Source: China News Network
"If I want to go to the Olympics, I want to show the best performance to everyone."
Accelerating, surpassing and rushing the line, Ren Ziwei won two gold medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics and became the brightest star in the short track speed skating field.
From Pyeongchang to Beijing, China's short track speed skating has always been the first in the world, and has achieved a new historical breakthrough in the Beijing Winter Olympics, and in the past four years, the flying "elephant" has gradually grown into the absolute main force of the team.
In the face of huge attention, he said that he only wanted to be a "little transparent", and under the cheerful appearance of the Northeast boy, it was the effort and hardship of these 4 years.
A few days ago, Sino-Singapore Sports and Ren Ziwei launched a dialogue to talk about the story behind the two Winter Olympic gold medals.
Zhongxin Sports Ren Ziwei
Honor and regret
Zhongxin Sports: What is your current status and what are you doing during the quarantine?
Ren Ziwei: We are in quarantine now, it may take 21 days, and the other day has been reflecting on our own game.
The Winter Olympics are more satisfied with the medals alone, but there are some dissatisfaction and regrets in the process. There were some low-level mistakes in the 1500m race, and the 500m was also physically weak due to the long schedule.
Sino-Singapore Sports: At the Beijing Winter Olympics, you have stood on the highest podium twice, will your mood be different?
Ren Ziwei: Mixed connection is the first item, after winning the gold medal, there is a bit of no reaction, and there are many games in the back, do not want to make themselves too excited, want to finish the follow-up competition in the best state.
On the third day, I won the gold medal in the 1000 meters, and I had a lot of ideas, and the follow-up competition was not to be compared without distraction, which is worth summarizing.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What does it mean for you to fight at the Beijing Winter Olympics on your doorstep?
Ren Ziwei: I think this Olympic Games is not the same as I imagined, because of the epidemic, there are not as many spectators as in Pyeongchang. I felt like the World Cup, not particularly excited and not very stressful.
Zhongxin Sports: In the semi-finals of the men's 5000m relay, your teammates accidentally fell, and you got up and chased after receiving the baton, is this the spirit of short track speed skating?
Ren Ziwei: Yes, our project is full of variables, if there are mistakes, I think we must make up for it at the first time, narrow the gap, and must fight to the end, which is the spirit of the Chinese short track speed skating team.
The men's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics was celebrated by China's Ren Ziwei after winning the championship. Photo by Mao Jianjun, reporter of China News Service
Zhongxin Sports: Wu Dajing in the men's 1000m final touched you in the competition and let you go first, what do you think of this action?
Ren Ziwei: The three of us went to the final, and we had to work together to win the gold medal. Jing Ge's physical strength in the first shot was particularly good, but the second shot he might not be able to complete such a high-intensity competition, so he used all his strength to consume his opponent. I think it's a spirit that unites our entire men's team.
Zhongxin Sports: What do you think of the performance of the short track speed skaters at this Winter Olympics? What are the expectations for them?
Ren Ziwei: I think this is a valuable experience, young athletes have particularly good places, there are also particularly bad places, which can gain experience. In the next 4 years, they should sum up these mistakes and mature, and I hope they can have a qualitative leap forward.
Pyeongchang and Beijing
Zhongxin Sports: From Pyeongchang to Beijing, these 4 years have been called the biggest surprise of China's short track speed skating. What do you think of yourself in these 4 years?
Ren Ziwei: I think these 4 years have been extremely difficult, experienced a lot of changes, and the epidemic has been closed. Physical fatigue can be overcome, exhaustion is normal, but I think the biggest difficulty in these 4 years is psychological exhaustion.
Before the Winter Olympics, I thought about the worst-case scenario – I wouldn't stick with it for the next 4 years. But after I really stood on the field and thought that the country had created such good conditions for me and for everyone, I felt that if I could practice for a day, I would have to pay a day for the country.
In the men's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics, China's Ren Ziwei won the championship. Photo by Mao Jianjun, reporter of China News Service
Zhongxin Sports: What has been your biggest change in these 4 years?
Ren Ziwei: The biggest change is psychological maturity, when I was in Pyeongchang, I was in a very good state, but my mentality was floating. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, my physical condition was actually not so good, but I could use the mistakes of my opponents on the field or my own experience to control the game.
Zhongxin Sports: My mother mentioned in the family letter written to you that you were too tired to get up in the corridor during training, how did you stick to it over the years? What role do relatives and friends play?
Ren Ziwei: Participating in the Olympic Games at my doorstep is the dream of all athletes, and this is my biggest motivation.
