Four years ago, the Chinese wheelchair curling team achieved a "zero breakthrough" in the Chinese Winter Paralympic Winter Paralympic Games at the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympic Games. Four years later, at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Chinese winter Paralympic athletes achieved consecutive good results, and with the "dazzling" winning speed of "Jin Rongrong", they achieved new breakthroughs in many arenas.
With hard work to achieve dreams, with persistence to define the possibility, winter Paralympic athletes in the ice and snow arena to write a moving chapter of self-improvement, hard work.
Life will not fail to live up to the persistence of yourself
In the Paralympic Biathlon competition held on March 5, the Chinese team not only won 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze, but also won the first gold medal of the Chinese delegation in the Winter Paralympic Games by Liu Zixu.
In the biathlon men's sprint (sitting) event, 24-year-old Liu Zixu won the championship with a time of 18:51.5 by relying on a steady glide and a two-round shooting performance of zero off-target. This is the first snow sports gold medal and the first individual gold medal won by a Chinese paralympic athlete in the Winter Paralympic Games. Another Chinese athlete, Liu Mengtao, won the bronze medal.
Liu Zixu said that he played at a normal level in the game and was very excited to create history, "Although this road is full of hardships, setbacks and tempering have created their current self."
In 2008, Liu Zixu had a unilateral lower limb amputation due to a car accident, and it was sports that made him rekindle the fighting spirit of life and find the direction of life. In 2013, Liu Zixu began practicing archery, and in 2017, he joined the Chinese national training team for cross-country skiing for the disabled and biathlon for the disabled, working in the ice and snow projects for the disabled.
The intensity of the training allowed Liu Zixu to undergo a great physical and psychological test. When he first joined the team, his physical condition was poor, and if he wanted to be faster than others, he had to work harder. Liu Zixu remembers that he fell down in the snow and then got up, his hands were frozen and he still insisted on sliding, and the goal was to bravely move forward until he stood on the top.
In the process of climbing and improving, he finally reached the highest podium of the Winter Paralympic Games. Liu Zixu sighed: "Life will not live up to the hard work of self- perseverance. Next, he will also compete in the middle distance and long distance projects. Liu Zixu said that in the future games, he will try his best to play his level.
In the biathlon women's sprint (standing) competition, guo Yujie, the flag bearer of the opening ceremony of the Chinese delegation, won the championship, Zhao Zhiqing won the bronze medal, and Shan Yilin won a silver medal in the women's sprint (sitting position).
Guo Yujie, who will soon turn 18, got the opportunity to practice skiing after Beijing successfully bid for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2015. "In the past few years, I just want to train well, I haven't seen a few World Series, and I don't know how much worse than the world's top players." She said that when she participated in the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, her original goal was to finish the tournament safely and safely, and it was good to be able to enter the top three, but she did not expect to take the first place at once.
From an ordinary small-town girl to the standard-bearer of the Chinese delegation to the gold medalist of the Winter Paralympic Games, Guo Yujie gave herself the best adult gift with hard work and hard work. This precious gold medal will forever remain in the history of China's Winter Paralympic participation – this is China's first Women's Individual Gold Medal and the first Women's Snow Sports Gold Medal in The Winter Paralympic Games.
Life can have a few beats
Three days after the start of the race, the National Alpine Ski Center witnessed the breakthrough moments of China's alpine skiing again and again - Zhu Daqing won the first medal, Zhang Mengqiu won the first gold medal... Chinese Paralympic alpine skiers demonstrated their ability to push the envelope and strive to be the first in the "Snow Flying Swallow".
In the women's super big slalom standing group and the women's downhill standing group, China's Zhang Mengqiu won 1 gold and 1 silver. The "post-00s" athlete was selected by the Hebei Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation at the age of 14 to become an alpine skier. At this Winter Paralympic Games, she participated in the alpine skiing competition in 5 sub-events, which was called all-around.
