The 24th Winter Olympic Games will kick off in Beijing on February 4, 2022.
The sports department of Chinanews.com launched a series of columns "Hundred Questions about Winter Olympics", aimed at popularizing Winter Olympic knowledge, answering hot questions, sharing interesting stories about ice and snow, and helping everyone have a better watching experience during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The 74th Winter Olympics 100 Questions | Why is Yao Ming among the ambassadors bidding for the Winter Olympics?
In 2015, Beijing successfully won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
One person in the bidding team for the Winter Olympics is particularly prominent, that is Yao Ming, who is 2.26 meters tall.
As a basketball practitioner, why did he become an ambassador for the Winter Olympics?
This question was also asked by Yao Ming at the time.
His answer is that he does not want to define the Olympic movement in terms of seasons.
"The most important thing is the changes brought about by the Olympics and the spiritual inspiration for a generation. Through the 2008 Olympics, Chinese people's awareness of sports is no longer limited to winning a few gold medals. Sports promoted changes in people's lifestyles." Yao Ming Say.
On July 31, 2016, the 128th plenary meeting of the International Olympic Committee held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia voted to make Beijing the host city of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The picture shows the President of the International Olympic Committee Bach (middle) and the Beijing Winter Olympics delegation.
Photo by Du Yang issued by China News Service
He said that, just like running, for runners, running is not only a sport, but also a test of will and a change of attitude towards life.
"I believe that if the 2022 Winter Olympics are held in Beijing, it will definitely have the same effect, and the winter events will also have such changes in China."
Yao Ming's outstanding performance in the world basketball courts over the years has made him one of the most influential athletes in the history of Chinese sports. This appeal lasted until his retirement.
Yao Ming.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu
Objectively speaking, Yao Ming is already an important business card for China in the international community, which is one of the reasons why he can become an ambassador for the Winter Olympics.
In his on-site statement for the Winter Olympics that year, Yao Ming showed his unique humor: "You may not think basketball is a winter event, because it is not played on ice or snow. But the basketball season in most parts of the world is in winter. So you can also think of basketball as a winter event."
Yao Ming is at the Beijing Olympics.
Photo by Ren Chenming issued by China News Service
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Yao Ming led the Chinese men's basketball team to the quarterfinals and touched countless spectators.
At that time, the Wukesong Gymnasium, which hosted basketball games, will host ice hockey events during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Going around, maybe this is fate.
(Author Wang Hao)