"In the arena, we fight for the same dream and never give up. This is the spirit of sports. I want to pass this spirit on to more young friends." April 8, Beijing The Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympic Games summary and commendation meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People. Two-time Winter Olympic champion and national short track speed skating team athlete Wu Dajing was awarded the title of "Individual with Outstanding Contribution". He couldn't hide his excitement when he recalled receiving the award that day.
At the PyeongChang Winter Olympics four years ago, Wu Dajing broke the world record in the men's 500-meter short track speed skating final and won the only gold medal for the Chinese sports delegation. Four years later, he led the Chinese short track speed skating team to win its first gold medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Moving from one peak to another is never easy. In the past four years, he has been plagued by age, injuries and the epidemic. But Wu Dajing said that the process of "facing difficulties" is a kind of tempering in life. Although it requires a lot of effort, its results can give people the ultimate sense of happiness, satisfaction and value.
The picture shows Wu Dajing competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics. Photographed by Guangming Daily reporter Guo Hongsong
The pinnacle of excellence
Most people are skeptical of Wu Dajing Our acquaintance started with the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics short track speed skating competition, the Chinese team had twists and turns. In the women's 3000-meter relay final, the Chinese team was the second to cross the finish line, but the result was ultimately invalidated; in the men's 500-meter preliminaries, Ren Ziwei and Han Tianyu were sent off; in the women's 500-meter semi-final, Fan Kexin and Qu Chunyu's results were cancelled. In the last men's 500m Group A final, Wu Dajing withstood the pressure and took the first place at the start without giving his opponents any chance. In the end, he broke the world record with a time of 39.584 seconds and won the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation. The gold medal is also the first men's Olympic gold medal for the Chinese short track speed skating team.
It is worth mentioning that in the previous preliminaries, Wu Dajing broke the Olympic record with 40.264 seconds; in the quarter-finals, he set a new world record with 39.800 seconds. In the final, He once again broke the world record he had just broken. Leading all the way, taking the lead, and making a blockbuster hit, Wu Dajing achieved a historic breakthrough with his super strength, and made people remember his name.
After winning the championship, Wu Dajing and his coach hugged each other tightly. This gold medal was hard-won. Thinking back to the Sochi Winter Olympics four years ago, Wu Dajing, who was not yet 20 years old, finished second in the men's 500m final. Although he was only one step away from the championship, to cross this step, he had to pay unimaginable hardships. As reported by many media before, Wu Dajing's feet were bruised and bleeding due to years of wearing skates for training, and even holes were formed in the bones of his ankles. But in Wu Dajing's view, these ugly feet are like a microcosm, witnessing his training day after day and year after year for more than 20 years. Because of its existence, it reflects the difficulty of an athlete "daring to be the first and dare to climb the peak".
The picture shows Wu Dajing during the Beijing Winter Olympics test match. Photo by Guangming Daily reporter Guo Hongsong
Overcoming the pain and reaching new heights
In the following year, Wu Dajing has never lost the gold medal to others in the 500-meter world competitions. However, it is not easy to move from one peak to another. In the new cycle, the growth of age, injuries and doubts from the outside world once made Wu Dajing lose his confidence and confidence. Recalling this period of time, he described it as "difficult". "In the year after the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, I never lost a 500-meter race. In 2019, you suddenly lost a race, and you really couldn't accept it. Because everyone knows you are number one, accept it. I can't win second place, so I'm afraid of losing, and even more afraid of being scolded." Wu Dajing said that after a period of silence, he slowly figured it out. "Those who scold you are caring about you. If this motivation can be used in training, the effect will be better. My goal is not the World Cup or World Championships, but the Beijing Winter Olympics."
< p> After adjusting his mentality, Wu Dajing began to train with all his strength, but he did not expect that a new challenge would come his way. "In May last year, I injured my right knee. I went to Xinjiang for training in August and September, and my back injury suddenly recurred. The injury to my lumbar spine made it impossible to train. I lay in bed for a month."Wu Dajing recalled that it was less than two months before the World Cup and Olympic trials. Everyone could train normally, but he could only lie on the bed and worry. When he recovered to stand up and train normally, it was less than two months before the World Cup and Olympic trials. There were only three weeks left. “At that time, my confidence was almost at zero. I didn’t know if I could still get a ‘ticket’ for the Beijing Winter Olympics. My goal was reduced from winning the Olympic championship to just participating in the Winter Olympics. . ”
The body is still recovering and there is a lack of systematic training. In addition, due to the impact of the epidemic, the Chinese short track speed skating team has not participated in international competitions for two years. Wu Dajing was in the World Cup in the first stop in Beijing due to After being punished for jumping the gun, the Japanese station failed to advance to the semi-finals, and the Hungarian station finished fourth. It was not until the last station that the Netherlands finally won the men's 500-meter gold medal. "These four stations were actually spent in trial and error. My body is recovering and my competitive condition is slowly improving. "Wu Dajing said frankly that it was the championship in the last leg that rekindled his confidence in winning the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Standing on the top and looking at Milan in the distance
As Beijing The only active Winter Olympic champion of the Chinese short track team in the Winter Olympics, it is self-evident that everyone has high expectations for Wu Dajing. On February 5, the first competition day after the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Wu Dajing led his teammates to live up to expectations and successfully performed. Wu Dajing, who won the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation at the Beijing Winter Olympics, was a good start for the Chinese team. When interviewed after the game, Wu Dajing cried with excitement: "I have experienced so much in the past four years, and today is the first time. The dream came true. I am grateful to my family and team for not giving up on me, and also to myself for never giving up. " Looking back on every bit of his four years of experience, Wu Dajing said that fate had tried to force him to give up countless times, but he didn't. Not only did he not give up, he also proved to it that he could do better. Destiny is in his own hands. If you face difficulties, you will gain something.
Although there are some regrets in personal events, in Wu Dajing's opinion, this is the reason for him to continue as the leader of the Chinese short track speed skating team. Wu Dajing is still the world record holder and Olympic record holder in the men's 500-meter short track speed skating. He has an absolute advantage in this event. "I have ten thousand reasons to choose to retire, but there is only one reason to persist. That’s the love of the rink. "Wu Dajing said that every time he stands on the field, he not only fights for himself but also for the people and the motherland. As long as the motherland needs it, he will never give in.
The end of the Beijing Winter Olympics is also It means the beginning of the Milan cycle. Wu Dajing said that he needs to re-plan and prepare for the next cycle. There will definitely be many difficulties in the next four years, but it will not be smooth sailing for anyone. Overcoming difficulties requires courage and thinking. “I set my goal at the fourth Winter Olympics, and I have already succeeded and defeated myself. "Wu Dajing said.
(The article is reproduced from the Internet)