(East China·China Dialogue) Beijing Winter Olympics, looking forward to seeing the progress of China's winter sports
China News Service, Beijing, December 28
China News Agency reporter Lu Yan and Peng Dawei
Hannawald, whose Chinese name is Hanfei, is a former German ski jumping star and champion of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.
He became the first player to achieve a Grand Slam in the history of the Ski Jumping Four Mountains in 2002, and is the best athlete of the year in Germany.
Xu Nannan, a former freestyle skiing aerialist in China.
In the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, she won the runner-up of the project and achieved the medal "zero breakthrough" for the snow project of the Chinese Winter Olympics.
China News Agency reporter Lu Yan recently started a dialogue with Han Fei and Xu Nannan in the column of "Questions on East-West China Dialogue" of China News Agency.
In Hanfei's view, the Chinese team has become one of the strongest participating teams in the Summer Olympics. If it can persist in winter sports, the day China will win gold and silver in more events should not be too far away.
Xu Nannan, based on his personal experience of communicating with foreign players in the era of athletes, believes that hosting a successful Winter Olympics will play a huge role in promoting mutual understanding between peoples of different countries, as well as cultural exchanges and integration between China and the West. It is to convey civilization and An important platform for learning and mutual learning.
The following is an excerpt from the full text of the dialogue:
Han Fei:
My name is Sven Hannawald and I used to be a ski jumper.
I am looking forward to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics. China is hosting the Winter Olympics for the first time. I have only participated in competitions in Japan and the United States before. I have been to South Korea as a sports commentator. This time I will go to China in the same capacity. .
A recent photo of Han Fei (photo courtesy of the interviewee).
Photo by Gunnar Menzel issued by China News Service
Xu Nannan:
My name is Xu Nannan, and I used to be a freestyle skier aerials.
I am currently engaged in ski teaching and related scientific research in Shenyang Institute of Physical Education, and I am also actively preparing for the refereeing work of freestyle skiing aerials in the Winter Olympics.
Data map: Chinese player Xu Nannan (left) Photographed by China News Agency reporter Wu Zhonglin
Lu Yan: Ice and snow sports are very popular in Europe and the United States. As a Winter Olympic champion, how did Han Fei get involved with skiing in his childhood? The history of China's ice and snow sports is relatively late. How do you combine the traditional style of hard training with the international characteristics of winter sports?
Han Fei:
For us Germans, winter is a hot topic.
My home is located in the Erzgebirge Mountains in the southern part of the former East Germany. When I was a kid, I went out to play, and I could see how people play in the snow, so I started skiing too.
I saw ski jumping on TV and wanted to imitate it.
There is a small ski jumping platform in our place. I jumped down and had a lot of fun, so I played it often.
I also had goals later, because I saw excellent ski jumpers on TV, (and) those world champions and Olympic champions.
As a child, I wanted to have that kind of experience, so I embarked on the path of becoming a ski jumper.
Xu Nannan:
Hard training is definitely an important factor in the ultimate achievement. Chinese people have never lacked the spirit of hard work.
However, China's ice and snow events are relatively late. From the perspective of the development of sports events, it is necessary to communicate with high-level powerful countries to improve sports skills, event modes, and venue environments.
In addition, only by truly understanding the origin, development, and culture behind each project can Chinese winter sports be integrated into the world family more quickly.
Data map: Hanfei participated in the four-mountain ski jumping competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in January 2002.
China News Service sent the interviewee's picture
Lu Yan: In Han Fei's eyes, what are the characteristics of Chinese athletes? In the two careers, has there ever been a story about "chinadialogue"?
Han Fei:
Regrettably, (in my age of athletes) the interconnection between countries is very limited, so we don't know much. At that time, there were not so many Chinese athletes in the field of ski jumping.
At that time I also heard that China won the first gold medal. Of course, such a thing would spread.
Now it’s different. Because Beijing is going to host the Winter Olympics, we see that China is making rapid progress, and we have more exchanges with Chinese ski jumpers.
I am very happy to see such changes, and I am looking forward to seeing how much China has improved after a relatively short period of preparation.
Xu Nannan:
There are many stories that move me.
The Chinese team started the winter event relatively late, and there were relatively few overseas participations at that time.
