Beijing, February 10 (Xinhua) -- After the end of the free skating repertoire, Mexico's Donovan Carrillo's trip to the Beijing Winter Olympics is coming to an end. Anyone could see Carrillo's reluctance to the ice. He expressed his gratitude to the referee and the audience, and gently patted the Olympic rings on the ice with his hand.
On February 10, the men's singles free skating competition of figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was held by Mexico's Donovan Carrillo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yibo
At the scene of the figure skating men's singles free skating competition at this Winter Olympics, people's attention was focused on Yu Yusuke, regretting that he challenged Axel to jump off the ice and fall down, and finally Carrillo, who ranked 22nd, disappeared into this "traffic black hole".
But after a few days of interviews, the reporter was eager to grab everyone he knew, tell them the story of Carrillo, tell them how he used a bad card in his hand to play "king bomb" against fate, and finally came to the Winter Olympics to realize his original dream.
Mexico's Donovan Carrillo competes on Feb. 10. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yibo
My interviewee was Donovan Carrillo, a Mexican, figure skater, 77th in the isia fide annual ranking, training in my hometown without a standard ice rink, requiring part-time work, fundraising to make up for the cost of the competition...
Is it a bad hand?
But he is ambitious: to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, influence the next generation to engage in ice and snow sports, continue to participate in the 25th Winter Olympics, break the Mexican stereotype of male figure skaters, let Mexico also have a standard ice rink...
The great gulf between dreams and reality is not an obstacle at all for Carrillo, as he "never stops at 'no' but always looks for the possibility of 'yes'".
Persistence and hard work make it possible to cross the chasm. When training on the ice rink in the mall, try to avoid others; you can't skate a short program track, just when others haven't come; if you don't have enough money, then become a coach and go to fundraising...
"I don't have the same training conditions as a lot of athletes competing on the same stage at the Olympics, but I try not to think about it, I want to make the most of everything I have, although most of the time it is not the best, but I do get a lot of important things, I am not nothing." 」
In the midst of denial and ridicule, Carrillo realized his dream of participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics, and successfully advanced to the free skating competition, creating the best record in his history in the short program, free skating and overall results, and also allowing audiences around the world to enjoy the free skating performance full of rich Latin style...
That's the magic of the Olympic spirit: everyone who comes here has a story that moves you with a basket. Even those who tried their best but did not get it.
Whether or not someone supports them, whether or not anyone has heard their story, the athletes with Olympic dreams are working hard, persevering, blooming, and enjoying without hesitation.
Yusei is great, and his greatness lies in the fact that he never stops challenging.
Mexico's Donovan Carrillo after the match on Feb. 10. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Yibo
Likewise, Carrillo is great, because he can always find the "phnom penh" of every dark cloud. When life is not satisfactory, when things are no longer smooth, when the heart has the idea of "picking a pick and not doing it", think of this Mexican boy born in 1999, play those Latin American songs in your mind, don't stop at "no", look for the possibility of "yes"!
Editors: Wang Hengzhi, Zhang Zewei, Cao Yibo, Zhang Yumeng (Intern)