The Paper's reporter Song Chengliang
Four years ago, at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Peng Cheng and Jin Yang had just "held hands" for the second season. They made major mistakes in the short show, only ranking 17th, and did not have the opportunity to skate freely.
This was the worst result of Chinese pair skating at the Winter Olympics, and Peng Cheng cried after the game...
Four years later, in the Figure Skating Pairs Short Program Competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics, China's Peng Cheng/Jin Yang scored 76.10 points with a steady performance, ranking fifth in the short program, and successfully advanced to free skating.
In the final on the evening of the 19th, Peng Cheng/Jin Yang scored 214.84 points, which was also the highest score of their free skating season.
Swap partners
In the short program competition, Peng Cheng/Jin Yang performed a song "Piano and Me", which combines classical and modern styles, adding hip hop elements to classical music, which is a very personal style.
Peng Cheng believed after the game that in fact, at the beginning, many people did not recognize this style, including coaches, many people thought that they needed to change the program, it was their own persistence that allowed this set of programs to be finally presented, and the results were also very satisfactory.
Jin Yang said that although some of the actions were not as complete as in the previous Grand Prix Italy, the overall performance was at an ideal level.
At last November's Italian Grand Prix, Sui Wenjing/Han Cong won the championship and Peng Cheng/Jin Yang won the silver medal, and before the Start of the Winter Olympics, the two were finally out of shape.
But when it comes to Peng Cheng/Jin Yang's partner, there are still some surprises.
Turning the clock back to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Peng Cheng, who performed on the Olympic stage for the first time, was a young 16-year-old girl. She and Zhang Hao teamed up to get eighth place.
While people were speculating about whether they would be able to take it to the next level in the Winter Olympics four years later, the Chinese figure skating team made a bold decision in 2016 - Peng Cheng/Zhang Hao and Yu Xiaoyu/Jin Yang swap partners, and Peng Cheng began to partner with Jin Yang.
Although it is not uncommon among figure skating pair skaters, most of the players change partners in their youth and then change partners. Changing after adulthood is tantamount to starting from scratch for the players:
Both players need a long process to grind together, both in terms of technical movements and temperament.
When the heart sinks, there will be roots under the feet
At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the two paid tuition.
"There will definitely be some regrets, because we have been training in the early stage for about six weeks, just for the Olympic Games, there are some regrets." Eight months after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Peng Cheng cut his hair into a neat short hair.
When others asked her if she meant to cut her ambition, she did not answer positively, "That is, to tell herself that the main thing is to sink the heart, and only when the heart sinks, there will be roots under the feet." ”
Since then, the two have constantly challenged the style of the program every season, and each set of programs has made people shine.
Peng Cheng said, "We still want to choose something different, get out of our own comfort zone, get out of our own good at things, and create something that we haven't tried." ”
Not only did they win the 2019-2020 Grand Prix in the United States, but they also made it to the finals in Turin, Italy. But when Jin Yang arrived in Turin, the box was lost by the airline, and he didn't get his skates until the day before the race.
In the end, the two withstood both psychological and technical pressures and won the runner-up of the Grand Prix Finals – they have learned to face difficulties peacefully.
As you grow, your mindset gets better and better
Although the epidemic has disrupted the rhythm of the international sports world since the beginning of 2020, it has not shaken the confidence of Peng Cheng/Jin Yang in preparing for the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Sanya intensive training, hard training physical fitness, through video and coach communication to arrange new programs... Peng Chengjin yang advanced methodically according to the plan at each node.
On the single jump, instead of seeking stability and choosing a two-week jump, you bravely challenge the more difficult three-week jump. In training, they repeatedly threw jumps and jumps again and again, just to show their best selves in the Olympic arena.
"As a host athlete attending the Winter Olympics on your doorstep, it's a feeling that will be unforgettable for a lifetime." Peng Cheng said that he originally thought that the pressure of home combat would be great, but as he grew, his mentality became better and better.
"The regrets of the first two sessions are both motivation and experience. I hope to give the best performance at the Beijing Winter Olympics, just like we expressed in the free skating music - to repay love with everything. ”
Jin Yang has also stepped on the Winter Olympics for the second time, and the shouts of the home audience have made him more confident.
"We are working hard step by step, and every footprint is full of our sweat, the team's hard work and full of memories. These are the sources of my energy and self-confidence. Jin Yang said.
"Our goal is to maximize our energy, live up to our daily efforts, and show our best selves." We have heard everyone cheering us on, a feeling we have not experienced in a long time. ”
Editor-in-Charge: Ascendas