Beijing, 11 Feb (Xinhua) -- In the men's curling four-man tournament at the Beijing Winter Olympics on the morning of February 11, the Chinese team defeated the Danish team and finally won a long-lost victory. Prior to this, China's curling team had not been able to taste victory since the mixed doubles team won two consecutive victories on February 2 and 3. Counting the men's and women's four-man matches that started on the 9th, the Chinese team has not won eight days and 11 games.
Chinese players Wang Zhiyu, Zou Qiang and Xu Jingtao (from left to right) play a men's curling round robin at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Feb. 11. Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xu photographed
After winning the "opening red" for the Chinese team, many people came to ask whether the Chinese curling team had a chance to win medals in this Winter Olympics. I thought to myself, if I had read the curling project preview written by a senior curling journalist, I would not have asked such a question. The forward lookout reads: The three curling gold medals of the Beijing Winter Olympics are still difficult to leave the hands of European and American powerhouses, and the Chinese team may have the opportunity to "pull down" the strong team in individual games.
But I didn't expect that the next victory after the 3rd would have to wait so long.
In the game on the 10th, first the men's team in the afternoon against the Russian Olympic Committee team, in the case of winning tickets in hand, there were several consecutive mistakes to bury the good game; in the last game of the women's team and the Swiss team in the evening, the "post-00s" squad leader Han Yu made a low-level mistake that violated the rules, missing the opportunity to turn defeat into victory.
Ma Xiuyue (third from left) from China at the Men's Curling Round Robin at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 10. Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xu photographed
In the mixed mining area these days, reporters are a little cautious. There are many young members of the Chinese curling team, and everyone can't bear to see the team members frustrated and blame themselves, and they can't bear to see the female team members choking.
Compared with mistakes, the Chinese team's fighting and friendly spirit on the field is more impressive. Whether it is the courage to fight against the strong teams in Europe and the United States, or the commemorative badge of the Winter Olympics to the American mixed doubles group after losing the game, it is unforgettable.
Off the field, the friendship between the Chinese players was equally moving. After the defeat in the last match of the mixed doubles, Fan Suyuan was in a depressed mood in the mixed picking area, and Ling Zhi kept rubbing his shoulders to comfort his teammates: "Two people on the field are one person, and her mistake is my mistake." ”
Chinese players Ling Zhi (left) and Fan Suyuan play a mixed doubles round robin tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 7. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Xiaobang
In the four-man game, the importance of the captain is even more prominent. Ma Xiuyue said that as a captain, to be responsible for the team, he will communicate well with each team member, do things to consider the feelings of others, only do not argue, share, in order to make the team more united.
With a responsible captain, the team members will naturally support and understand. Ma Xiuyue made a big mistake in the ninth inning of the match against Denmark, "At that time, I felt very sorry for my teammates, they gave me a lot of encouragement, such as 'this ball did not succeed and the next ball, the next ball did not succeed and the next round, don't worry'. Ma Xiuyue said.
Of the 12 members of the Chinese curling men's and women's teams plus mixed doubles, only two have participated in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and the experience in international competitions is generally insufficient. Although due to the epidemic prevention and control, there were only a few hundred spectators sitting on one side of the audience, but they were the most loyal supporters of the Chinese team.
"I haven't felt it before, and it feels great to hear everyone cheering on the spot." Ma Xiuyue said. A curling game lasts for two hours, and no matter whether the Chinese team plays a beautiful match or makes a mistake, the audience will respond with warm applause.
After the victory of the game on the 11th, the men's team members walked through the mixed mining area one after another. As in the past few games, Zou Qiang and Xu Jingtao were still shyly carrying bags and hurriedly walking by with ice brushes, while Wang Zhiyu and Ma Xiuyue stopped to accept interviews under the greeting of reporters. Only this time, there was finally a smile on their faces.
Editors: Ding Wenxian, Huang Xuguo, Zhou Xin, Wang Shuqing (Intern)