ONE YEAR TO GO HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY Thursday, February 4, 2021 | 8
GOING ALL OUT FOR GOLD China’s athletes showing unswerving dedication to Olympic dream despite pandemicsized challenges
By SUN XIAOCHEN behind closed doors in Beijing’s Shou Sound Bites [email protected] gang Industrial Park, is preparing for Stage set: Stunning venues a trip to Sweden to compete at the ith the Beijing 2022 2021 world championships, which Thomas Bach, International Olympic Winter Olympics just a will take place in an empty Stockholm Committee president ready to welcome the world year away, Chinese ath arena from March 2228. “There is the one year letes have vowed to “The next year is going to be tough to go on February 4. We spareW no effort over the next 12 for sure but I will try to enjoy life and can say, even one year From page 5 track and testing the refrigeration sys months as they target a gold rush at training as usual to hopefully put on before, that all the tem is crucial. their home Games. our best show at the home Olympics,” (competition) venues Messer, who made ice for the long Locked in strict quarantine and with said Sui Wenjing, a twotime world are ready, the technical The Beijing 2022 organizing com track competitions at the 2014 and 2018 no international events to compete in, champion in pairs with partner Han preparations are excel mittee has identified 11 key tasks, Winter Olympics in Russia and South China’s Olympic hopefuls are refusing Cong. lent and China, as you including optimizing venue operation, Korea respectively, hailed the first trial to let whatever obstacles the COVID In freestyle skiing, China’s Gu Ail know, is taking very drafting pandemic control protocols, as a success as the venue works toward 19 pandemic throws at them as they ing has emerged as a favorite for gold strict measures and restrictions right now finalizing competition schedules and providing perfect racing conditions for push their limits on the ice and snow. after a stunning double triumph in (against COVID19), also with regard to par planning for postGames develop skaters. Thanks to the successful control of halfpipe and slopestyle at last month’s ticipation in the test events.” ment. “The trial helps us test all the equip the epidemic at home, Chinese teams Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. Without compromising their stan ment and all the icemaking things and continue to finesse their preparations The 17yearold USborn prodigy Gu Ailing, Chinese freestyle skier dards of excellence, organizers have start to get the relationship with the at multiple national training bases has made no secret of her desire to top “China has an ambition opted for a more practical and simpli temperature of the variables that we scattered across Beijing, surrounding the podium at Beijing 2022 and to get 300 million peo fied approach for the final year of prepa have to do,” said Messer. province Hebei and northeastern appears well equipped to cope with ple on ice and snow rations to ensure the Games are staged “So every time we make the ice again, province Jilin. the spotlight. “I’m a very competitive before the Beijing 2022 safely and on schedule, according to we learn more. I am sure we will make With some international competi person and it’s not over until it’s over,” Winter Olympic Games, Zhang Jiandong, executive vicepresi the best ice possible at the Olympics.” tions resuming and the Olympic qual Gu said after her wins in Aspen. and so there’s this bur dent of the Beijing 2022 organizing Working alongside Messer, a six ifying system set to restart, China’s As a rookie in most snowbased geoning and explosive committee. strong local team has been mobilized to winter sports governing body is work events, China has hired numerous opportunity to intro “The progress has been solid on all prepare for the adapted test competi ing on plans supported by the coun foreign coaches — including Nor duce the sport and pas fronts in our preparation,” Zhang, a tion, involving domestic skaters only try’s foreign affairs and disease way’s eighttime Olympic champion sion for sport to so many people... For me vicemayor of Beijing, said during a and scheduled for April. It is hoped this control authorities to send teams Ole Einar Bjorndalen in biathlon and personally, my goal is to win Olympic gold. speech at the annual session of the Bei event will offer invaluable realtime abroad to compete if necessary. Russia’s 2010 Olympic champ Nikita That to me is just representative of excellence jing Municipal People’s Congress last data for maintaining stable ice quality “We haven’t been able to compete Kriukov in crosscountry skiing — to in sport; it’s the top achievement undisputed month. despite variable humidity and indoor at World Cup events for a year, so have help speed up its development in l y.” “Yet, entering the critical final year, temperatures. no clue about how our foreign oppo these disciplines. we have to streamline our operation, “We have the world’s best facility with nents are doing and how much The Winter Sports Administrative Wang Bingyu, retired curling world champi cut unnecessary procedures, reduce out question. It’s up to us to run all the progress they’ve made,” said short Center has