(Beijing Winter Olympics) What did the Olympic "elders" leave behind on the field?
Zhangjiakou, China News Service, February 12 Title: What did the Olympic "elders" leave behind on the field?
China News Service reporter Chen Lin wang yu
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, the "elders" who have participated in several Winter Olympic Games have frequently appeared on the newspaper network and are still the focus. After the First World War, some people "are difficult to give up, people are difficult to stay", turning the game into a "singing"; some people continue to "surpass the limit, surpass themselves" and fight for their dreams. Having just walked through the arena, what did they leave behind?
Left behind "old legends" and "new heritage"
Before the game, when the media reported on Canadian athlete Mark McMorris, he talked about the bronze medal in the previous two Winter Olympics, and often mentioned his inspirational story after being seriously injured. Nowadays, the idol in the heart of "little friend" Su Yiming will also be added.
After the men's slope steeplechase qualification, China's 17-year-old Su Yiming expressed his joy at competing with his idol. He thinks "it's a rare thing." After the final, Mark McMorris, who only won the bronze medal, took the initiative to hug Su Yiming, who had won the silver, and did not hesitate to praise him.
On February 7, the awarding ceremony of the men's steeplechase medal for snowboarding at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was held at the Zhangjiakou Awards Plaza. Canadian Max Parrott (center), runner-up China's Su Yiming (left), and Third-place Canadian Mark McMorris, the runner-up, are presented at the medal presentation ceremony. Photo by China News Service reporter Tomita
A few days later, Su Yiming had a new competition. In the post-match press conference, Mark McMorris praised Su Yiming several times and encouraged him to move forward. He believes that the future of "Su" is worth looking forward to, and even talks about the first time they met, "when he was a child."
Another field for snowboarding, the "handover" of new and old champions. After the jump, Japan's Hirano Bumon changed his silver medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to gold. Sean White, an American who won three Winter Olympic gold medals, failed to collect another medal in the closing battle. Four years ago on the same stage, Sean White won the championship in the last jump reversal, and Hirano Bumon was the runner-up.
At the end of the interview in the mixed mining area, the two legendary players who met embraced each other and blessed each other. Then, Sean White, who had walked out of the mixed zone, returned to the game and cried again to the sound of the camera shutter. Hirano Bumeng, the "Elder of the Three Dynasties", who came to the top of the dream, is still expressing his respect for the "Five Dynasties Elder" Sean White: from him to find the strength of the challenge, "he has been trying to break through himself." Having "taken over the baton", when thanking his predecessors for "pushing all athletes to strive forward", he is using his personal experience to interpret and inspire those who come after him to be the master of his own destiny.
On February 11, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Snowboarding Men's U-Shaped Track Skills Final was held at Zhangjiakou Genting Ski Park. American Sean White finished fourth and missed the medal. Photo by China News Service reporter Tomita
Left a "small regret" and a "big goal"
In order to break the "gold medal famine" of the Winter Olympics in freestyle skiing aerial skills, in the new event of mixed teams, the Chinese team, which was regarded as the favorite to win the championship before the competition, sent Xu Mengtao, Jia Zongyang and Qi Guangpu, three "four dynasty elders" of the Winter Olympics.
From the first round of the final to Jia Zongyang's mistake to be the runner-up, the three who aspired to win the gold were unwilling. When Jia Zongyang blamed himself for his mistake, they hugged each other tightly and cheered each other on.
"The three of us together are the Chinese team, and we must advance together and retreat together." Xu Mengtao said that a mistake will not prevent Jia Zongyang from "continuing to be excellent", nor will it prevent the Chinese air skills team from "continuing to bloom". Now you need to settle down immediately, summarize as soon as possible, and play your best in the back games. She also hopes to participate in the "Five Winter Olympics".
In the face of injuries and age troubles, Qi Guangpu, who has one less Olympic gold medal in the honor book, said that the three of them are veterans in the Chinese team, but they are not the oldest in the world. "As long as you have dreams, as long as you can persevere, age and injury are not a problem for us."
After the defeat of the gold medal, it was clearly stated that he would fight again in the Winter Olympics, and there was another "elder of the four dynasties" Liu Jiayu. She, who won the silver medal four years ago, said she would continue to fight for the gold medal.
Left behind "weak results" and also left "strong strength"
The Japanese celebrity HabuYuki, who was praised by commentators as "beautiful as jade, with a loose posture, a flying phoenix, and a graceful dragon", left not only the weakest" results of the three Winter Olympics, but also the powerful force released by insisting on challenging the limit.
As a gold medalist at the Sochi and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the first men's singles grand slam in the history of figure skating, Yusheng yuxin can be described as a rich experience in the competition. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, he has always been expected to become a "triple champion", and he did not fight for a medal. On the field, he persistently challenged the "Axel All Around Jump (4A)" and touched many people.
On February 10, in the men's singles free skating competition of figure skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics, although Japan's Yu yusuke failed to succeed in challenging Axel's four-way jump (4A), he completed the whole set of moves. At this point, Yusheng Yuxian ended all the matches at the Beijing Winter Olympics with a total score of 283.21 points. Photo by Cui Nan, a reporter from China News Service
This set of actions that are difficult for top athletes to successfully train every day, and no one has ever succeeded in the competition before. In the end, he lost the medal. The scene of gently touching the ice after the game is heart-wrenching and inspiring: he never stops pushing the limits, and even if he falls, he still wins respect.
Equally respected is the upcoming 50-year-old German legend Claudia Peschstein, even if she is the last to slide across the finish line.
From the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, she played eight games in the Winter Olympics and won the highest podium five times. Knowing that she has long passed the best age for competitive sports, she has been fighting.
On the field, no matter how fast or slow her results are, every time she skates, she is creating a "new history". Off the field, no matter what the outcome, every time she fights, she inspires more people. This may be the Olympic Games in the eyes of Coubertin, the "father of the modern Olympics"—participation is more important than winning. (End)