Beijing, 12 Feb (Xinhua) -- There is no surging blood soaring in the air and proud of the snowy mountains, no aesthetic dream of tiptoeing on ice and flying like a dragon, and no excitement of flying and snatching and fierce collisions -- what is the point of curling, which began to compete before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics and did not collect troops until the closing day of the Winter Olympics?
On February 2, the Beijing Winter Olympic Curling Mixed Doubles Round Robin Tournament kicked off at the Beijing National Aquatics Center "Ice Cube". Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jingyan
Before participating in the curling project report, I received some "condolences": "What is the point of curling?" "From morning to night, it's not interesting." "The elderly watched." Even Ling Zhi, a member of the Chinese mixed doubles curling team, said half-jokingly when recommending the mixed doubles event: "The mixed doubles game is good, the pace is fast, the score is big, and the audience is not guilty." The implication is that common four-a-side curling competitions take a long time and spectators may be "guilty."
Curling four-player matches, each with 10 innings and a duration of about 150 minutes, each round is a fierce game of wisdom and skill between the two sides. Watching curling is like watching a "chess game on ice" – no patience, no curling; no concentration, no understanding of curling. If you can devote yourself wholeheartedly, people in the innings, the heart must be fluctuating, see the rush will be hot enough to take off the down jacket.
According to existing historical records, curling originated in Scotland in the 16th century. Imagine a group of people in tweed plaid skirts skating stones on the ice to see who can beat the other person's stones away and stay in the base camp themselves. In the 19th century, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom became obsessed with curling during her visit to Perth, Scotland, and established the Royal Scots Curling Club, which became an "aristocratic sport".
On February 11, Xu Jingtao of the Chinese team played the pot against the Danish team. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cao Can
"Nobility" must first have grace. Athletes strictly adhere to the "spirit of curling", including "fighting for victory, but never belittling opponents" and "preferring to lose rather than win unfairly". The curling arena has the weakest sense of referee presence. There is only one situation in which I have seen the referee appear, that is, it is difficult for the naked eye to distinguish which pot is closer to the center of the circle, and the referee needs to measure it with a special large compass.
Every time they ask the winners in the mixed area how they see their victories, they often say that the opponent played very well, and they just took advantage of the opponent's mistakes; the losing side would say: It is a great honor to play against such a strong opponent.
All in all, a good curling player must first have high morality, both a sense of competition and the confidence to win the championship, but also to respect competitors, to win without arrogance, and not to lose.
In the Mixed Doubles duo, which passed the hurdles and won the gold medal with 11 consecutive wins, the female constituency Constantini played a more crucial role in winning the championship, and her coach evaluated her as "smart, emotionally stable and good character"; after the Chinese mixed doubles combination Ling Zhi/Fan Suyuan lost to the United States, they instead smiled and congratulated each other and gave each other small gifts.
On February 5, China's Fan Suyuan (second from left) and Ling Zhi (third from left) and American players Christopher Pulis (first from left) and Victoria Pensinger posed for a group photo after the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Jingyan
People who watch curling need to focus, and curlers need to focus. Every time I look closely into the eyes of a curling pitcher, I can't help but be drawn to it — single-minded, undistracted, and fully engaged in a state of "flow.". "I enjoy the game" – this phrase has been uttered countless times in various languages by players from all over the world in the mixed area, regardless of whether they win or lose.
As a result, watching curling often makes me feel "healed" – to forget about external pressures and to try to focus and enjoy the moment.
Focus comes from love, and love promotes focus. Jones, the legendary captain of the Canadian curling women's team, who came to the Olympic stage at the age of 47, said: "I love curling from the bottom of my heart, whether it's the sport itself or what it brings to me. Curling makes me feel forever young. As a result, she has more than thirty years of persistence and world-renowned achievements in this sport.
Injuries and age are not a problem for curlers. On the contrary, age gives curlers more experience and precipitation, allowing them to play more calmly. Han Yu, captain of the Chinese curling women's team, said: "We are unstable, this is the biggest problem for young teams, every game is an opportunity for us to learn, in the Olympic arena we are growing. ”
China's Han Yu (rear), Dong Ziqi (front left) and Wang Rui play against Denmark on Feb. 10. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter
Ma Xiuyue, the captain of the Chinese men's team, is a typical "self-precipitation in self-discipline". Many times, he dreamed of standing on the Olympic stage, so he insisted on practicing calligraphy, writing a diary, exercising, and regularly resting. In the precipitation, he became more excellent and tenacious, not only participating in the Olympic Games, but also as a captain.
Canadian men's team captain Gu Hugh won gold with a dazzling performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, when he was in his twenties "feeling that the world was at his fingertips and he was bound to win more Olympic gold medals". Unexpectedly, the next time I stand on the stage of the Winter Olympics will be 16 years later.
"16 years ago, I was impulsive, impatient, and more instinctive. Today, I am more calm and patient when curling, and I understand that standing on the Olympic stage is an honor in itself, not the end of the world without winning a gold medal. ”
Source: Xinhua News Agency