He Chong lit the main torch in a special way at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. @ People's Vision
Guangzhou Asian Games Main torchlighter Olympic champion He Chong
Guangzhou Daily all-media reporter Bai Zhibiao
After retiring in 2016, He Chong appeared in people's eyes more in the past few years in variety shows. Although he is far away from the field, he always has a strong sense of sports in his heart, and he always thinks about sports, especially the Guangzhou Asian Games 10 years ago, in He Chong's view, the Guangzhou Asian Games have allowed him to have a more brilliant sports life than others.
On the eve of the opening, I received an unexpected assignment
On the evening of November 12, 2010, the Pearl River was full of lights, and the opening ceremony venue of the Haixinsha Asian Games in the shape of a giant ship was crystal clear, as if sailing forward, and the 16th Asian Games was grandly opened here, and the scene of the torchbearer lighting the main torch still remains in people's minds.
The boy who lit the main torch was none other than He Chong, the 2008 Beijing Olympic diving champion. The main torchlighter of the International Multi-Sport Games has always been a successful person in the sports arena, and 10 years later, He Chong is surprised to look back. "I didn't expect to be chosen to light the main torch because I was already a torchbearer, which is very honorable for an athlete." He Chong said that the opening ceremony of the (Guangzhou Asian Games) is to show the style and culture of the Chinese nation in front of the world, "many times our competition reflects the competitive level of sports, and the opening ceremony is a cultural display, I as a torchbearer, especially the torchbearer who finally lit the main torch, this is more glorious than winning a gold medal on the field, it is a very unforgettable memory of my sports career." ”
Previous multi-sport games, before the opening ceremony, the main torch lighting method and the lighter are highly confidential, He Chong revealed that in fact, he could not imagine what the main torch would look like when it was lit for a second before the ignition, "because the director said that the main torch could not be rehearsed, and could only rehearse the procedure over and over again, and no one could predict the result. ”
"The day before the opening ceremony, I didn't know I was going to light the main torch because it was about to start, and we were still preparing for the race in Beijing." He Chong said frankly. The day before the opening ceremony, He Chong suddenly received a notice that he was responsible for lighting the main torch, "I am not allowed to communicate with anyone, including coaches and family, let alone ask others for advice on the precautions when lighting the fire." ”
After receiving the notice, He Chong flew from Beijing to Guangzhou by plane on the same day, and then rehearsed continuously until the early morning of the opening ceremony of the Guangzhou Asian Games. "I think everything is very mysterious, of course, my heart has always been very nervous, because you can't tell others, all the rehearsal content has to be digested by yourself, because the main torch is not lit in the traditional way, it also contains some performance components, to act overwhelmed, so everyone saw that I was confused at the time, but also asked the children who guided me next to me." After all, I'm not a professional actor, and it's still challenging. ”
Lighting the main torch is the first time to cross the border
The Doha Asian Games was the first Asian Games in which He Chong participated, and at the opening ceremony of that Asian Games, the biggest highlight was that the last torchbearer had to ride an Arabian horse to light the main torch, when the horses were a little weak on the slope that lit the main torch, so that the rider almost failed to complete the ignition task.
He Chong, who also lit the main torch for the first time, said he was worried about the procedure and the final performance. "The rehearsals were sequential, and after the rehearsal with the last five torchbearers, I had to rehearse the ignition procedure separately out of secrecy, so I was the only one and some on-site staff in the middle of the night."
He Chong revealed that according to the director's requirements, when the final ignition is to create a sense of mystery for the audience, "I ran to the main torch and then I wanted to perform a look that did not know how to light it, so that the audience had a doubt, why the torchbearer did not know how to light the torch, it was necessary to guide the two children on the scene, I successfully lit the main torch." ”
He Chong revealed that he rehearsed for a long time for the "overwhelmed" at the last moment, "because at the beginning I didn't know how to show a panicked state, after all, I am not a professional (actor), I think it is quite interesting, it is a kind of cross-border performance." ”
After retiring from the army, He Chong settled in Beijing, but also often returned to Guangzhou to visit relatives and run errands. He said that the Guangzhou Asian Games will let the world see a different image of Guangzhou, especially the cultural characteristics of Guangzhou.
"After the Asian Games, Guangzhou's urban construction has undergone earth-shaking changes, making us feel a unique culture, and the city is not only high-rise buildings." He said that in the past, urban development was reflected in the economic aspect, and now it is more of a cultural embodiment, "so that everyone can come to this city and feel the cultural atmosphere of this city." ”
In He Chong's eyes, the traces of the Asian Games have been engraved in Guangzhou's urban culture, "Now people know what major events guangzhou has held, know that Guangzhou has hosted the 2010 Asian Games, you can now see the integration of the Asian Games and Guangzhou everywhere, our landmarks, five sheep give people a very distinctive feeling." ”
He Chong also did not forget to be a "tour guide", "Guangzhou is a city with very cultural characteristics, I recommend everyone to go to Yangcheng to have a look." ”
Source: Guangzhou Daily