Track ice is highly rated The Winter Olympic bobsleigh venue made its international debut

Beijing, October 26 (Xinhua) -- As the last women's four-person snowmobile rushed to the line, the "Meet in Beijing" 2021/2022 snowmobile and steel frame snowmobile time trial ended at the National Bobsleigh Center on the 26th. During the competition, foreign athletes highly praised the ice making work on the track, which greatly encouraged the ice-making team that maintained the intensity of work for 20 hours a day.

Li Changzhou, deputy director of the logistics of the venue of the National Bobsleigh Center, told reporters on the video link that the ice quality of the bobsleigh track is very critical, which not only affects the fairness and competitive performance of the competition, but also affects the personal safety of athletes when sliding at high speed.

"Unlike the flat ice making of indoor ice venues, the bobsleigh track winds like a 'dragon', the ice surface is uneven and angled, and the ice maker even has to make ice on the façade wall. The ice surface should be smooth and smooth, but also moderately hard. Since the ice surface is in 'semi-outdoor' conditions and the air humidity is high, the ice maker should quickly defrost to ensure the speed of coasting. Li Changzhou said that the dust falling on the ice surface can not be cleaned casually, and must be carefully washed with a high-pressure water gun.

The time trial lasted two days, a total of 240 foreign athletes participated, and the winner of 6 minor events in the snowmobile and steel frame snowmobile events was decided, and the sliding was very intensive, and the schedule was tightly connected. Since high-frequency skiing is easy to damage the ice surface, once the tower announces "end of sliding", the ice maker must race against the clock and enter the track for maintenance.

Li Changzhou said that the current ice maker team of the National Bobsleigh Center is composed of 16 international ice makers and 20 Chinese ice masters. The level of international ice masters is first-class; Chinese ice masters are carefully selected, requiring excellent physical fitness, strong individual work ability, good at observing and responding, and the most important thing is to have a strong sense of responsibility.

"At present, Chinese and foreign ice makers cooperate very well, and the relationship is as close as family. In recent years, the Chinese ice maker profession 'from scratch', team members have undergone high-intensity tempering in a short period of time, the work level has been very close to that of international ice masters, and the work level of some key points is not inferior. Li Changzhou said.

German star Tina Hermann has won the Women's Steel Frame Bobsleigh World Championship and the World Cup Race Championship for many times, and has a lot of experience in sliding. After winning the women's steel frame bobsleigh event in the time trial, she said: "Yanqing's bobsleigh track is very smooth, both able to slide out of speed and very safe. The track was still challenging, but I managed through corners 5, 6 and 9. German champions such as Alexander Gasner and Lau Nolting believe that the track is beautiful and will stimulate the state of sports, and the Chinese friends in the stadium are very friendly.

Sun Yue, head of operations of Shanghai Baoye National Bobsleigh Center, told reporters that the icemakers were deeply encouraged to hear these praises. From the start of International Training Week on October 5 to the end of the time trial on October 26, the ice team worked in shifts for 20 hours a day. No matter how late the athletes' skating ends, the ice team has to work for another two hours to complete the track maintenance before returning to rest. "It's hard work, but it's worth it."

The 26th coincided with the 100-day countdown to the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics. After completing the beijing Winter Olympics bobsleigh and steel frame bobsleigh project tests, the National Bobsleigh Center will welcome the bobsleigh project test next month. Li Changzhou said that the ice-making team is full of confidence and confidence, and will meet the final test of the Beijing Winter Olympics in a better state. (End)