bustle, in the mountains, in the snow, they play this sport again and again, challenging and dangerous, close to the "jewel in the crown of the Winter Olympics" again and again.
From fighting alone to four people fighting China's alpine skiing has achieved a historical breakthrough
It should be noted that alpine skiing is still a newly developed project in China, and the team of the downhill project was just established in 2017. In Pyeongchang, the project was a "baby" for the Chinese delegation.
Even if you stand at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, even if you achieve 69 places, although it is not so glamorous, it is worthy of recognition. But in the overwhelming cyberspace, it is almost rare to find an interview with Zhang Yangming at that time. It can be seen that the outside world's understanding of this project is a blank, and there is no way to talk about it.
Zhang Yangming
Therefore, it is not easy for Chinese alpine skiers to stand on the Olympic field. Zhang Yangming, born in 1994, once again represented China after Pyeongchang.
This time, he wasn't alone. At the Olympic event at the doorstep, the Chinese alpine ski team won 4 places and qualified for 11 small events, achieving a historic breakthrough in the participation of all projects.
Zhang Yangming will stand on the slopes of the National Alpine Ski Center in Yanqing with Xu Mingfu, Kong Fanying and Ni Yueming.
Four years ago, Pyeongchang was Zhang Yangming's "Olympic debut". Of the 110 contestants, he managed to skate two rounds and finish in 69th place. There are many runners who are trapped by the weather and the track and even fail to finish the race.
Four years later in Beijing, Zhang Yangming, who had experience, set out again.
For Chinese alpine skiers, perhaps competing for gold and silver is too extravagant. But standing on the Olympic field is the ultimate dream of every athlete. Now, Zhang Yangming has waited for the highest stage where he once again challenged himself.
Skiing is the key to opening the door to life's light
In places where others could not see, Zhang Yangming has been fighting against difficulties, injuries, and loneliness.
From Pyeongchang to Beijing, the road was arduous but also firm. For Zhang Yangming, it is a rare opportunity to stand on the Olympic games held by his own country. Moreover, the age of 28 is also in that year.
In 2019, Zhang Yangming set off again. In March before the 14th Winter Games, he was accidentally injured while training in Austria - his tibia and fibula in his right calf were broken, and he had to stop training for recuperation.
Advanced sports medicine technology in Europe has shortened Zhang Yangming's recovery time, but the team can only let Zhang Yangming, who has removed the steel nails in his body, return to China first.
"With no one to practice with you, you can easily let yourself give up." At that time, I was even a little desperate. Zhang Yangming said, "Later, my coaches and teammates encouraged me, and I also hope not to leave regrets for myself, I survived." I especially believe in a sentence, that is, you only have to work hard, and the rest is left to Providence. ”
At the 14th Winter Games at the end of the year, the men's giant slalom event was fought at the Meilin Valley Ski Resort in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Zhang Yangming appeared on the track.
"Even if you put your life here, you must take back the honor that belongs to me!" In the end, Zhang Yangming won the gold medal and burst into tears.
I think I am not inferior to the physical fitness of foreign players
From the age of 10 when he entered the Tonghua City Sports School in Jilin Province to train, study, and start skiing, Zhang Yangming did not expect that he could still stand on the national team.
When he first came into contact, Zhang Yangming didn't know anything about skiing, so he thought he just got up after falling down again and again, "After practicing, I felt that this project was a rich man's project." A pair of snowboards is 10,000 or 20,000, and their families simply can't afford it. Later, he found that the project was "good to burn money."
In 2011, Zhang Yangming entered the alpine skiing national team. A rare opportunity, in exchange for his extra hard work. Zhang Yangming began to get the opportunity to participate in domestic and international competitions. China's alpine skiing from scratch, seeing a little spark of hope. He also knows that his fate must be mastered by himself, "as long as you have good grades, milk bread will be available." ”
But Zhang Yangming himself knows, "We started late, foreign children skated back and forth in the snow field at the age of 2, I was 10 years old, too late." ”
Trapped in a track that does not have enough conditions in China, alpine skiers can only float abroad, looking at those foreign players, Zhang Yangming feels like a "frog at the bottom of the well". After reading it, I sighed: "Alpine skiing can still be skied so well." It seems to be the same, but the core of the feeling slip is different, and it is always a little bit worse. ”
Even if he compares himself to the "frog at the bottom of the well", Zhang Yangming still has his own confidence: "The physical fitness of domestic athletes can be much better than that of foreign athletes, and running is better than them." One slip is not enough, it is less slippery, two boards a month are slipped, you see if you are skating well. ”
Zhang Yangming trained on the grounds of the Beijing Winter Olympics
"You have to work very hard, very aggressively, to slip beyond your deadlines. Our efforts cannot be in vain. This is what Zhang Yangming said when he encouraged himself. That's what he said and that's what he did.
Hungarian foreign coach Marcus once commented on Zhang Yangming, "Zhang Yangming is one of the most talented athletes in the Chinese men's slalom event. "In fact, the so-called talent is based on the places that others can't see, and they are exchanged for day after day of hard work."