On the evening of February 4, at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, in the center of the stage, the five-star red flag was unfurled in the hands of 12 children, and then handed over to the youth representatives. The reporter learned that 10 of the 12 people are primary and secondary school students in Beijing. Among them are Yi Lingfan, a fifth-grade student at Wuyi Primary School in Beijing's Haidian District, Li Xunfei, a second-grade student from Banchang Primary School in Dongcheng District, and a pair of twin brothers, Zhu Yunyi and Zhu Yunze, born in 2012.
In the eyes of the audience, it is not difficult to pass the national flag. But for this group of children of different heights and young age, it is not simple to unfurle and pass the national flag steadily.
The oversized flag had to be unfurled in 9 seconds, and there were also mistakes in rehearsals
Unfurling the flag, holding it tightly, and passing it flat... The reporter noted that the national flag used in the opening ceremony was very large, and although the twelve children were of different heights, they always ensured that the national flag was unfolded on a horizontal plane.
In this regard, Yi Lingfan said that during the training, the director will specifically tell each person the position of raising the flag, "Like I am taller, I will put my hand on the position of leaning on the waist, and the shorter one may have to lift up and put it on the shoulder." ”
Among the 12 small flag guards, Yi Lingfan was the oldest one. Photo/ Beijing News photojournalist Wang Fei
In order to make this team of people not "step on the front foot and back foot", the position between the front and back is also fixed. "It's such a long distance before and after." Twin brother Zhu Yunyi stretched out his arm and said than painted.
Li Xunfei, 8, told reporters that all training revolves around the national flag, "pulling the national flag, displaying the national flag, training on and off the field, and performing the Young Pioneers salute." Li Xunfei said that it is not simple to march neatly, "We must start the parade ceremony when we hear the word 'song' in the radio saying 'raise the national flag and sing the national anthem'." ”
In Yi Lingfan's impression, the most difficult thing is to display the national flag. Yi Lingfan said that the national flag was first rolled up, and the 12 small flag guards had to unfold the flag within 9 seconds, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the later links, "Sometimes there are folds in the place where the national flag is held, or the flag is rolled too tightly, it is not easy to unfold." ”
Zhu Yunyi recalled that once there was a mistake in the big joint platoon, and the national flag was stuck halfway through, "The director stood at a distance and watched, and the atmosphere was awkward at that time." Later, it was the brother in front of me who helped me unfold. ”
After the rehearsal went wrong, the children blamed themselves. Zhu Yunyi said that at that time, he was afraid of being criticized by the director, and when he returned home, he and his brother were still crying, "And then there was no such mistake." Yi Lingfan also said that he was sad, "I feel that it is because I did not do it in place, this thing failed." ”
The brothers Zhu Yunyi and Zhu Yunze are the only twins in the hands of the 12 little flag guards. Photo/ Beijing News photojournalist Wang Fei
For this group of children, every rehearsal at the "Bird's Nest" is a test of "foot strength". "In the morning, the bus took us to checkpoint 18 and then had to walk three or four kilometers to get to the nest. The rehearsal is over, and I have to walk back. Younger brother Zhu Yunze said that once he could not find a car when he came out at night, "There are more than 100 buses, our car is the penultimate, it took a long time to walk, when I got on the bus, my legs were numb." ”
Despite the hard work of training, the children never complained.
"Every time I come back, I'm in great shape and I feel a great sense of accomplishment." The mother twins said that once the children's rehearsal happened to encounter heavy snow, "My brother came back and said that my eyelashes were full of snow, but I couldn't help but blink. ”
The children's persistence came to a perfect end, and on the night of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, twelve children successfully completed this "arduous" task.
I arrived home at 3 a.m. after the opening ceremony, still too excited to sleep
"Children do a very good job of keeping secrets, and if they don't say anything, they say they want to keep secrets." Ms. Ye, Yi Lingfan's mother, told reporters that as a parent, although she knows that her children participate in the opening ceremony performance, she has not known what form and when it will appear.
On the evening of February 4, Ms. Ye watched the opening ceremony with the parents of the rest of the flag bearers. When the figure of the child appeared in the picture, a group of people cheered.
"I've been watching the TV for a long time, so I'm looking forward to it." The mother of the twins said that there were two small episodes on the day of the opening ceremony: first the brother spilled a Coke and soiled his pants when he changed his costume at noon, and then the brother accidentally got alcohol into his eyes, "which makes people particularly distressed, afraid of affecting the performance." When I saw that scene on TV, I was really relieved. ”
After the performance, the children were also very excited.
On the way back she kept saying excitedly, Mom, did you see the red flag we escorted raise? I said yes, all of us saw it, and I'm happy for you. Ms. Ye said that after Yi Lingfan returned home, she still asked to look back at the picture, and it was almost 3 a.m. when she got home, but the child was still too excited to sleep.
The mother of twins also said that the first thing the child did when she came back was to tell herself that the performance was particularly smooth, "and told me that the director praised them." It's always been a state of pride. ”
Parents: From strangers to intimate friends, children have grown
Climbing soft ladders, throwing "snowballs"... On the afternoon of February 7, on the small square of a small district in Beijing's Chaoyang District, Yi Lingfan, Zhu Yunyi and Zhu Yunze happily played various games. It looks like a long-known little friend, but in fact, the three of them have only known each other for a few months.
The reporter learned that most of the children have received the notice of selection in September and October 2021. Since then, weekly training at the "Bird's Nest" has become a "compulsory course" for these children on weekends. In the months of "getting along day and night", the children have gradually changed from strangers to intimate friends.
Li Xunfei told reporters that he and his friends often play poker together, "We will play 'tractor' (poker game). ”
Li Xunfei, a small flag protector, said that it was not simple to perform the Young Pioneers salute neatly in training. Photo/ Beijing News photojournalist Wang Fei
As the oldest of the 12 people, Yi Lingfan takes great care of her younger siblings in her daily life. "Usually we all play together, but when they don't do it right, I correct them." The "wrong" in Yi Lingfan's mouth refers to the fact that some children will "be lazy and not wash their hands" before meals.
"Sometimes other children come to play at home after training, and the children cook instant noodles together, have a pillow fight, and then go home to rest." The mother of the twins said that after this time, the children formed a deep friendship, "When they finally left the isolation hotel to be separated, everyone hugged together, and some children were still crying and reluctant to leave." ”
In Ms. Ye's view, this experience is very unforgettable and rare in Yi Lingfan's life, "She has loved dance since she was a child, and has always hoped to go further on the road of learning dance, and we will fully support her." ”
"In the past, they were less self-reliant, and I was worried about sending them to the bird's nest on the first day, because I never left my sight all day since I was a child." But the twin mother found that her concerns were completely unnecessary, "the child adapted well, and the little friends and the whole team were also very warm and loving." ”
After this test, the mother twins found that the children had matured, grown up, and become more independent, "seeing them standing on the stage of the Bird's Nest, representing Chinese children on this stage to show the style of a new generation, as a mother is particularly proud." ”
Beijing News reporter Yang Feifei Editor Miao Chenxia Proofreader Jia Ning