Video loading...
Xinhua News Agency, Changchun, November 5 (Reporters Wang Haofei, Zhou Wanpeng, Wang Fan) Flying dreams! 18 days ago, he "flew" in ancient Olympia, Greece, and became the first Chinese torchbearer for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Flying Hearts! He competed in the Winter Olympics four times, becoming the first chinese male athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. Although he has rubbed shoulders with the Winter Olympic gold medal several times, the 23 world championship titles still confirm a glorious era of Short Track Speed Skating in China.
Li Jiajun, a legendary chinese ice and snow legend, was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency reporter on the occasion of the 90-day countdown to the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics. He wished China's ice and snow athletes to continue to fly, and wished China's ice and snow dreams to continue to fly.
Former Chinese short track speed skater Li Jiajun holds a Beijing Winter Olympic torch on Oct. 18. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong
After returning from Greece, Li Jiajun has been in quarantine in accordance with the requirements of epidemic prevention and control. In an exclusive interview, he was wearing the same sportswear he had not long ago when he was "flying". "The Olympic torch symbolizes light, unity, friendship and justice, and I feel extremely sacred and honored to be able to participate in the collection and transmission of the Iceman." He said.
On October 18, local time, the spark of the Beijing Winter Olympics was successfully collected in the birthplace of the Olympic movement - ancient Olympia, Greece. Li Jiajun, 46, was the second torchbearer of the day and the first Chinese torchbearer. He took the tinder from the Greek alpine skier Jannis Antonio and began to run, bringing the Winter Olympic flame one step closer to Beijing. Li Jiajun recalled that at that moment, a strong sense of mission surged in his heart.
Holding "Flying" is the legendary general's fourth torch relay journey. Previously, he served as the torchbearer of the 2007 Asian Winter Games, the 2009 National Games and the 2012 Winter Games, including two of which participated in the lighting of the main torch at the opening ceremony in the "home" of Changchun. Although he failed to win the winter Olympic gold medal in his sports career, he still has a pivotal position in his hometown of Changchun and even in the ice and snow industry in China.
On January 3, 2012, the opening ceremony of the 12th National Winter Games was held in Changchun. The picture shows torchbearers Chen Lu, Zhou Yang, Li Jiajun and Ye Qiaobo (from right to left) at the ceremony of lighting the sacred flame. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Fei Maohua
From the age of 6 to the age of 46 as a Torchbearer for the Winter Olympics, Li Jiajun's life has been closely linked to ice and snow sports for the past 40 years. After retiring from the army in 2006, he has successively served as a coach, a training manager, an ice and snow sports promotion ambassador and other roles, but the main line of passing on the fire of ice and snow sports has never changed. Holding "flying" makes him more hopeful about the future. "The Olympic torch has delivered a faster, higher, stronger – more united spirit, which will always inspire me, drive more people to understand winter sports in the future, and promote the vigorous development of ice and snow sports in China." He said.
Li Jiajun's ice and snow memories began a long journey in the early 1980s.
At that time, in the cold northeast, skating was one of the few winter entertainment activities for children. Exciting and fun, it was Li Jiajun's initial impression of skating, which later gave birth to his athletic talent. The father cherishes his son's talent, even if the professional training ground is located in the Nanling Stadium in Changchun City, more than 11 kilometers away from home, he is willing to brave the wind and snow every day to send Li Jiajun to "fight for the future".
Data chart: On February 17, 1998, China's Li Jiajun (front) won the silver medal in the men's 1000 meters of short track speed skating at the Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan, which was China's first medal in the men's event at the Winter Olympics. Xinhua News Agency
In order to make Li Jiajun less guilty, the father rode his bicycle every day to send his son to the nearest tram stop from home, and then the father and son "divided into two roads" to meet at the nearest station to the stadium, and then continued to ride to complete the last part of the journey. Li Jiajun recalled: "At that time, the team members of our age could only use the outdoor ice rink, and the first thing parents and children did when they came to the scene was often not to start training, but to use a broom to clear the snow on the ice first. ”
The repeated hard training and warm companionship made the competitive and hard-working Li Jiajun stand out, from breaking the record in the individual championship of the national championship to winning the team championship, the teenager's heart flew all the way. In 1991, at the age of 16, Li Jiajun was officially selected for the national training team. At that time, China's short track speed skating talents were "yin sheng yang decline", and the only member of the 15 members of the training team was a boy. "At that time, the conditions were limited, and it was usually female players who went abroad to compete, and my main task was to be a sparring partner." He said.
The heart to fly has never changed due to distance and role. Over the next decade, Li Jiajun gradually grew into an ace player in the Chinese short track speed skating team. In the 1996 World Cup, he won the first world championship in Chinese men's short track speed skating, and in 1999 he was crowned the world championship all-around champion. If he wins another Winter Olympic gold medal, he can achieve a "Grand Slam". But reality left him with this big regret.
Data chart: On December 4, 1999, in the 1999-2000 World Cup short track speed skating competition held in Changchun, Li Jiajun (front) won the championship for the Chinese team in the men's 500m final with a time of 42.873 seconds. Photo by Jiang Lin, Xinhua News Agency (fax photo)
From Lillehammer in 1992 to Turin in 2006, Li Jiajun, who played for the Winter Olympics four times, had two times his gold medal within reach but ultimately failed to win the gold medal – losing only one ice knife tip to the leader in Nagano in 1998, and accidentally knocked down by his opponent in Salt Lake City in 2002... China's first winter Olympic title in men's short track speed skating was not achieved by Wu Dajing until 2018. At that time, Li Jiajun had been retired for 12 years.
Four dynasties elders, two silver and three bronze. "Life is not perfect, and every shoulder rub is a pity, but it also leaves hope for the future." Ice and snow sports are a hobby for me, but also a complex. We were never apart. He said that since Beijing won the right to host the Winter Olympics in 2015, his work has become more motivated.
"In 2020, we did an inspection, the number of snow fields operated nationwide has reached 803, indoor ice rinks have been 654, ice and snow facilities and conditions have been continuously improved, and more and more children in the south have begun to contact ice and snow." Children are so happy now than when I was a kid! He said that in recent years, China's ice and snow sports have undergone earth-shaking changes, which makes him feel very relieved and proud.
On October 1, 2020, the Winter Sports Management Center of the State General Administration of Sport held the first public welfare open activity of the national team training base of the ice and snow project at the Shougang Park Short Track Speed Skating Training Hall, and Li Jiajun gave a public welfare lecture. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Peng Ziyang
As the seeds arrived in China, the heat of the Beijing Winter Olympics was also heating up. Li Jiajun, who successfully completed the torch relay task, said that his next job is to ensure the food, clothing, shelter and transportation of the Winter Olympic preparation team, avoid injuries, and let the team members devote themselves to the preparation and appear in the Winter Olympics in the best state.
As a torchbearer, Li Jiajun looks forward to the moment when the main torch of the Winter Olympics is lit. "I wish the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success, and look forward to the ice and snow athletes to create wonderful, extraordinary and excellent together, and show the world the style of China's ice and snow sports." He said.
Producers: Xu Jiren, Chen Jun
Producer: Jie Zhou
Coordinator: Peng Dong, Wang Haofei, Wu Junkuan
Reporters: Zhou Wanpeng and Wang Fan
Editors: Ding Wenxian, Huang Xuguo, Ji Jiadong
Jointly produced by the Sports Department of Xinhua News Agency and the Jilin Branch of Xinhua News Agency