"The body is wrapped in iron and launched like a rocket." After learning about the steel frame snowmobile for the first time, Zhu Haifeng has been deeply attracted by this exciting sport. Despite his parents' strong opposition for safety reasons, Zhu Haifeng decided to break into unfamiliar territory.
During the training, Zhu Haifeng prepared to glide at the starting point. Courtesy of respondents
Wen 丨 Beijing News reporter Xian Yunzhen
Edited by 丨Yuan Guoli
Proofreading 丨 Liu Jun
On the evening of February 11, in the final of the steel frame snowmobile at the Beijing Winter Olympics, mainland athlete Yan Wengang won a bronze medal, which refreshed the best result of the Chinese team in the steel frame snowmobile event.
Zhu Haifeng also watched his teammates' matches in front of the TV. His fists clenched, his eyes not leaving the screen for a moment, watching his teammates accelerate from running to smoothly glide through every bend. "Yes!" Zhu Haifeng clapped his hands and jumped up from the sofa, and then, he posted his mood at this moment in the circle of friends, "You can always believe in the Chinese steel frame snow team!" ”
In 2015, after the establishment of the China Steel Frame Snow Team, it began to select talents across the country. Zhu Haifeng, who was 20 years old at the time, crossed the team as a long jumper. After a long and arduous training, he began to emerge, and Zhu Haifeng has achieved many good results in international competitions such as the International Snowmobile Federation (IBSF) North American Cup and the 2021-2022 Steel Frame Snowmobile European Championship Lillehammer.
Luck did not stand on Zhu Haifeng's side. During a training session in late 2021, he was injured in a rollover and ten steel nails were "retained" on his collarbone for a long time. Missing out on the qualification tournament, he had to accept the reality of not being able to win the Winter Olympics, and could only be a spectator and cheer for his teammates.
The steel frame snowmobile is a way for Zhu Haifeng to gain a sense of self-confidence. From the 30-second gallop start to the extreme speed of the slide, all the noise is suspended, and every inch of the skin of the body is completely relaxed in "Fast and Furious". In the story of Zhu Haifeng's "flying close to the ground", there are failures and injuries, but he is still eager to stand on the highest podium. Insisting on it or giving up, Zhu Haifeng chose without hesitation.
"Crossover" players
At 8 p.m. on February 14, Zhu Haifeng had just finished recording a sports program and returned to his hotel. He sat on the couch in a clean white shirt. Under the incandescent lamp, the edges and corners of the face are more distinct, and the charcoal black eyebrows have a pair of single eyelids, which looks spiritual and sunny.
During the Winter Olympics, in addition to a few event commentary invitations, Zhu Haifeng is spending a special vacation brought about by injury. "I used to complain that it was rare to rest, but I was idle all of a sudden." Zhu Haifeng grinned and teased.
Zhu Haifeng, born in 1998, has been joining the China Steel Frame Snow Racing Team for nearly five years.
In October 2015, after the establishment of the China Steel Frame Snow Team, in order to prepare for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the State General Administration of Sport selected talents nationwide.
In a provincial long jump competition, Zhu Haifeng, who was 19 years old at the time, jumped and landed perfectly, allowing the coach in charge of selection to discover his potential at a glance.
In the race, Zhu Haifeng wore a red battle robe and slid at great speed on the track. Courtesy of respondents
Jia Xinli, an enlightenment coach, recalled that Zhu Haifeng began practicing long jump when he was in junior high school in Hebei, and then entered the Beijing Xiannongtan Sports School. In 2017, Zhu Haifeng was admitted to Beijing Sport University as he wished. "The long jump has been good, although it doesn't look particularly strong, but the body lines are excellent, and the speed and explosiveness are outstanding."
Referring to his sports talent, Zhu Haifeng scratched his head, a little embarrassed, "When I was a child, I couldn't sit still and my academic performance was not very good, so I could only concentrate on practicing sports." As he spoke, his cheeks flushed, revealing a little shyness.
In his mother's impression, Zhu Haifeng likes to bounce around since he was a child, and he is naughtier and bolder than other children. His mother sent him to sports school with the original intention of having a restraint on him and ensuring his safety. When Zhu Haifeng entered the primary team, the steel frame snowmobile was still a relatively unpopular sport in China. "We strongly disagreed at the time, and the project looked too dangerous."