As the basic event of the Winter Paralympic Games, the Paralympic alpine skiing event is very competitive and ornamental, and the fastest speed of athletes on the slopes can exceed 100 kilometers per hour, which is a great test for the physical and psychological strength of disabled athletes. Zhang Mengqiu said that when he first started practicing alpine skiing, after practicing physical fitness, his legs hurt so much that he couldn't walk, and he once had the idea of giving up, but seeing his teammates who worked hard every day, Zhang Mengqiu chose to insist.
"How many beats can I have in life, and when I don't beat now – this sentence has always been my motivation to move forward." Zhang Mengqiu said.
Hard work is the theme of the Winter Paralympic Games. In the alpine skiing men's super big slalom standing group competition, China's Liang Jingyi was the first of more than 40 players to appear, and as soon as he made an appearance, he made a splash, slid the fastest result, and stood on the highest podium.
Liang Jingyi said that he had broken his collarbone during training, and his parents wanted him to give up, but he loved skiing and decided to stay on the field.
"Alpine skiing brings me joy. Coaches often say that to be happy skiing and happy skiing, I will continue to enjoy the charm of competition and skiing. Liang Jingyi said.
In the women's downhill visually impaired category and the women's super giant slalom visual impairment category, China's Zhu Daqing won silver and bronze medals respectively. Before practicing the ice and snow event, Zhu Daqing was a paralytic track and field athlete who had the opportunity to participate in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, but missed the stage of his dream due to injury. Fortunately, the Winter Paralympic Games on the doorstep once again ignited hope in my heart.
"It's easier to face difficulties than to face regrets." Zhu Daqing said, "As long as all the difficulties are simplified, any kind of 'swamp' can be trampled through." ”
After the successful bid and preparation of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Zhang Mengqiu got many opportunities to train and compete abroad. "In New Zealand, I saw the difference between the pistes abroad and the domestic ones, accumulated some competition experience, and later went to Europe to participate in the European Championships and World Cups." She said.
Wang Xiangping, leader of the Chinese disabled alpine ski team, said that the reason why these athletes can quickly improve the level of competition is inseparable from the institutional mechanism guarantee of the national team from material selection to daily team management, the guarantee of venue facilities of high-level snow fields, and the will quality of Chinese athletes who are fearless and tenacious.
Feel the Winter Paralympics and be inspired together
Prior to this Winter Paralympic Games, the Chinese team's best result in the winter Paralympic event was fourth place – at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympic Games, Zheng Peng won the closest result to the podium in the men's sitting position 15 km of cross-country skiing.
Four years later, Zheng Peng, who was on the Stage of the Winter Paralympic Games again, won the first gold medal in the cross-country skiing men's long-distance (sitting) event for the Chinese team.
Zheng Peng said that this victory made up for the regrets of 4 years ago. In Pyeongchang, he set his sights on the podium of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. "For 4 years, I improved my fitness according to the coach's systematic training plan and found a way to distribute my physical fitness." Zheng Peng said, "Today on the field, I have brought out the training level of these years. ”
Zheng Peng, 29, said that in the preparation for the Winter Paralympic Games, persistence is the most important quality. "There was a time when I felt like my training level wasn't improving and I was a little anxious. I thought in my heart that I must persist and not give up. He said.
In the day's competition, China's Mao Zhongwu and Du Tian finished second and fourth respectively. In Zheng Peng's view, this gold medal is a victory for the team. Teammates improve and support each other, giving each other psychological support.
At this Winter Paralympic Games, Chinese Winter Paralympic athletes and players from various delegations created many moments to surpass the limit and realize their dreams, which made the audience moved and shocked. Yan Jiarong, spokesperson for the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said that disabled athletes have turned unimaginable sports achievements into reality through hard work and will, and have completed their own transcendence. It's a huge encouragement for everyone.
"Let's all come and see the game – feel the Winter Paralympics and be inspired together!" Yan Jiarong said. (People's Daily reporter Liu Yao)