Image source: Gao Tingyu Weibo.
At the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, accompanied by the melody of "Singing the Motherland", the Chinese sports delegation entered with cheers. Gao Tingyu, one of the two flag bearers, walked at the front of the line.
On the evening of the 12th, in the men's 500-meter final of speed skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Gao Tingyu broke the Olympic record with a time of 34.32 seconds and won the gold medal.
It was the first Winter Olympic gold medal in Chinese men's speed skating. After the PyeongChang Winter Olympics four years ago, he once again stood on the podium of the Winter Olympics.
Maybe a few days ago, someone else would have been unfamiliar with the name. But on the speed skating track, Gao Tingyu has created his own world.
Ice and snow
Get involved with skating
Gao Tingyu was born on December 15, 1997 in Yichun, Heilongjiang Province. He started his skating career because of a pair of roller skates.
"When I first learned to skate, Tingyu didn't even have roller skates. But our neighbor had a kid with roller skates, so they played together all the time. Gao Tingyu's mother recalled.
Gao Tingyu, who has gradually grown up, shows a talent that is different from his peers in terms of hand and foot coordination, physical balance, and endurance. However, due to the fear that his child would be injured in sports, Gao Tingyu's parents did not want him to engage in professional sports training.
Skating made Gao Tingyu have a disagreement with his parents for the first time.
Start your skating journey
In the face of the sports he loves, Gao Tingyu did not choose to give up. The school had skating classes, and he was afraid that his parents would not agree, so he secretly signed up.
"When I first skated as a child, I fell in love with the feeling of being free on the ice, which was magical and specially enjoyed." Years later, Gao Tingyu recalled this.
In 2008, he was discovered by Enlightenment Coach Liu Deguang and taken to Mudanjiang City for professional training.
Since then, Gao Tingyu has embarked on his skating journey.
From the age of 10, he began to live a group life in school. While the other children were still adapting to the environment, Gao Tingyu had begun to insist on completing ice and physical training every day.
In 2011, Gao Tingyu was selected to join the Heilongjiang Provincial Speed Skating Team. His dream began to take root.
Shine brightly
This persistence, and the love of skating from the bottom of his heart, made Gao Tingyu stand out on the ice rink after day after day of hard training.
Five years after entering the provincial team, Gao Tingyu was selected for the national team with excellent results, thus taking a key step in his career.
In 2016
In October, in the men's 500m race of the National Speed Skating Championships, Gao Tingyu skated a time of 34.56 seconds, breaking the national youth record.
In 2017
In February, in the men's 500m race of speed skating at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Takato won the gold medal with a time of 34.69 seconds and broke the Asian record.
In December, in the men's 500m race at the Speed Skating World Cup in the United States, Gao Tingyu set a new personal best with a time of 34.34 seconds and set a new national record.
The picture shows Gao Tingyu in the game. Photo by Li Jun, a reporter from China News Network
Blockbuster
In 2018
When the time came to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Gao Tingyu ushered in the first highlight of his career.
At that time, he was only 20 years old.
In the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics speed skating men's 500m final, Gao Tingyu won the bronze medal with a time of 34.65 seconds, achieving a breakthrough of zero medals for Chinese men's men's speed skaters at the Winter Olympics.
Ten years of grinding a sword, a world war known.
2019-2020
Entering the new Olympic cycle, Gao Tingyu set new goals for himself, and he continued to march towards his dreams.
In November 2019, the current season of the ISU Speed Skating World Cup ended in Minsk, Belarus, and Gao Tingyu finished second in the men's 500m event with a time of 34.913 seconds.
In February 2020, in the men's team sprint of the 2020 World Single Speed Skating Championships, Gao Tingyu partnered with Ning Zhongyan and Wang Shiwei to help the Chinese team win the silver medal with a time of 1 minute 18.533 seconds.
In 2021
In September, in the China Cup Speed Skating Elite League, Gao Tingyu set a new national record for speed skating in the men's 500 meters with a time of 33.83 seconds.
In November, in the final of the men's 500m Group A of the Speed Skating World Cup in Poland, Gao Tingyu won the championship with a time of 34.26 seconds.
Perfect bloom
In 2022
From home to abroad, Gao Tingyu has proved himself in competitions many times. Rao is so, he is still humble as ever.
Gao Tingyu said that he has been constantly improving the technical details, not for a certain aspect, but to improve in an all-round way.
This self-discipline, from the day he entered the professional team, continues to this day.
Freezing three feet is not a day's cold, and success is not achieved overnight.
The picture shows Gao Tingyu celebrating after the game. Photo by Mao Jianjun, reporter of China News Service
As the standard-bearer of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics of the Chinese delegation, this is an affirmation of Gao Tingyu.
"Playing at home is an extremely exciting thing, and the identity of the flag bearer makes me more powerful." It's also a role I've always dreamed of. I will certainly live up to this trust and strive to show my best side on the field. ”
Gao Tingyu did what he said.
Standing on the Winter Olympics for the second time, Gao Tingyu won the gold medal of his dreams, and everything was the most beautiful.
At the age of 24, he is in his youth. The story of Gao Tingyu and speed skating is not to be continued. (Author Liu Xingchen Guo Ziyi)