On the morning of February 15, the Women's Double Bobsleigh of the Beijing Winter Olympics will start the first two rounds of trial skating at the National Bobsleigh Bobsleigh Center "Snow Dragon". American Kelly Humphreys just won the first women's singles snowmobile gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics with a total time of 4:19.27 a day earlier. Appear in the doubles arena with your teammates today.
Before coming to Beijing, the well-deserved "queen" of the snowmobile was already the most prominent female athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics. Not only did she win two gold medals in women's double bobsleigh at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, but she also won the bronze medal in the event at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and won the World Championships five times. Of the 54 World Cup medals it has won, 27 are gold medals.
This time, she set up a domineering control field in the women's single competition for the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics, establishing a huge lead from the first round and ending the monopoly of German players on the gold medal on the "Snow Dragon" track. In the eyes of this personality player, the women's double snowmobile gold medal produced on the 19th, she also had to "book" in advance.
She said after winning the gold that she wouldn't surprise herself by winning easily with a huge margin of 1.54 seconds. "Because that's the way I play, there may be players who like to compete fiercely, but I'm going to do my best in every round of skating, going as far ahead as possible because it makes me feel comforted and excited. The last departure means you have to do better than the people in front of you, and the results of your opponents make you have to push your limits. ”
The women's singles snowmobile was a new sport added to the Winter Olympics, making Humphreys the first athlete in history to win a gold medal in the event. "The progress of female athletes to be able to monopolize two events is huge. I still vividly remember that at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Jill Bakken and Valletta Ferlaus of the United States won gold medals in the women's double bobsleigh, the only women's snowmobile event at that Winter Olympics. I hope that in the future, young girls will remember today, remember my achievements, and then get involved... The next step may be a women's four-person snowmobile. Of course, I would also like to see men's single snowmobiles, and finally men and women can have all 3 events. Humphreys said.
Next, she will play with her teammates in the women's double bobsleigh race. Looking ahead to the doubles competition, Humphreys said: "This is a new challenge for me, but it is also a great opportunity to win a second gold medal and I am very excited. At the same time, I will remain strong and courageous because no one knows the final result. I need to put one foot in front of the other, take every step well, do my best, and pray for good luck. ”
Over the past decade, Humphreys has been associated with the record and history of many women's snowmobiling, and her courage and aggressiveness have led her from one success to another. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Humphreys competed as a substitute brakeman, but did not get a chance to play. After returning home, she decided decisively to become a more autonomous helmsman (navigator).
"Everyone was saying it would take 8 to 10 years to develop a good snowmobile helmsman. I have only been involved in this project for 4 years, and my qualifications are still shallow. I was just a nobody, but I felt like I could try to take on the challenge. In my daily training sessions, I tell myself to do my best and be happy. When I saw myself being stronger every day than the day before, I knew that my chance had come. Four years later in Vancouver, I won the gold medal as a helmsman. ”
At the 2021 Bobsleigh World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, Humphreys won two gold medals in women's singles and women's doubles, setting a new world championship hardware record. She has previously won this award in 2012, 2013 and 2020. Henfres attributes such a brilliant achievement to focus, saying: "It's important to put all your energy into attention to detail and the pursuit of perfection. ”
Of course, every athlete's path to success will not be smooth. Humphreys was previously the number one player in the Canadian Snow Team, winning two Olympic gold medals for the country during her 15-year spell with the Canadian Snow Team. However, due to conflicts with the coach, she accused the other party of mental abuse and chose to withdraw from the team after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. At the beginning of the season, she successfully switched memberships and qualified to represent the United States in international competitions.
Before coming to Beijing for the Winter Olympics, Humphreys set her sights on the gold medal, and she wanted to prove with victory that the 36-year-old was still the king of women's snowmobiles.
Source Beijing Daily client | Reporters Wang Yang and Guan Xin
Edited by Hu Decheng
Process Editor Liu Weili