In the past 4 years, I have wanted to give up countless times, my family and friends around me have given me a lot of encouragement, my best friends have slid from the amateur team to the Harbin team with me, and there are two with me to the national team, but they have retired, I am the "hope of the whole village". Family and friends gave me encouragement and treated me as pride, and I didn't want to disappoint them.
Zhongxin Sports: What did the foreign coaching team bring to the Chinese short track speed skating team?
Ren Ziwei: I think Coach An (Ahn Hyun-so) and Teacher Kim (Kim Sun-tae) have brought some things that were missing before, which has greatly improved the team's technology and tactics.
Last Winter Olympics I was my left leg closed to compare, the next few years the left leg is a little bit of strength, they found this problem, let me strengthen the left leg, the muscles to protect the knee, now much better, can slide normally.
Head coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team Jin Shantai (center). Photo by Cui Nan, a reporter from China News Service
Zhongxin Sports: Some time ago, you and Lin Xiaoyuan closed Weibo with each other, are you already very familiar with each other?
Ren Ziwei: When he first came, I just didn't pay much attention to it, and I didn't feel like it had anything to do with me. The follow-up communication found that he was a particularly good person and a particularly interesting person, often joking with us, he was never angry, and he had a particularly good temper.
He's been in China for a long time, and he may be asked to have a meal or have a play after the holidays.
Zhongxin Sports: Did the Chinese team study the new rules of the International Skating Federation in detail during the Beijing Winter Olympics cycle, so as to avoid some unexpected situations?
Ren Ziwei: Yes, the International Skating Federation has refined all the rules, and now there are more and more cameras, and every foul has an explanation. During the period, everyone was arranged to learn many times, and my understanding of the rules now is that after the basic end, I know whether I have fouled or not fouled with others.
Elephant and elephant brother
Zhongxin Sports: Was the nickname "Elephant" given to you by Coach Li Yan?
Ren Ziwei: (Laughs) Yes, when I first came to the national team, the gliding may be a little bulky, Coach Li Yan gave me a pick, and later everyone called it. Now that I have a big physique and more young players, everyone calls me Elephant Brother.
Ren Ziwei in the game. Photo by Cui Nan, a reporter from China News Service
Zhongxin Sports: Is it difficult to go home often in recent years, especially after the epidemic?
Ren Ziwei: I haven't been home for the New Year in 8 years. Basically every New Year's Eve there was a race, and one of the worst, we flew from the Netherlands to Germany, Chinese New Year's Eve the plane flight was cancelled that day, we slept at the airport. Basically, it's either in the race or on the way to the race.
Zhongxin Sports: Would you feel very uncomfortable at that time?
Ren Ziwei: These years are fine, there is no concept of festivals, and all the festivals have nothing to do with me.
But when I first came to the national team, I left home for the first time, when I was only seventeen or eighteen years old. There was no one on the street during the Chinese New Year in Beijing, and I felt particularly desolate walking on the street.
Zhongxin Sports: Before you said that you were willing to be a "little transparent" in the team, what kind of mentality was this?
Ren Ziwei: I actually don't like to be noticed, but since I have reached this achievement, I still have to adapt to this and use these as a driving force, not as a burden.
I need to set myself a new goal, one of my biggest dreams has been fulfilled, and maybe the mentality will be relaxed. I talked to Coach Ahn Hyun-so before, and he said that if you lose your goal, you will have less effort.
I think that maybe the goal of the next Winter Olympics is to impact the first three golds of Big Brother An, which should be a problem that I am slowly thinking about.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Judging from the current Winter Olympics, Italy, Canada, Hungary and other countries have begun to rise, how do you think about the development pattern of short track speed skating in the future?
Ren Ziwei: We don't have any advantages to speak of now, including the World Cup is particularly difficult to play, and there is a huge advantage without projects.
The glory brought by the predecessors in the past is now to return to the state of peak climbing. I hope that young athletes should not position themselves too high, but should be humble to learn and work hard to train.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Is the atmosphere in the short track speed skating team usually very happy?
Ren Ziwei: Our men's team is in the lounge every day, often chatting and ripping, which is really funny. For example, An Kai is particularly capable, before changing shoes, Jing Ge (Wu Dajing) and An Kai sat next to each other on my left, everything An Kai had to be sharp, Jing Ge couldn't help him, they both began to make trouble, I was watching Le next to me.
What role do you want you to play in the team in the next Winter Olympic cycle?
Ren Ziwei: Maybe I will take the lead, I need to maintain my physical state and mental state, and then I have to control the injury. If I want to participate in the Olympics, I want to show the best performance to everyone.