Beijing BEIJING, August 20 electrical
problem :( things asked • Chinese athletes) Dialogue | Rowing Golden: they are getting calluses hands, more dazzling than gold
Author Bian Liqun
After winning the women’s quadruple sculls championship at the Tokyo Olympics, Lu Yang posted his Olympic gold medal on social media.
What is more noticeable than the gold medal is her cocooned hands.
Not only Lu Yang, but also her teammates Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, and Cui Xiaotong.
Cui Xiaotong said lightly: "I'm used to it now, and it doesn't hurt after I slowly grind into a cocoon. In fact, it's nothing, every rower is like this."
The last time the Chinese team won the championship in this event, it can be traced back to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
At that time, some of them had just become acquainted with rowing, some witnessed their hometown athletes winning championships through live broadcasts, and some were in events other than rowing, such as archery and track and field.
The girls would not have imagined that the chances of life would bring them together on a rowing boat, and in the Tokyo Olympics 13 years later, they would lead the runner-up 6 seconds to win the championship.
After returning to China, the four golden flowers of the Chinese rowing team started a dialogue with reporters from Sino-Singapore Sports, telling their stories about rowing.
On July 28, local time, in the women’s quadruple scull final of the Tokyo Olympics rowing event, the Chinese team composed of Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lu Yang, and Cui Xiaotong (pictured from left to right) took the first place in 6:05.13. One crossed the finish line and refreshed the world's best score while winning gold.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
One, get acquainted with rowing
China-Singapore Sports: Rowing is a relatively unpopular sport in China. How did you get involved with rowing?
Chen Yunxia: I switched from track and field when I was 16 years old. At that time, I was able to get the top three in the Shanghai Games. Later, the coach wanted me to develop better, so he asked me if I wanted to try water sports. , I took a look and thought it was quite fun, and officially started rowing training in 2011.
I remember that when I first started practicing, the boat turned over, and it left a shadow on me and I didn’t dare to go into the water.
Cui Xiaotong: I am taller. The coach came to our school to select talents. At first, there was a taekwondo coach, and then there was a rowing coach. At that time, I was curious about rowing, but I didn't know what rowing was for.
I like water better, so I didn't feel tired at first, and I accepted it quickly.
Four golden flowers in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
Zhang Ling: It was our physical education teacher who recommended me to the coach of the Shanghai Sports School. At that time, watching the big team members paddling, I was thinking: "What is this? I haven't seen it before. How can it be like a warship?" Slowly follow the coach to learn, also especially like it.
Lu Yang: I started to practice rowing on October 26, 2008. I switched from archery at that time. This is a very big decision.
Before that, I thought about it for a long time. At that time, the coach was also doing ideological work. He told me and my parents that rowing practice would be more developed than archery practice.
Later, the enlightenment coach took me to the Henan Water Sports Management Center. At that time, I thought: "Since it's here, I have to try it."
The golden flowers celebrated their victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
2. Memory of winning the Tokyo Olympics
Sino-Singapore Sports: Compared with the national table tennis and other similarly gold-winning projects, the attention of rowing may not be too high, will there be some sense of gap?
Cui Xiaotong: Before practicing this project, we had this psychological expectation and knew that this project was relatively unpopular.
When someone saw me when I went home before, they would ask: "You are so tall, do you practice volleyball or basketball?"
I said, "I'm rowing." He asked, "What is rowing?" I said, "It's rowing."
He asked again: "Is it a kayak?"
...
However, I will go home now, knowing that there are obviously more rowing boats than before, and some schools and clubs will also be more than before.
In fact, this project is very advantageous in Europe, and it is very popular in their universities, especially the 8-person single oars is a team project, which is very popular in some foreign universities.
The golden flowers celebrate the Olympic championship.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
Now the overall gap between our rowing in China and Europe has narrowed a lot. Our championship this time is our own breakthrough, including in training, we have also made great breakthroughs. Coach Zhang (Zhang Xiuyun) was particularly good during his athletes. Through his own training and The experience of training abroad has greatly improved the strength of our small muscle groups, which is much better than the previous training.