According to the data, the steel frame snowmobile originated in the late 19th century and was favored in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and other countries. In 1928, the second Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and with the approval of the International Olympic Committee, steel-framed snowmobiles were included in the Winter Olympic Games, and have since been cancelled several times. It was not until the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City that it was widely accepted and was selected as an official event of the Winter Olympics for 6 consecutive years.
The main component of the steel frame snowmobile is a stainless steel plate, the bottom is made of a lead-block weighted skeleton and two fixed tubular steel blades, and the upper body has a handle for the athlete to grasp. Since there is no steering and brake on the snowmobile, the start mainly relies on the athlete to accelerate, and then jump into the car to lie prone and slide, reaching a maximum speed of 130 kilometers per hour. The standard track is between 1200 and 1650 meters long, with a drop of around 100 meters, and is still ranked as one of the most dangerous sports.
The start of the long jump is similar to the starting height of the steel-framed snowmobile, requiring the athlete to have excellent lower limb explosiveness. Therefore, Zhu Haifeng, as a reserve talent for the Beijing Winter Olympics, stood out from thousands of players after layers of rigorous selection and trial training, became one of the 8 members of the new national team, and became a teammate with the famous track and field player Zhang Peimeng.
The first training stop after entering the national team was held in Shanghai. Improving physical fitness, practicing running, in the first six months of entering the steel frame snowmobile, Zhu Haifeng did not realize the difficulty of this sport. In his opinion, in addition to the increase in training intensity a lot, there is not much difference from when practicing long jump in the Xiannongtan Sports School in the past.
Sun Fan, the leader of the China Steel Frame Snow Team, said, "The first 30 meters of the boost are very important. The initial project of summer training is to improve the ability of athletes in the starting stage, because this is the only source of power for steel frame snowmobiles, which is highly correlated with the final results. ”
At this time, Zhu Haifeng did not know that the most difficult challenge had not really arrived.
0.01 seconds gap
In 2018, after the end of the six-month land training period, the Chinese steel frame snow team set off for Canada for practical training on the ice track.
Swooping down from the starting point, the man lies on the snowmobile, connecting the body with a saddle. There are no protective measures other than helmets and training clothes. Overcoming the fear in his heart was the first hurdle that Zhu Haifeng needed to overcome.
Standing at the highest point of the track, the winding track and height made Zhu Haifeng shudder. "That track has 15 turns, and looking at the Germans training in front of them is particularly strong, 'uh-huh' goes down. At that time, I was really scared and did not dare to go down at all. Zhu Haifeng still remembers the scene of the first practical training.
On the starting line of the track, Zhu Haifeng is preparing to help accelerate. Courtesy of respondents
Zhu Haifeng recalled that for the first time, he started training from the middle of the track in Turn 6.
Goals and dreams are on the other side of fear. After experiencing several times of tension and fear, Zhu Haifeng gradually tried to start from a higher starting point. "In fact, we are all ordinary people, after all, the steel frame snowmobile needs to slide on the ground, which is the most difficult, a little careless, accidents may occur at any time."
It is also this "fear" that pushes Zhu Haifeng forward. In his opinion, the attraction of the steel frame snowmobile is that although it has bumped and failed again and again, every time he completes a taxi, he feels a new force. "The sport is definitely exciting, bumping behind the back, there's a kind of excitement that stimulates the brain." Zhu Haifeng likes to challenge himself and enjoys his desire for ice and snow.
After that, the challenge of speed began.
Steel frame snowmobiling is a racing sport, one car and one person, in the race, there are no other players, it is faster than anyone. Athletes rely on the regulation and control of their bodies to smoothly slide through one corner after another. It's more like a process of constantly competing with yourself again and again.
After really starting the track training, Zhu Haifeng realized the gap between himself and the international high-level professional players, and it was this gap that really stimulated Zhu Haifeng's fighting spirit.
Since then, in addition to training with the team every day, Zhu Haifeng will also take the initiative to ask the coach for guidance and practice. He would jot down problems in his daily training and even go back and forth at night when he went to bed thinking about why things went wrong.
