China News Service, Beijing, February 8th: Taiwanese figure skater Lin Fangyi’s New Year’s wish
Author Chen Jianxin
The 2024 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships ended in Shanghai on February 4. After a busy competition cycle, Taiwanese player Lin Fangyi recently rested at her grandmother's home in Shanghai. Walking around the local streets and tasting delicious food, he relived his childhood memories and made New Year's resolutions, looking forward to completing more satisfying moves on the ice in the new year.
Lin Fangyi, who was born in 2003, comes from a cross-strait marriage family. Her father is Taiwanese and her mother is Shanghainese. Since her parents have settled in Beijing for many years, Lin Fangyi grew up in Beijing. He told a reporter from China News Service that when he was a child, he also came up with the idea of trying ice sports because of his older brother's skating. When he was six or seven years old, he could wear skates, and after finishing his homework every day, he would go to the ice rink.
In July 2023, Lin Fangyi participated in the Beijing Station of the Figure Skating Club League. (Photo courtesy of interviewee)
Like playing the piano and dancing ballet, skating was just one of Lin Fangyi's hobbies at first. As the pressure for further studies increases and the time for extracurricular activities shortens, it becomes a question of which hobbies to stick to. Jokingly saying that she "cannot sit still" and loves sports, Lin Fangyi chose to continue improving in figure skating with the support of her parents. In order to have more time to practice, he switched to an American online school starting in the eighth grade. He went to the ice during the day and did strength training, and studied school courses at night, gradually embarking on the path of professional skating.
In October 2018, the International Skating Union Youth Figure Skating Grand Prix was held in Slovenia. This was the first international A-level event that Lin Fangyi participated in. He felt that the atmosphere was different from the tense atmosphere at the Beijing training ground, “but the pressure was not there. Big, no one knows you, you just have to skate your own show." For the first time in the international arena, he is only slightly behind the minimum technical score required to register for the World Youth Championship. Since then, Lin Fangyi has competed in Poland, the United States, Italy and other places, and achieved many outstanding results.
In the process of learning figure skating, it is inevitable to encounter difficulties and challenges. Lin Fangyi said frankly that in the first year of transferring to an online school, all studies were conducted online. In addition, there was a time difference when communicating with teachers, and it was difficult for him to balance his studies and life. An ankle fracture two years ago also disrupted his original regular schedule. Life even made him confused and lost his direction for a time. Whenever he wants to give up, completing a wonderful jump can re-energize him.
"The charm of figure skating is that it can express the message you want." Having "danced" on the ice for many years, Lin Fangyi believes that everyone can skate in their own style and create a world. This sport is always innovating, and you can see new arrangements and new jumps every year. "It won't completely satisfy you, it will whet your appetite, constantly pushing yourself to complete more difficult movements, and presenting one complete program after another."
In September 2023, Lin Fangyi went to California, USA, to start his college career. He told reporters that the just-concluded Four Continents Figure Skating Championships was the first adult international A-level competition he participated in, and it may also be the last competition in college. He will focus on his studies in the future. Although it was a bit regretful that he could not achieve the expected results this time, he said that he had adjusted his condition and would continue to move forward. "I think this also lays the groundwork for the future. When we compete next time, we will strive to achieve better results."
During these few days in Shanghai, Lin Fangyi was busy "walking and eating", tasting various delicacies such as Xiaolongbao, pork ribs and rice cakes, and visiting famous attractions such as Sihang Warehouse and the Oriental Pearl Tower. As the Chinese New Year approaches, Lin Fangyi discovered that the flow of people on the streets of Shanghai has increased a lot in the past few days, and some well-known restaurants require reservations in advance to get a seat.
February 8th is the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. Lin Fangyi flew from Shanghai to Beijing. During the Spring Festival, he also planned to invite his Hong Kong figure skating friends who stayed in Beijing for the New Year to make dumplings and have dinner together to experience Beijing's New Year customs.
Talking about New Year's resolutions, Lin Fangyi said that it has been three years since the last time he jumped three and a half weeks. He did not jump again after breaking his ankle. He hopes to jump out again when he returns to Beijing for training. (over)