Data map: Yang Yang (first in the front row) in the women's 500m final of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Image source: International Olympic Committee website.

  China News Service Client Beijing, February 16th (Reporter Xing Rui) Ten days ago, the torch of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics "Flying" was officially launched. As various preparatory work progressed in an orderly manner, Beijing The Winter Olympics are moving steadily towards a promising future.

  We are extremely looking forward to the Winter Olympics a year later, what kind of ice and snow passion the Chinese athletes will ignite.

New achievements are beckoning not far away. At this moment, we might as well look back at the birth of China's Winter Olympics first gold and see how generations of ice and snowmen have used their passion and sweat to pour out these fruitful results.

In the 2002 Winter Olympics short track speed skating women's 500m final, Yang Yang started the moment.

  Time went back to 6940 days ago, which was 19 years ago on February 16, 2002 in the United States. This is a day worth remembering in the history of the Chinese Winter Olympics.

In the Utah Speed ​​Skating Hall in Salt Lake City, USA, the women's 500-meter short track speed skating competition is in progress.

  With a gunshot in the final, five contestants from China, Canada, the United States, and Bulgaria rushed out of the starting line like an arrow from the string.

Chinese athlete Yang Yang took the lead. In 44 seconds, she always maintained the lead.

At the moment of crossing the finish line, China's first Winter Olympic gold medal fell into the pocket.

Yang Yang won the historic first gold for the Chinese delegation.

  Although China has won numerous gold medals in the Summer Olympics before this, it has never reached the top in the Winter Olympics.

Yang Yang's victory helped the Chinese delegation achieve a breakthrough in the gold medal "from zero to one" in the Winter Olympics, and also fulfilled the dream that generations of snowmen have been looking forward to for more than 20 years.

  The 13th Winter Olympics in 1980 was the first time that a Chinese delegation was on the stage of the Winter Olympics.

Although they have not won a medal, the Chinese ice and snow athletes let the world see them.

For many years since then, the Chinese Snowman has been working hard for the goal of being faster, higher and stronger.

Yang Yang stood on the podium.

  Since Ye Qiaobo received China's first Winter Olympic medal in 1992, the Chinese Snowman has been increasingly looking forward to the birth of the first Winter Olympic gold medal.

  In the Chinese women's short-track speed skating team, where strong players gathered, the "four golden flowers" emerged at that time, including Yang Yang, Yang Yang, Wang Chunlu and Sun Dandan; the men's team also had strong players such as An Yulong and Li Jiajun.

No matter from which point of view, the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, the Chinese delegation has the strength to win gold.

And that Winter Olympics was also the first time Yang Yang stood on the stage of the Olympics.

  At the World Championships a year ago, Yang Yang won the first individual all-around championship.

This is enough to prove her dominance in short track speed skating.

In the 1000m semi-finals of the Nagano Winter Olympics, Yang Yang set a new world record, which also made her look forward to the gold medal near Chichi.

  In the final, Yang Yang led all the way, seeing the gold medal in hand.

But at the critical moment, the South Korean player who followed her stretched his foot across the finish line. Yang Yang was sentenced to blocking the foul and the result was cancelled.

  The moment Yang Yang learned the result, Yang Yang was extremely disappointed. The shot of her covering her face on the ice became a pain in the hearts of countless ice fans.

In the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics women's 1,000-meter short track speed skating final, Yang Yang was sentenced to blocking a foul.

  At that Winter Olympics, the Chinese delegation won a total of 6 silvers and 2 bronzes, and the Chinese women's short-track speed skating team had too many regrets.

In addition to Yang Yang's loss of the 1000m gold medal, in the 500m final, Wang Chunlu, who was originally leading, was dragged down by the then world record holder Isabel. In the women's 3000m relay final, "Four Golden Flowers" was surpassed by the South Korean team in the last three laps.

  The blow of the Nagano Winter Olympics gave Yang Yang the idea of ​​retiring, but in her heart, she couldn't accept herself because of failure.

After several trade-offs, Yang Yang decided to continue sliding.

  The first step to return to the game is to learn to face failure.

A month later, Yang Yang mustered the courage to look back at the failed video.

At that time, she had only one thought in her mind: "I can't change the opponent and the referee. The only thing I can change is myself, so I have to find the problem from myself."

  With this mentality, Yang Yang found a place where he needed to improve his technology.

At the same time, the Chinese short-track speed skating team also realized that short-track speed skating competition is not only about individual ability. To win gold, it must rely on technical tactics and teamwork.

  Over the next four years, the tactical execution around the core player Yang Yang gradually became the consensus of the team.

Before the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Yang Yang's career reached a peak.

At that time, she had won the women's 500-meter speed skating championship at the World Championships for five consecutive years.

Naturally, she shoulders the heavy responsibility of hitting the gold medal.

Data map: On March 28, 2015, when the IOC evaluation team successfully completed all evaluation and inspection work in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the Beijing Winter Olympics Bidding Committee held a press conference to introduce the relevant situation of the inspection.

The picture shows the International Olympic Committee member and Winter Olympic champion Yang Yang answering questions from reporters.

China News Agency issued Tomita photo

  However, under the huge pressure package, Yang Yang, who is good at middle and long distance, broke down on the 1500m event and only got 4th place without even touching the medal.

  The failure of the superior project gave Yang Yang a sense of hell.

On the one hand, she felt ashamed and embarrassed and failed everyone's expectations; on the other hand, she felt wronged: Why should I get the (gold medal)?

Why are you all pointing at me?

  Before the start of the 500-meter race, Yuan Weimin, then head of the Chinese delegation, called the "four golden flowers" together to let everyone summarize the reasons for Yang Yang's defeat.

Hearing that his teammates have been looking for reasons from him, Yang Yang suddenly felt: "I must take this gold medal. At that moment, because of the common goal and the common honor, the power at that moment is so great. ."

Data map: Yang Yang in the women's 500m final in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Image source: International Olympic Committee website.

  Before playing, Yang Yang cut his hair short and replaced the "lucky vest" he had been wearing.

She appeared on the 500-meter arena with a brand-new mental outlook and regained China's first Winter Olympic gold medal.

In the next 1000-meter race, Yang Yang won the second gold medal under the cover of Yang Yang.

  Yang Yang's two Winter Olympic gold medals are not only of epoch-making significance, but her achievements have also become an example for younger generations to follow and catch up.

  After the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Yang Yang left the national team and went to college.

But the calm of student time still made her miss the speed and passion of the arena from time to time, and therefore rekindled her desire for skating.

  At this time, the team once again extended an olive branch to her: "To be honest, when the national team invited you, it was very happy at that moment. Because being needed is a feeling of happiness."

Data map: On the evening of February 25, 2006, Torino time, Chinese players Wang Meng and Yang Yang won the silver and bronze medals in the women's 1000-meter short track speed skating competition at the Palavela Ice Rink in Turin.

China News Agency issued by Wu Zhonglin

  At the Torino Winter Olympics, Yang Yang, 30, won a bronze medal in the 1000m final.

In the past, Yang Yang, who was protected by teammates and hit the gold medal, took the initiative to escort Wang Meng this time. In this way, she handed the banner of Chinese short-track speed skating to the young players.

  In the following Olympics, this young man who was once protected by Yang Yang became the first triple crown in the history of China's Winter Olympics, opening another new era in the history of Chinese short track speed skating.

And China's ice and snow sports are also moving forward step by step.

This passion has spanned from ups and downs, sweat and tears in Salt Lake City 6940 days ago until now.

  Now, less than a year has passed since the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Faced with a new starting point and a new journey, we also look forward to Chinese ice and snow athletes making more breakthroughs in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

(Finish)