Because of love and perseverance, fight for your dreams

On February 7, the men's 1000m short track speed skating competition of the Beijing Winter Olympics began at the Capital Gymnasium, and Sun Dandan, the head coach of the Hong Kong team in China, came to the scene early with a team member.

"We're here to cheer!" Sun Dandan said. At her side, Zhu Dingwen, 22, is the only short track speed skater on the Chinese Hong Kong team to compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics, where he will compete in the men's 500m on Feb. 13.

In the short track speed skating field of the Winter Olympic Games, the competition is fierce and the masters are gathered. "It's a great learning opportunity." Sun Dandan said that every competition day, they come to see the competition, feel the atmosphere of the competition, and learn the gliding techniques of the world's top players.

The feeling of participating in the Winter Olympics, Sun Dandan is not unfamiliar. She was a Chinese short track speed skater and competed in international competitions with her teammates Yang Yang, Wang Chunlu and Yang Yang in the 1990s. At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, they won the silver medal in the women's 3,000m relay. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Yang Yang won the short track speed skating women's 500 meters championship, achieving a breakthrough for the Chinese team to achieve zero gold medals in the Winter Olympics, and Wang Chunlu won the bronze medal. In the stands, Yang Yang and Sun Dandan hugged each other. "In 2002, I witnessed the breakthrough of the Chinese short track speed skating team achieving zero gold medals in the Winter Olympics, and my excitement is still unforgettable." Sun Dandan said.

Coming to the Beijing Winter Olympics, Sun Dandan's identity is the head coach of the short track speed skating team in Hong Kong, China, which is her first time to participate in the Winter Olympics as a coach. "I used to focus only on my own games, but now I have to bring in the players and have a more comprehensive observation of the Winter Olympics." She said.

Sun Dandan has been coaching the short track speed skating team in Hong Kong, China for 8 years, and before coaching, she had a certain understanding of the team. "After retiring, I coached in the Jilin team, and the head coach of the Hong Kong team was my brother at that time, and he often brought players to our training camp during the holidays." Sun Dandan said, "At that time, they came to train, and we would try our best to provide the training venue and conditions. She felt that the athletes of the Hong Kong team in China were very passionate about the sport, and the dedication was very touching.

The "master brother" in Sun Dandan's mouth is Lu Shuo, the former head coach of the Hong Kong team in China. He took Hong Kong's Lu Pintao to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Lui PinTao is the first male athlete in Hong Kong, China, to appear on the short track speed skating field at the Winter Olympics. In 2014, Lü Shuo stopped coaching and handed over the task of leading the team to Sun Dandan "temporarily". What neither of them expected was that the originally planned "short-term team" lasted for 8 years.

In 2015, Beijing and Zhangjiakou successfully bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The news came, and the short track speed skating team in Hong Kong was excited. Since then, she has devoted almost all her energy to leading the team to training and preparing for the battle, trying to help the team members improve their level, but also finding a new goal for her life. "As a coach, you will have another kind of persistence, hoping that your players can stand on the Olympic field." Sun Dandan said.

In the early days of coaching, the biggest challenge Sun Dandan encountered was the lack of hardware conditions. Therefore, the team had to go to Jilin, Guangdong and other places to conduct ice training. Later, the Hong Kong short track speed skating team gradually had more training and participation opportunities.

Zhu Dingwen, who participated in the Winter Olympics this time, began to train in Hong Kong and Changchun from the age of 14. Although Zhu grew up in Hong Kong, his Mandarin is mixed with a Northeastern accent. For 8 years, he never gave up on his dreams, juggling training and reading. In Sun Dandan's eyes, Zhu Dingwen is a team member who is willing to endure hardships. "There have been a lot of difficulties in training over the years, but he has persevered. To be able to stand on the field of the Winter Olympics is a victory, especially for him. Sun Dandan said.

Zhu Dingwen often asked Sun Dandan the story of his conquest of the field. Sun Dandan also likes to tell him about his past experiences. "He is very interested in the development of China's short track speed skating team and envies that I can win glory for my country in the Olympic arena." Sun Dandan said. After determining that Zhu Dingwen would become a participant in the Winter Olympics, Hong Kong also set off a "skating fever". "Many parents have come to ask where they can practice skating. Everyone is very concerned and looking forward to the Winter Olympics. Sun Dandan said, "I hope that this competition can let more young people in Hong Kong understand short track speed skating." ”

On the evening of February 4, Zhu Dingwen experienced moments that made him both excited and nervous. He held the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and led the Delegation of Hong Kong, China into the National Stadium. Just a few tens of meters, it became an honorary moment worth remembering for a lifetime. "It's more nervous than participating," Sun Dandan said with a smile, "a few days before the opening ceremony, he had already begun to practice, afraid that he would not walk well and the flag would not look good." ”

"It is my honor to be the flag bearer of the delegation at the Winter Olympics held in my own country." Zhu Dingwen, who participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time, expressed his pride on social media. He also sent his thanks to the coach, "Without their support, I couldn't achieve my Olympic dream." ”

Author: Ji Fang, a reporter of this newspaper

Source: People's Daily