set a target for Chinese on who now works as Beijing 2022’s curling potential risks and keep close coopera necessary tests and training of our staff track speed skater Ren Ziwei, a men’s athletes to qualify in all 109 Beijing competition director tion with all parties involved interna to make sure everything falls right into 1,500m winner at a World Cup meet 2022 medal events — up from 55 at “I have participated in tionally to host the event in a safe and the place to make our track one of the in Germany last February. the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang — three Olympic Games excellent manner,” Zhang said. world’s fastest to race on,” said Zhang “The only thing I can control and and to eclipse the country’s best gold and I know how hard it The progress has earned an emphatic Chunhui, Beijing 2022’s deputy director focus on is to make every day count in medal haul of five (2010 Vancouver). is for the athletes. So in thumbsup from the IOC. for the speed skating competition. the final year to improve my weak “Home advantage and help from the buildup to Beijing “It will be a great moment to bring As one of five 2008 Summer Games nesses, such as my skills riding the international coaches should make us 2022, I want to work the world together in the spirit of peace, venues being reused for the winter edi track curves, to put myself within a confident and daring to compete hard with my col solidarity and friendship,” IOC chief tion, the Wukesong Arena also has its shot of gold,” said the 23yearold Hei against the world’s best,” Ni Huiz leagues to ensure all Bach said during an online meeting on operational team up and running, as Chi longjiang native. hong, director of the center, said in his athletes from across Monday to address concerns from 84 nese staff and American chief ice maker Led by medal prospects like Ren pep talk during a mobilization meet the globe enjoy the best competition environ National Olympic Committees on Bei Nelson Don Moffatt prepare for ice hock and defending men’s 500m Olympic ing last month. ment. I hope they will be hugely impressed by jing’s preparations. ey in 2022. champion Wu Dajing, China’s skaters “Yet we still need to stay humble, Beijing 2022.” “Despite the many challenges of the Moffatt, who underwent mandatory shoulder the bulk of the host’s medal calm and dedicated in our mission, coronavirus pandemic that we are still quarantine and repeated COVID19 ambitions in 2022, having contribut which is to try to catch up and surpass Jin Boyang, Chinese figure skater confronted with, we can already say testing upon landing in China before ed 12 out of the country’s 13 golds won the best in as many events as we can.” “The 2022 Beijing with great confidence that China is starting his work, said witnessing the at Winter Olympics through the Olympics will be staged ready to welcome the world’s best win venue’s transformation has been awe decades. Online during that year’s ter sport athletes for an unforgettable inspiring. China’s figure skaters are also car Scan and test your Spring Festival. So I Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” “It’s been a long journey to get here, rying a heavy weight of expectation. knowledge of the hope all our Chinese Bach added. but definitely well worth it,” said Mof The squad, which has been training 2022 Winter Games. winter sports athletes fatt. can produce their best Helping hand Built for basketball at the 2008 performances for the A newcomer in most winter sports, Games, the Wukesong Arena will stage Chinese people and win China is introducing foreign expertise the women’s ice hockey event in 2022. honor for our country. We also hope such to address a lack of knowhow in event The National Indoor Stadium, a Sum energy can encourage more people to partici organization. mer Olympics facility for gymnastics pate in winter sports.” As a highlight of this international and handball, will host the men’s com cooperation, icemaking trials by tech petition, with both venues equipped Li Xin, Chinese crosscountry skier nicians from home and abroad at some with underfloor cooling pipes. “I am eager to stand on 2022 venues have paved the way for Boasting over 35 years’ experience the podium at the 2022 smooth Gamestime operation. from previous Olympics and the Beijing Winter Olympic The newly built National Speed Skat National Hockey League, Moffatt Games and to see our ing Oval in downtown Beijing is draw breaks his expertise down into small national flag raised. ing on the experience of a team led by details for his Chinese colleagues. Before the start of the Canadian icemaker Mark Messer. “It’s about learning from somebody Games, I have to keep The cuttingedge venue features the that is familiar with working at the Chinese athletes’ preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympics are being sharp and maintain a largest ice surface needed for the highest level and to be able to see the boosted by some stateoftheart training facilities, including this good attitude to try Games, so the team’s expertise in very minor details that will bring this to indoor crosscountry skiing venue in Jilin province. XINHUA hard in training each d ay.” inspecting the 400meter speed skating a much higher standard,” he said.