(Beijing Winter Olympics) "Ice Ribbon" witnessed breakthroughs, perseverance and changes
Beijing, February 19 (China News Service) -- On the 19th, as the women's collective starting athletes crossed the line, the speed skating competition of the Beijing Winter Olympics was completed. In this competition, the athletes broke a number of Olympic records, a world record, and some team achievements achieved historic breakthroughs. The Beijing Winter Olympics have also become a stage for some veterans to bid farewell. The Dutch dominance of speed skating is beginning to be challenged.
On February 19, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Speed Skating Women's Collective Departure Final was held at the National Speed Skating Hall "Ice Ribbon". Pictured is Chinese team player Li Qishi (No. 5) in the game. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Jun
breakthrough
Among the 14 sub-events of speed skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics, 10 of the champions won the championship with olympic records, one of which broke the world record, and some events broke the Winter Olympic record more than once during the competition. The National Speed Skating Hall "Ice Ribbon" has become one of the fastest plain ice rinks.
In addition to the breakthrough in the overall competition performance, some representative teams have also made historic breakthroughs in the speed skating arena of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Gao Tingyu won the gold medal in the men's 500m with a record-breaking winter Olympics, the first gold medal in the history of the Chinese delegation in the winter Olympics speed skating men's event and China's second winter Olympics speed skating gold medal.
Sweden's Van der Boul won the men's 5,000m and men's 10,000m events at the Winter Olympics, the first time Sweden has won a gold medal in speed skating at the Winter Olympics since 1988.
The picture shows Gao Tingyu celebrating the victory. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Jun
Hold
In the women's 1500 meters, facing the menacing Takagi Mifan, veteran Worcester won the championship with an Olympic record-breaking performance, becoming the 6 golden kings of the Winter Olympics.
She is the speed skater with the most Winter Olympic medals ever and has decided to retire after the World Championships in March this year, and the "Ice Ribbon" has witnessed her last wonderful performance at the Winter Olympics.
Kramer, another veteran who performed the "last dance" at the Beijing Winter Olympics, failed to stand on the podium in all three events. In the men's 5,000m race, he watched Van der Boul reach the top, and the title of "King of The Long Distance", considered by many, was handed over.
Although the performance of Worcester and Kramer, the two Dutch celebrities, has fluctuated in the Beijing Winter Olympic cycle, at the Beijing Winter Olympics, they all insisted on standing on the last shift.
Of course, Germany's Peschstein, who is about to celebrate her 50th birthday, is the "longest green tree" on the speed skating field, she is the winner of five winter Olympic gold medals, and the Beijing Winter Olympics is already her eighth time participating in the Winter Olympics.
Although he can no longer break records and win championships like he did when he was young, Peschstein still enjoys it. As for whether the next Winter Olympics will be attended, she said: "What will happen in 4 years? Let's talk about it later! ”
Change
The Dutch team is undoubtedly the biggest winner of the speed skating arena of the Beijing Winter Olympics, they have won a total of 6 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze, a total of 12 medals. Both the number of gold medals and the number of medals are far ahead of other teams.
But if you compare this achievement vertically, you will find that the dominance of the Dutch team has declined.
At the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Dutch team won 8 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze medals for a total of 24 medals, and at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the Dutch team won 8 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals for a total of 20 medals.
Before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the head of the Dutch delegation, Carl Verhain, had said that he hoped to catch up with the 20 medals of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics at the Beijing Winter Olympics. In the end, however, he failed to do so.
Judging from the distribution of speed skating gold medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics, in addition to the Netherlands, only Sweden won two gold medals, and Canada, Japan, Norway, the United States, Belgium and China all won one gold medal.
More and more countries have the strength to compete for the speed skating Winter Olympic gold medal, which is undoubtedly a challenge to the "one big family" situation in the Netherlands, and in the long run, the development trend of such a "hundred flowers" is likely to make the speed skating competition more attractive. (End)