Zhu Haifeng's training schedule is always tight and repetitive. As long as the physical condition allows, stay at least 10 hours a day in the training ground. Zhu Haifeng feels that if you want to reach the top level in competitive sports, it is obviously not enough to rely on full enthusiasm, but also need to practice every detail to the extreme, "After realizing the gap, my brain is only training." ”
Zhu Haifeng also found a large number of books and materials, searched for professional human knowledge, and studied how to slow down his heartbeat through scientific methods in a state of extreme speed. "In fact, one way to increase speed is to not hit a wall and other mistakes in the taxi, followed by controlling the center of gravity and maintaining balance, even if it is a gap of 0.01 seconds, which is crucial."
The training process was undoubtedly arduous, but the hard work made his results improve by leaps and bounds.
Park City, Utah, USA, December 11, 2019– The third leg of the International Snowmobile Federation (IBSF) North American Cup Steel Frame Bobsleigh Race. "The track is ready, the athletes are ready." Zhu Haifeng, who was standing at the starting point, held his breath, silently reciting the action essentials repeatedly instructed by the coach over and over again, trying to shield the noisy environment outside.
The order slogan sounded, and Zhu Haifeng "whizzed" out. For the next minute, Zhu Haifeng concentrated on pressing down the center of gravity of his body, observing the situation on the track, moving his head to control the direction, while using his toes to touch the ice surface to control the body steering.
First place! Zhu Haifeng successfully crossed the finish line, and his teammates and coaches on the sidelines erupted in applause. Witnessing Zhu Haifeng's performance, the coach and leader of the Chinese Steel Frame Snow Team could not hide his excitement, "His achievements are not only related to hard training, zero error rate and cornering technique are the key to victory." Sun Fan said.
Zhu Haifeng stood on the world-class podium for the first time, which was his highlight moment. For a young general who has just started, everything comes so suddenly.
After the game, Zhu Haifeng said more than once, "Although the initial victory was won, it was still far from the goal. ”
On December 11, 2019, zhu Haifeng (the middle of the back row) won the first place in the Park City, Utah, USA. Courtesy of respondents
"I couldn't help but cry when I saw the bus on the road"
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is approaching day by day, and in addition to participating in the world-class points competition, the knockout rounds within the team have begun again.
According to the relevant competition regulations, athletes of snowmobiles and steel frame snowmobiles need to achieve the corresponding points in order to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games. In the Chinese national steel frame snow team, the last place elimination system is adopted, and the team members may be eliminated at any time.
Every time he sent away a teammate, Zhu Haifeng was always immersed in sadness. In the most conspicuous position in the training ground, a large red poster was posted: "The more difficult and dangerous, the more forward, make up for the shortcomings more solidly, lay a more solid foundation, and only fight for the day."
During that time, the sense of crisis of being eliminated always followed Zhu Haifeng. It was a painful period of time for Zhu Haifeng, and he pondered some questions over and over again: "How can I make more progress, will I be eliminated, and what if I am eliminated?" There is no clear answer to these questions, he can only digest them himself, and use training to calm the anxiety in his heart.
Zhu Haifeng spent a long time adjusting his mentality. He felt that he was late in getting started, and if he wanted to keep up with the team and reach the international high standard, he could only make more efforts than others.
Zhu Haifeng is eager to improve and eager to enter the lineup of the Winter Olympics.
February 19, 2022, Beijing, 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics four-person snowmobile rounds 1 and 2. Photo/IC Photo
Coach Jia Xinli always pays attention to the latest situation of the apprentice. He remembered that during a tense preparation period, Zhu Haifeng only had a few days of family leave. In order not to let himself relax, he resolutely returned to the provincial team to practice. Jia Xinli was a little surprised by Zhu Haifeng's changes, and the apprentices who had been a bit naughty in the past had actually become mature in a short period of time.
The life of a professional athlete is simple and boring. Many times, Zhu Haifeng needs to repeat the practice over and over again, starting early training at 5:30 in the morning, and after a short lunch break, a new round of training begins. And so on, year after year.
After the summer 2021 training camp, Zhu Haifeng was given a 3-hour opportunity to go out, which was the first time in a year that he walked out of the training base.
"I couldn't help but cry when I saw the bus driving past on the road. It's not an exaggeration, it's a feeling that no one else can appreciate. In the long training, Zhu Haifeng will occasionally be impatient, but for professional athletes, it is not only necessary to survive the hardships of training, but also to endure loneliness and loneliness.