It is relatively cold and dry in China, and ski waxing is rarely used; the weather abroad is relatively hot and humid, and the speed will be affected if the snowboard is not waxed. We do not understand this.
At one World Cup, an American athlete led us to her residence, personally taught us how to wax and care for the snowboard, and helped us train the next day.
Including Norwegian players who see our skis are simple, they will give us new skis, there are many similar things.
This embodiment of the Olympic spirit impressed me deeply.
Data map: Xu Nannan prepares for the Torino Winter Olympics in the snow.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Wu Zhonglin
Lu Yan: Do you have any expectations and wishes for the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics?
Xu Nannan:
Hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics has interpreted the Olympic spirit and strengthened national cohesion.
In terms of competitive sports, it can lead to better development of various projects and support the construction of high-level echelon.
Similarly, there have also been improvements from training venues and facilities to event organization and technical personnel training.
In terms of leisure sports, it will attract more people, especially young people, to participate in ice and snow sports.
Through site construction, more superior conditions have also been created.
In addition, the Winter Olympics promoted the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures and served as a platform to convey civilization and learning.
Han Fei:
My biggest wish is that the new crown epidemic will not cause too much impact.
Maybe the Winter Olympics will be reduced to the audience size, of course, the TV will be broadcast, but as a winter sports athlete, I know how beautiful winter is. Watching a game as a live audience is a great enjoyment.
I hope that the new crown epidemic can be well prevented and controlled.
Other aspects related to the event, I know, the organizers can do very well.
The Chinese are definitely looking forward to the Winter Olympics, and I hope everything goes well for it.
Lu Yan: Athletes are the protagonists of the arena. What are your expectations for the performance of Chinese and German players?
Xu Nannan:
I believe that the Chinese team is well prepared.
After 4 years of preparation, no matter what the results are, I believe that the Chinese athletes' tenacious fighting spirit on the field will certainly not lose to any country, and will truly embody the Olympic spirit and national spirit.
Han Fei:
We know that the Olympic Games are held every few years. It is now in the refinement stage and the unfinished tasks have to be completed.
We look forward to knowing a new country, new culture and new friends. This expectation also gives us strength and motivation to enable us to perform well.
As foreigners, we are also looking forward to going to a new country.
From the perspective of the Summer Olympics, the Chinese team has become the strongest team (one of). If China can persist in winter sports, the day when China wins gold and silver in more events should not be too far away.
On August 5, a sculpture of the emblem of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics stood on the ramp at the northeast corner of Jinyuan Bridge on the West Fifth Ring of Beijing.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Hou Yu
Lu Yan: Beijing will welcome the Winter Olympics for the first time. From the perspective of German athletes, what will hosting the Winter Olympics bring to Beijing and the world, and what will it leave behind?
Hanfei: The
new host city will have great opportunities in terms of architecture. For the athletes, it is hoped that they can stand on the highest podium and receive the gold medal at the end.
When a country hosts the Winter Olympics, it will become the focus of sports reports within 14 days.
This is an opportunity to show one's own country, show one's own country's history, and also give the country's future development direction.
In the field of winter sports, this direction is that when people think of Chinese, they think of winter sports and skiing.
As a former winter sports athlete, I think this is great. Winter sports is a happy thing. I am happy that Chinese people can now enjoy winter sports.
This is a clear signal that people will receive within 14 days of the Winter Olympics, or a signal China sends to the world.
Xu Nannan:
Enhancing the level of ice and snow competition requires the participation of the public, especially the training of young enthusiasts.
For China, how can ice and snow sports be better carried out on campus to get more young people to participate?
How to encourage more young people to participate in winter sports in Germany?
Han Fei:
As in other places, when we have a game, there will be small spectators in the stadium. They will stare at what we are doing, and they will also want to try it on their own.
The important thing is that next to our competition platform, there will be a small platform for beginners.
It is impossible for children to practice from the big platform, but when they see these small platforms, they will have bright eyes and smile, and they want to try it.
For Chinese children, it is important that they can often go to the scene to watch the ski jumping competition, because if they see it with their own eyes, they will want to imitate, but if there is no media report, no photos, no live competition, they will be very difficulty.
(Finish)