In the final of the Paralympic cross-country skiing men's mid-range (sitting) event that ended on March 12, Chinese athlete Mao Zhongwu won the gold medal and Zheng Peng won the silver. After winning the gold medal, the 35-year-old veteran was very happy: "The gold medal is Chinese, and the silver medal is also Chinese!" ”
Mao Zhongwu (headband wearer)
A total of four Chinese athletes competed in the competition. On that day, Mao Zhongwu, who had already won two silver medals, only wore a short-sleeved light suit and let it go. In the race, Mao Zhongwu overcame the influence of the weather and sprinted with all his might, and finally spent 29 minutes and 10 seconds 7 seconds, 57 seconds 7 seconds faster than teammate Zheng Peng, and won the championship. In this way, in the last individual event competition, Mao Zhongwu won his first Winter Paralympic gold medal.
"Go all out, fight!" Coming down from the arena, Mao Zhongwu said with a heavy breath. He said that in the nearly half hour of the game, every minute was supported by willpower. Although the distance between teammates is relatively far, everyone is silently cheering each other in their hearts. At the finish line, the four Chinese runners jointly raised a five-star red flag to let the flag flutter in the wind.
Mao Zhongwu said that winning the gold medal made him successful, but what made him happier was that his teammates also performed very well. Among the other three Chinese athletes, Zheng Peng won the silver medal, Du Tian finished 5th and Liu Mengtao finished 6th. "The gold medal is Chinese, and the silver medal is also Chinese!" Mao Zhongwu said happily.
Mao Zhongwu, 35, is a native of Dalian, Liaoning Province. Previously, he was wheelchair racing and had been exposed to Paralympic cross-country skiing for less than three years. In this Winter Paralympic Games, Mao Zhongwu lost twice to teammate Zheng Peng and won two silver medals. This time to be able to break through himself and stand on the highest podium, Mao Zhongwu said that his biggest progress is to adjust his mentality. In the game, he constantly told himself not to worry, first play his normal level, and then slowly surpass. By constantly adjusting in the game, he is getting better and better.
Seeing his "big brother" win the gold, Zheng Peng, who won the silver medal, came forward to congratulate him for the first time. Zheng Peng said that he and Mao Zhongwu have been competing and supporting each other over the years. "Without him (Mao Zhongwu), I wouldn't have been able to achieve such good results."