In November 2021, in the 2021-2022 Steel Frame Snowmobile World Cup, Geng Wenqiang, a member of the Chinese Steel Frame Snow Racing Team, won the men's championship, which is China's first Steel Frame Snowmobile World Cup championship. The victory of his teammates has further strengthened Zhu Haifeng's belief in persevering, "I also want to represent China." ”
The arduous and long accumulation of the past 5 years is to prepare for that moment: the steel frame snowmobile national team has a common goal, that is, to stand on the highest podium of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Zhu Haifeng was also once considered a "chance" seed player in the industry, and he hopes to give it a go at the Winter Olympics.
After the injury
For athletes, it takes not only outstanding personal talent and strong willpower, but also luck.
In January 2022, 35 days before the opening of the Winter Olympics, "misfortune" occurred. During the training trip to Germany, Zhu Haifeng suddenly overturned, the snowmobile was instantly detached, and the whole person was thrown to the roof of the shed, and then fell heavily into the track.
Zhu Haifeng fainted on the spot, and when he became conscious again, he was already in the ambulance to the hospital. According to the hospital's diagnosis, the high fall caused Zhu Haifeng's clavicle crushing fracture, and ten steel nails were forever "sealed" in his body.
Because of the injury, Zhu Haifeng disappeared from the training ground for some days. But after only two weeks of rehabilitation after the operation, Zhu Haifeng returned to the training team again.
At that time, Zhu Haifeng had an idea, "No matter how painful it is, you have to hold on." "That's the support left to him by years of training. At this time, parents 7500 kilometers away did not know the news of their son's injury.
But after retraining, Zhu Haifeng's injuries recurred, and the bones in his shoulder hurt when they were good. After a week, the arm can not be strengthened, and it is impossible to make large movements. After going to the hospital for a review, the doctor suspected that there was a displacement inside Zhu Haifeng's collarbone, and the high-intensity training was forced to be stopped.
After the results of the examination came out, the news of the injury could no longer be hidden. In the video call, Zhu Haifeng said to his mother: "Mom, you see I am still alive, now I am fine, usually I am tired of training, this time I should rest." Then, laughing, ended the call.
My son's love for steel-framed snowmobiles is sometimes not fully understood by his mother. After Zhu Haifeng was injured, her mother's heart was always hanging. Talking about the pain of his son's illness, tears filled his eyes.
Because he needed to stay in Germany for medical treatment, Zhu Haifeng eventually missed the qualification for the Winter Olympics. That night, Zhu Haifeng lay in bed, constantly looking at the pictures of previous games on his mobile phone, and did not sleep all night.
Zhu Haifeng (fourth from left) with his teammates. Courtesy of respondents
In an interview with the Beijing News reporter, Zhu Haifeng mentioned "impermanence" many times. He said the biggest challenge that professional athletes need to face is to fight time. For a professional athlete, the Olympics are a four-year cycle, and in their sporting careers, there are not many four years, and no one knows what will happen in the next four years. "It's too hard to accept to miss."
Wang Bing was a good friend of Zhu Haifeng when he was at xiannongtan sports school. After learning that Zhu Haifeng was injured, Wang Bing kept reassuring him that he could start again. Wang Bing told Zhu Haifeng that injuries and setbacks are not only what athletes need to face, but also what every ordinary person needs to experience, "It is important to bravely take a new step." ”
After returning to Hebei, Zhu Haifeng still insisted on training, and he planned a clear training schedule for himself. The wound has basically healed, but when you start running, you will still feel pain between breaths.
February 3, 2022, cloudy day, snow in the sky. After three hours of training alone, Zhu Haifeng walked out of the training hall sweating profusely, and large snowflakes fell on his body. Everything outside turned white, and the whistling of the wind rushed into the ears. At that moment, Zhu Haifeng felt an unprecedented sense of relief and openness.
Zhu Haifeng decided to regain his form and balance, and after injuries and setbacks, he needed to re-plan his competitive sports path.
On the evening of February 11, watching the team members in the TV set fighting hard, Zhu Haifeng's fighting spirit was once again stimulated. At the end of the game, his teammates took the stage to receive the award, and Zhu Haifeng was happy and a little envious. He found that what he longed for most was the arena. He set himself goals for the next cycle, "I still want to continue." ”
For Zhu Haifeng, the gains brought by the steel frame snowmobile are far greater than the pain. He vividly remembers the moment he first finished gliding on the track, "it was like flying, it was an addictive feeling." ”