After retiring from the army, Li Jianrou still has not left the "ice and snow". Photo by Zhang Yao
Jilin, February 3 (Reporter Cang Yan) Li Jianrou's 2019 Spring Festival is very busy, and in this winter, it is necessary to transfer to many places for training. As the Olympic champion of the short track speed skating event, Li Jianrou "changed his career" to skiing after retiring, hoping to compete again for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
In the period before the Spring Festival, Li Jianrou generally guided the team members at the Jilin Ice Sports Center. Practicing on ice are the members of the "Firm Ice Club". In Li Jianrou's words, 20 of these players are "trained" to become professional athletes. Since its establishment in 2016, more than 3,000 teenagers have participated in ice sports, almost driving a city's "ice boom".
Li Jianrou instructed the small team members to take a group photo with them after training Zhang Yao took a photo
As a former member of the Chinese short track speed skating team, Li Jianrou won the gold medal for the Chinese team in the women's 500m short track speed skating final at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In February 2015, Li Jianrou could only retire due to age and physical reasons. Talking about the trajectory of life after retirement, Li Jianrou admitted that she has never left "ice and snow".
Born in Jilin City, Jilin Province, Northeast China, Li Jianrou began skating at the age of 10 and is in a city with a good ice and snow atmosphere. Since childhood, his love of ice and snow has made it difficult for Li Jianrou to leave the field after retiring. "After the Sochi Winter Olympics, although I retired, I still love the arena and the game, and I can't do without it." Li Jianrou said that especially in 2022, Beijing will host the Winter Olympics, and as a veteran of the Winter Olympics, she hopes to return to the field as a cross-sports athlete.
"Half of life now is training, half is watching training." Li Jianrou's training refers to the veneer slope obstacle skills she challenged in her new project. In June 2017, Li Jianrou officially registered as a snowboarder, and after being exposed to snowboarding, Li Jianrou instantly liked this "exciting" project.
"This project is challenging and extreme. After flying up, you will do some difficult moves that rotate 360 degrees, 720 degrees and 900 degrees. The height above the ground is 25 meters, which is challenging and exciting. After practicing snowboarding, Li Jianrou refused to give up the opportunity to compete even the day after marriage. In recent times, Li Jianrou has frequently participated in national competitions to accumulate points, and has now achieved the top ten results in the country.
"There are still 3 years to go, and I also give myself 3 years to practice and prepare." Li Jianrou said that she is not currently a member of the Chinese snowboard team. "I don't want to go straight to the national team because of my experience as a winter Olympic champion, I hope to achieve good results at the 2020 National Winter Games through my own efforts, and then enter the national team."
After retiring, Li Jianrou, in addition to preparing for the Winter Olympics, spent the other half of his time dedicated himself to cultivating young athletes. In Jilin and Hebei, Li Jianrou has set up winter project clubs for teenagers.
"It can drive the development of ice and snow projects in two cities, and it can also make teenagers love ice and snow more and participate in it." After the Spring Festival, Li Jianrou will rush to Japan to practice snowboarding and prepare for the Winter Olympics.
Li Jianrou said that many people expressed shock at their cross-discipline preparations for the Winter Olympics. "They all asked me, who gave me the courage to practice such an extreme project?" My answer is that all I want is to push the limits. Li Jianrou gave herself the goal of standing on the field of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, when she will be 37 years old. (End)