We are not blindly recruiting foreign teachers and learning from Europe and the United States as we did before, but we are actively fighting and seeking breakthroughs. We have a lot of our own.
We also hope that after we get the results, we will let more people know about rowing and love rowing through publicity.
Rowing gold flowers on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
Sino-Singapore Sports: You are all tall and long in arms. Is this also a big advantage for you to win the championship with 6 seconds ahead of your opponent?
Lu Yang: In the competition, we used 36 oars (per minute) to win the opponent's 38, 39, and 40 oars. It is because of our height and arm length, each oar stroke is longer than others.
36 oars can save energy very well. For example, a distance opponent may have to row 200 oars, but we can reach 180 oars, so there is a rest time of 20 oars.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What was your most impressive scene during the Olympics?
Zhang Ling: The most impressive thing is that we asked the coach's score after the game was landed. The coach said that we drew 6:05.13. We thought at the time, isn't this breaking the world's best score?
In the future training and testing, we will calculate according to our own results, without comparing the results of other national teams.
Because we will have an indicator in the previous test, which will be tested according to the best results in the world. Now we can make breakthroughs based on our own results, and other countries will also compare our results (laughs).
Sino-Singapore Sports: Is one of the goals of participating in the Tokyo Olympics to create the best results?
Chen Yunxia: This has always been our goal. In many previous games, the coach wanted us to break the best result, but we have not been able to draw it out. It is also very lucky to draw it out on the highest stage of the Olympics.
The Chinese team set a record of 6 minutes 05.13 seconds in the Tokyo Olympics, setting a world best result.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
Three, behind the gold
Zhongxin Sports: I feel that you are very cheerful. Are there any interesting things in your usual training? Will you give the other party a nickname?
Zhang Ling: Our name is Cui Xiaotong "Cui Dajin", which happens to be the reverse of "Xiaotong (Xiaotong)".
Lu Yang, we all call her Miss Sister, because she is a little older than us, and she is called Chen Yunxia "Axia".
My nickname is more...
Lu Yang: Zhang Ling asked us to call her "Lingbao", but I usually call her "Fat Ling" because we have the same weight, but she looks a little fatter (laugh).
Cui Xiaotong: On our boat, Lu Yang is in charge of appearance, Zhang Ling is in charge of speaking, and Yunxia is in charge of speed. We like to make jokes in our daily lives, but everyone knows it is a joke, so it won't affect everyone's feelings.
In fact, the four of us met together, and we were able to draw together and cooperate well with each other. This is not easy. The four of us complement each other, and my shortcomings may be the strengths of the other person.
Sino-Singapore Sports: The last time this event won the championship was the 2008 Beijing Olympics. What were you doing at that time?
Cui Xiaotong: I was already training rowing at the time and I also watched that game because Tang Bin is from my hometown of Dandong, Liaoning, and Zhang Yangyang is also from Liaoning, so I feel that I am very close to the championship and that the championship is related to me.
But at that time I never thought I could participate in the Olympics or win the championship, because I was just starting to practice and I was still a small player.
Chen Yunxia: I didn't know anything about rowing at that time, because when I was practicing track and field, I paid more attention to track and field events.
At that time, I felt that the Olympics was a very high stage and I was yearning for it, but I never thought that I would participate and would win the championship as a rower.
I remember that the first time I watched the Olympic rowing competition was the 2012 London Olympics and watched Coach Zhang's game.
Lu Yang: At the 2008 Olympics, I was still practicing archery, but at that time the coach asked me if I wanted to change the sport, saying that my height was particularly suitable for rowing, so I watched the rowing competition.
The golden flowers are in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
Sino-Singapore Sports: What's your feeling about this journey?
Cui Xiaotong: First of all, I feel that my efforts have met with luck, because sometimes it is difficult to work hard without opportunities.
In the last Olympics, I had great expectations for myself. At that time, I was rowing single oars, but I was very discouraged when I failed to qualify for the Olympics.
In the National Games after the Olympics, my results were not very good, and I wanted to retire for a while.
Later, I met Coach Zhang. She trained abroad before and wanted to bring some experience to China. She formed a big group. Because I was taller, I was selected for this group and I have been training with him. Coach Zhang helped me to gain confidence. Found it back.
