Under the leadership of the new head coach Zhang Jing, the 2022-2023 short track speed skating national training team debuted in Beijing on the 26th, and this newcomer-based national training team is about to experience the tempering of international competitions in a month.
As the general counsel of the national training camp before the establishment of the national training team, Zhang Jing observed the athletes for more than two months, and she believes that the Chinese team with newcomers as the main team has a lot of room for improvement, and through one and a half to two years of training, the Chinese team will continue the glory of the Chinese short track with a more stable and confident attitude.
On September 26, Zhang Jing (left), head coach of the short track speed skating national training team, spoke at the media meeting. Photo by Ding Xu, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency
Zhang Jing, 49, has coached the Hungarian team for many years and has achieved remarkable results: leading the Hungarian team to win the country's first gold in the history of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang 2018, and starting with one gold and two bronze at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
This summer, Zhang Jing returned to China and participated in the short track speed skating national training camp as a general counsel, and it is not surprising that she took charge of the Chinese team Shuaiyin.
At the national training team meeting on the 26th, Zhang Jing said that during the Milan Winter Olympics cycle, the Chinese team will face more severe competition, South Korea, Canada, the Netherlands and Hungary and other strong teams are still strong, and the Italian team plays at home and has a great competitive advantage.
"During the Milan cycle, we will learn from the excellent experience of the preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics and steadily advance through the old to lead the new." At present, the Chinese team has set up an international professional coaching team and an excellent and conscientious support team, and the training preparation is being carried out in an orderly manner. ”
The Chinese team will start an intensive international competition schedule at the end of October, and all six World Cup matches in the new season will not be lost, and athletes will also be selected to participate in the Four Continents Championships, World Youth Championships and World Championships.
In Zhang Jing's planning, the 2022-2023 season is to cultivate young male and female athletes, continuously exercise the ability of athletes in international events such as the World Cup and the World Championships, accumulate competition experience, and lay a solid foundation for next season.
In the list of national training teams, only Ren Ziwei, Lin Xiaowei, Li Wenlong and Zhang Chutong are only 4 athletes who have participated in the Winter Olympic Games, and the remaining 13 have little or no experience in international competitions.
Zhang Jing admitted that through the six weeks of training she officially took over, there is still a certain gap between the current training level of the national team and the world. Some of the team members look good on laps and have a 1,000-meter skating ability close to the international top level, but from the experience of the competition, the sliding route and mentality, she believes that the national team still needs to continue to work hard and improve.
Zhang Jing admitted that her expectations for the performance of the national training team this season are not high, she said: "This season is an adaptation period, a familiar period, and the results of the national training team will not be too prominent. Maybe individual athletes will progress quickly, but most people need a year and a half to two years to improve, and then they will show a new look and everyone will be more confident. ”
At the same time, she also put forward higher requirements for Li Wenlong, Zhang Chutong and other veteran players: "The veteran team members must show their best state, and the women's team with slightly weaker speed should perform better in the short distance and 1000 meters and strive to enter the semi-finals." ”
Zhang Jing hopes that through this season's competition, the Chinese team can familiarize itself with the opponent, understand the opponent, and then improve their ability to fight in the game, which is what they really need in the game." She said: "Most athletes are younger, and when there is a key confrontation in the game, they are not stable enough." ”
Zhang Jing, who has 25 years of coaching experience, said that through the observation of the last Olympic cycle, especially last season, she believes that the Chinese team should pay more attention to the improvement of speed and short distance under the premise of ensuring the level of middle and long distance. "I need to find a balance in that," she says. ”
What surprised Zhang Jing slightly was the trust from the athletes. From the first day back home to officially participating in training, she felt the trust and respect of her athletes.
"I didn't expect trust to build between us so quickly. The mental outlook and motivation of young athletes is something I didn't expect. I am now confident and looking forward to their future. ”
As the "ace master" of China's ice and snow sports, the head coach of the Chinese short track team has always attracted much attention. Zhang Jing admits that from the moment she decided to return to China, she knew what kind of pressure and challenges she would face.
The Chinese short track team, which won the most gold medals at the Winter Olympics in China's ice and snow events, set off again under the prestige, which is very different from the situation she faced when she trained weak brigades in Hungary.
"China's short track speed skating has many years of Olympic gold medal precipitation, and under such a heritage, the pressure (of the head coach) will naturally be greater." She said, "However, in the past few years, I have seen a deeper improvement space from the Chinese team's own technology, training system and physical fitness, and I feel that there is a lot of space, and I am confident in this regard." ”
For the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, Zhang Jing's attitude is calm and firm: "In Milan, the Chinese team must first inherit the excellent experience of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and more importantly, achieve excellent results with a new look - strive for more gold medals and better results. ”
Author:Liu Yang, Ding Wenxian, Li Jia, Yu Sihui
Source: The Paper