"I fulfilled my wish, completed the 'last battle' in Beijing, and said goodbye where the dream began." After the semi-finals of the beijing Winter Olympics speed skating men's collective departure, in the mixed interview area, Zbignev Brodka, who ranked last and did not qualify for the final, gasped for breath while telling the Beijing Daily client reporter.
Beginning and end
In January 2004, at the age of 19, Brodka left continental Europe for the first time to beijing to compete in the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships. Brodka still has some clear memories of the "moment when the dream began" 18 years ago, "When I finished 18th in the 500 meters, I set a new personal best, everything in Beijing was beautiful, and I was the same at that time, this is where my dream began." ”
As Brodka says, he has since made history despite his knee injury to speed skating – at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Brodka came out on the 1500m to win Poland's first Winter Olympics speed skating gold medal. Four years later in Pyeongchang, although he was unable to defend his title due to his declining injury status, he served as the flag bearer of the Polish delegation for the first time and enjoyed this highest honor for athletes.
In 2019, Brodka, who was in a declining state, temporarily left the ice rink, and he and the Beijing Daily client reporter emphasized: "I just wanted to stop and then find a suitable time to say goodbye." The Beijing Winter Olympics could not be more appropriate, from the beginning to the end, my career has drawn a complete circle. ”
With this in mind, Brodka made a comeback in 2021 and eventually qualified for the Winter Olympics with a brilliant performance in the World Cup. At the opening ceremony on February 4, he once again enjoyed the supreme honor of leading the entire delegation with ski star Alexandra Krul holding the Polish flag, "Although it was the second time, I was still very excited, and I was in tears when I first entered the field." Brodka said.
Ice and fire
Outside of the ice rink, Brodka has another identity — since 2009, he has worked as a firefighter in his hometown of Vović, a town in central Poland, guarding a small town of less than 30,000 people with his muscular body.
"What a contrast between ice and fire." In the face of the Beijing Daily client reporter's sigh, Brodka said seriously: "Firefighter is my second ideal career after skaters, firefighter is one of the most noble and meaningful professions, because this job can save people, nothing is more important than human life." In fact, Brodka was able to realize his dream of saying goodbye to the Beijing Winter Olympics, and thanked his leaders and colleagues, "They let me temporarily go to a school to work and assist in fire prevention, I have a lot of time to train, I really want to thank everyone for their support." ”
Brodka told reporters that before coming to Beijing, he understood that he had no chance to stand on the podium of the Winter Olympics again, "but I came here to say goodbye, and I did my best to show myself again on the ice of the Olympic Games and on the ice of Beijing." Brodka said that although the final ranking was not ideal, the trip to Beijing still impressed him, "The epidemic prevention measures of the Beijing Winter Olympics are very good, our life in the Winter Olympic Village is also very good, and only China can hold such a successful Winter Olympics under the epidemic." ”
Brodka has two daughters, and the Beijing Daily client reporter asked him at the end of the interview whether he had bought an "ice pier" for them, and the 37-year-old veteran replied with a smile while sharing a "secret", "Of course I bought gifts for them, and in addition, I will have a third daughter soon!" ”