At the National Alpine Ski Center on Feb. 13, staff maintain the trail marking line. Photo by Yi Xiao, a reporter of this newspaper
Overlooking the National Bobsleigh Center "Snow Safari Dragon". Photo by He Yong, a reporter of this newspaper
Fast and furious ignite the snow and ice, and cheers and shouts echo through the mountains. With the Beijing Winter Olympics, the National Snowmobile Bobsleigh Center "Snow Tour Dragon" located in Xiaohaituoshan, Yanqing Racing District, ushered in a highlight moment. Bobsleighs, bobsleighs, steel frame snowmobiles, the 10 gold medals in these events, will all be produced on this 1975-meter track.
Behind the scenes of the passionate race, the voices that support the smooth operation of the race echoed: "There is no problem with the ice surface", "Everything is normal", "The track is ready"... Event support staff are participating in and enjoying the Winter Olympics in a special way.
Song Chunjie, director of the tower control room——
"Every game is a huge test"
Imagine a top speed of more than 100 kilometers per hour, no steering wheel, no seat belts, no brakes, lying on your back, not only unable to see the road ahead, but also subjected to a strong centrifugal force when cornering - this is the sled. In "Snow Dragon", pressing the departure button for this "brave game" is Song Chunjie, the director of the tower control room, a girl born in 1993.
In the tower control room known as the "Snow Dragon" eye, a row of monitors seamlessly covers the entire track, one green and one red, two buttons, which are the "starting gun" and the pause button of the race. "After each athlete finishes taxiing, the track is determined immediately, and within two minutes, the decision is made whether to continue, and the broadcast is in Chinese and English." Song Chunjie introduced that in case of emergencies, the tower should also notify the staff of the medical rescue and other related teams in time to deal with it at the first time and resume the game as soon as possible.
"Every game is a huge test." Song Chunjie said, "Compared with the speed and passion on the field, we emphasize more on composure and calmness. ”
"The track is ready, Fan Duoyao is ready to go!" On the evening of February 5, when Fan Duoyao, a Chinese bobsleigh player, appeared on the scene, the audience felt that the tone of the command issued from the tower seemed to be much higher. Song Chunjie, who was staring at the monitor, silently cheered for this player in his heart.
"The first gold medal of the National Bobsleigh Center is born! Competitive sports always bring tears to people's eyes. "On the evening of February 6, after the bobsleigh men's single event, Song Chunjie posted such a dynamic on social software, showing the winning moment of German athlete Johannes Ludwig." Their story is the best interpretation of the Olympic spirit, and every athlete who lands on the 'Snow Dragon' track is amazing. Song Chunjie said.
Operation Supervisor Sun Yue——
"The ice surface should be as smooth as a baby's skin"
Putting on the steel helmet and stepping on the spike shoes, Yan Wengang grabbed the handrail and started, pushing the steel frame along the ice rail to obtain the maximum initial speed, and then jumped into the snowmobile, sliding straight ahead, and rushed through more than a dozen curves...
On February 11, the last two rounds of the men's steel frame snowmobile were staged on the "Snow Dragon" track.
At the same time, a team of 20 ice masters guarded and stared at the ice surface; at the end of a round of skating, sprinkling water to repair the ice to clean the track, working in both directions at the same time, all completed within 15 minutes.
In the end, Yan Wengang stood on the podium and won the first Olympic medal of China's steel frame snowmobile. And after the athletes leave the field at the end of the game, the more thorough ice inspection and repair has just begun...
Known as "Snow F1" (Formula One World Championship for short " F1 " ) , bobsleigh bobsleigh speeds at a top speed of more than 100 km/h on the track. The basis for achieving this speed is the high-quality track.
"Depending on the area, the ice thickness of the track varies from 3 to 5 centimeters." Sun Yue, head of operation of the National Bobsleigh Center and from MCC Shanghai Baoye Group, a subsidiary of China Minmetals, said, "The ice surface should be as smooth as a baby's skin, which is not only related to the performance of athletes, but also related to their safety. ”
"The sled is lying down, the snowmobile is sitting in the car, and the steel frame snowmobile is lying on the stomach." For more than 4 years, from stadium builder to track ice maker, Li Kaishun from Xiangyang, Hubei Province, is familiar with bobsleigh projects.
According to the schedule, the toboggan bobsleigh program of the Beijing Winter Olympics will be held in the evening, and training will be arranged during the day. In order to ensure the smooth progress of the race and training, the maintenance work of the track generally starts at 5 o'clock in the morning and cannot be completed until about 00 o'clock at night.
"The temperature on the track is basically minus ten degrees Celsius, and it will be lower at night." Li Kaishun said that carrying about 50 pounds of equipment, everyone will sweat when they work, "the ice ballast formed by sweat dripping, we will clean it every time, and the work must be rigorous and meticulous." ”
The satisfaction of the athletes and the affirmation of the professionals are the best recognition of Li Kaishun. "The National Bobsleigh Centre is an amazing venue and an exceptionally valuable gift for the development of bobsleigh sports." Ernas Fergus, president of the International Bobsleigh Federation, said.
Security Manager Wu Yueyun——
"To protect the 'Snow Dragon' is to share the Winter Olympics"
Who is most familiar with the environment of the Snow Dragon? Wu Yueyun can count. Light poles, elevators, manhole covers, power distribution rooms... He knew almost all the key parts. From the police stationed in Xiaohaituoshan to the security manager of "Snow Tour Dragon", Wu Yueyun, a police officer of the Yanqing Branch of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, wrote tenacity and temperature in the 5 major Winter Olympic diaries.
Another sleepless night. Wu Yueyun's eyes were full of blood, and at 7:30 in the morning, the two packages in the surveillance screen finally welcomed its owner. The night before the opening of the Winter Olympics, after the training of a foreign athlete, two packages containing equipment were left in the "Snow Dragon" departure area. Considering that the epidemic prevention personnel have returned to the station and cannot move the package hastily, Wu Yueyun decided to keep the package in place, "When this foreign athlete got the package, although we did not understand the language, I saw that he had been smiling and greeting me, and I laughed with it." ”
Enter people, cars, equipment, verification, verification, safety... As the first level of the "Snow Dragon" support work, Wu Yueyun's work is trivial and complicated, and there are more than 10 listed. "Can't be afraid of trouble, let alone make mistakes, the key is to have a temperature, we represent not only individuals."
Snowflakes fluttered on Xiaohaituo Mountain, and Wu Yueyun brushed the snowflakes on his hair and said, "For me, guarding the 'Snow Dragon' is to share the Winter Olympics." ”
"There are many guardians of the 'Snow Dragon', medical care, communication support, reception services..." Wu Yueyun wrote in his diary: "When we are old and can't walk on the day, I remember that we have also made contributions to the world-renowned Winter Olympics, and athletes from all over the world have left their smiles and thanks in Beijing." This life, it's worth it!"
People's Daily ( 2022-02-14 14th edition)