On the evening of February 4, the outdoor temperature in Beijing was -5 °C, the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, 91 sports delegations entered, and a flag bearer of the American Samoa delegation was set on fire.
Bare-chested, wearing a grass skirt, flip-flops, netizens exclaimed: Is the flag bearer brother cold? After all, in the Winter Olympics, such a cool person is still the first person in history.
"I don't have talent, there was no snow in our world. In order to be able to stand on the field of Beijing, we gave everything. The flag bearer, Nathan Cruptown, whose country, American Samoa, is a tropical island in the southern Pacific Ocean with an average annual temperature of 26°C and no ice and no snow.
At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Cruptown saw the steel-framed snowmobile for the first time. He was immediately captivated, "It's the coolest sport I've ever seen in my life." "He began to work to save money while thinking about the snowmobile.
In 2014, Crupton competed in the steel-framed bobsleigh race for the first time; in 2016, he finished fifth at the World Cup; and in the 2019 North American Cup, he won the first winter sports gold medal for American Samoa.
There is no shortage of stories of blood in the Olympic arena.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, there will be such a group of lone braves from tropical countries and regions, who carry a shirtless enthusiasm to the ice and snow sports.
At the Winter Olympics, the Jamaican delegation sent a total of 6 athletes to participate in the competition for alpine skiing and snowmobiling. Among them, the men's four-person snowmobile is the first time since 1998 that a Jamaican delegation has qualified for the Winter Olympics, and a young girl named Jasmine Fenlet-Victoria will participate in the women's singles snowmobile event.
Near the equator, this rainforest-covered country is hot all year round, with an average annual temperature of 26-28 °C and never snowing. But athletes have made history with their own convictions.
Facing the camera, the Jamaican girl excitedly said that I had won to come to Beijing, "Maybe Jamaica will never snow, but we still have a snow team, which taught me never to give up my dreams!" ”
According to statistics, only 15 countries on the African continent have participated in the Winter Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, Morocco and Eritrea 5 African countries of 6 athletes participated, of which 5 participated in alpine skiing.
I believe that friends who have watched the opening ceremony will not be unfamiliar with the high-frequency word "alpine skiing".
Why do delegations with fewer people prefer alpine skiing?
The answer is simple, there are many places to participate, the threshold is relatively low, so that the number and scope of participants have increased significantly, as long as they meet a very low performance standard, they can be allocated to the quota. This is undoubtedly the best ticket to the Winter Olympics for athletes from tropical countries and regions.
However, it is easy to participate in the competition, but it is even more difficult to win.
Alpine skiing originated in Europe, also known as "Alpine skiing", and was first included in the competition at the Fourth Winter Olympics in 1936.
Known as the "crown jewel of the Winter Olympics", alpine skiing is a skiing sport that combines speed and skill, and is one of the most difficult and complex winter sports in the world.
The steep and changeable terrain tests the psychological quality and technical level of athletes, and also tightens the heartstrings of the audience.
This year, Saudi Arabia led its first team to the Winter Olympics, and Faik Abdi will be the only athlete to compete in alpine skiing.
"I know that representing Saudi Arabia at the Winter Olympics is a bit of a rarity for many people, but it's a great honor that has made history not only for my country, but for the entire Gulf region!" Abdi said.
From Togo on the equatorial side, to the Philippines, where the temperature is high all year round; from Jamaica, where there is no winter in all seasons, to Kenya, where the climate is hot...
These athletes from tropical countries and regions, with dreams and love, crossed the temperature and distance and stood on the winter Olympic field.
The process may be no less arduous than the sport they are engaged in.
Although until now, the players from tropical countries have not won medals, but the persistence and hard work on this field still deserve everyone's respect.
"Because of love, try your best and persevere to the end!" As long as there is a dream, everyone is great, and this is the true Olympic spirit.
Author: Li Chenyan
Edit: Wang Xing
Image source: Visual China