Lu Yang: Actually, after the Tokyo Olympics, I am even more grateful to the Rio Olympics. Without that Olympics, I would not have improved so much in terms of thinking, ability and technology. The Olympics can be said to have given me the best experience in Tokyo. It is a good pavement to make myself more mature and know how to solve the problems encountered. I am especially grateful for my persistence at that time.
And the transition from archery to rowing was a very important turning point for me. I am very grateful to the coaches I met along the way, who gave me a lot of good suggestions and helped me point the way.
Zhang Ling: Only through hard work over time can we have a lot of accumulation behind.
I was not particularly mature in terms of ability, technology and mentality during the Rio Olympics. The journey from Rio to Tokyo was much stronger. I feel that I can play my strengths in the Tokyo Olympics and it is also the foreshadowing of Rio.
Chen Yunxia: I feel that the people I met along the way are very good, and they have really helped me a lot. Whether it is in track and field or in rowing, I feel that I am very lucky.
Lu Yang shows the gold medal.
Image source: Lu Yang's personal Weibo
Zhongxin Sports: I noticed that you have a lot of cocoons and blisters on your hands. Will it hurt? Especially when you first started practicing?
Cui Xiaotong: When I first started training, it was really painful, and it would become irritated when it was worn out. Sleeping at night felt like a beating and painful heart, but the next day I still had to continue training in the water.
I'm used to it now, and I don't feel any pain anymore.
If you take a rest for a while and then go rowing, the blisters may be painful, but the pain will disappear after the cocoon is slowly formed. In fact, it is nothing, every rower is like this.
Sino-Singapore Sports: You are training and competing in other places all year round. How often can you return home?
Cui Xiaotong: I can go back about once a year, and usually I can stay at home for one to two weeks.
From the time I practiced rowing to the present, the most time a year is at home is 20 days.
And we can't go back during the New Year, usually outside winter training.
After winning the championship, the Chinese golden flowers greeted the audience.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Han Haidan
4. Post-Olympic Life
Sino-Singapore Sports: After winning the championship, will you feel the changes in your usual training and life? After receiving so many people's attention, will it be uncomfortable and stressful?
Chen Yunxia: Actually, there is not much change. Training and doing things are the same as before.
Cui Xiaotong: Before the Olympics, they would go home directly after the holidays. There would be various activities, but this time because of the isolation, there is not much contrast. There is no difference in training and life.
The main change is that there are more people following us. Everyone wants to get to know us and ask us some questions. In this regard, I may feel that I am an Olympic champion.
I'm not used to it, because maybe I don't like socializing, and I don't know how to talk about some problems.
In fact, I hope everyone can pay more attention to the rowing project.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Is it exciting to think of winning the Olympics now?
Cui Xiaotong: Actually, after winning the Olympic championship, after a short break, I felt that this championship was not won because we were preparing for the National Games as soon as we came back. We have been training and feel as nervous as preparing for the Olympics before.
Sino-Singapore Sports: How did you spend the quarantine period when you returned to China?
Cui Xiaotong: We will train with the coach in the room. The training time is about the same as usual, with functional training at the front and aerobic training at the back.
In addition to training, we sometimes play games in teams. In games, we usually "pit" each other (laughs).
Group photo of China Golden Flower with foreign teams.
Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency
Sino-Singapore Sports: I heard that you are going to write a summary of the Olympics. How did you write it? Is there a word count requirement?
Cui Xiaotong: Our summary has been written, and there is no requirement on the number of words. I feel that the summary is not very deep, so I wrote it many times.
Lu Yang: After the match, the coach told us to write a summary. We have about a week to write a summary after returning to China.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What plans do you have in the future?
Cui Xiaotong: The next step is to participate in the National Games. After that, I still want to take a rest, make adjustments, and then use the rest time to plan for the future.
Now that you have won the Olympic champion, you must have a halo, but if you want to hit the next Olympics, you still have to adjust your mentality and goals and start from scratch.
Zhang Ling: We will continue to be ourselves and work towards our goals.
The coach set a goal for us, which is to defend the next Paris Olympic champion.
(Finish)