(Fourteenth Winter) They come from the "snowless land" in the south, but shine in the ice and snow in the north.

　　China News Service, Ulanqab, February 20th: They come from the "snowless land" in the south, but they shine in the ice and snow in the north

　　China News Service reporter Zhang Linhu

　　"As an athlete from a southern province, I grew up in Pu'er, where there has never been snow, and now I have become a professional skier. I feel very lucky." Pu Rui of the Yunnan team said on the 20th.

Pictured is Purui. Photo by reporter Zhang Linhu

　　In the "Fourteenth Winter" freestyle skiing open group women's obstacle pursuit held on the 20th, Pu Rui won the third place.

　　"The weather for this competition was not very good. It was snowing all the time. The visibility during the competition would be a little affected, but the entire venue was in good condition. The snow quality was relatively uniform and smooth. It felt good to slide down." Pu Rui said after the game.

　　Pu Rui, who was born in 2001, comes from Pu'er, Yunnan, a "land without snow". In August 2018, Pu Rui performed well in the cross-border and cross-sport selection test of the State Sports General Administration and entered the national training team for winter sports.

The picture shows Puri crossing the finish line. Photo by reporter Zhang Linhu

　　Long-term track and field training and winning the high jump championship in the Provincial Games have given Pu Rui outstanding strength in speed, jumping and adaptability. In the end, having never seen snow, she successfully transformed into an ice and snow athlete and became one of the first freestyle skiing slalom pursuit athletes in my country.

　　The Freestyle Ski Slalom Chase is a racing event. On a track more than 1,000 meters long, there are various obstacles such as different turns, jumping platforms, and waves. The vertical drop is 140 to 260 meters, and the slope is 5 to 22 degrees. Whoever has less wins.

　　Due to the complex and changeable track and the extremely fast speed in the competition, which requires extremely high skiing skills and adaptability of the players, the obstacle pursuit is also the ice and snow event with the highest number of injuries among players, making it a veritable "sport for the brave".

The picture shows Purui (right) on the podium. Photo by reporter Zhang Linhu

　　However, with her good physical condition and fighting spirit, Pu Rui emerged soon after being exposed to ice and snow sports, and eventually represented China in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

　　February 17, 2022, is a day that Purui will never forget. In the women's freestyle skiing slalom pursuit qualifying competition for the Beijing Winter Olympics, Pu Rui advanced to the 1/8 final round with a ranking of 25th in the qualifying round.

　　"As a child from a rural area, I cherish this rare opportunity. I am very happy to achieve today's results and bring glory to the people in my hometown," Purui said.

The picture shows Qiu Xiyang. Photo by reporter Zhang Linhu

　　Also from the "Snowless Land" like Pu Rui is Qiu Xiyang of the Guangxi team. Coincidentally, Qiu Xiyang also won third place in the men's obstacle course competition of the freestyle skiing open group on the 20th.

　　Qiu Xiyang is from Hezhou, Guangxi. In his early years, he was a Greco-Roman wrestler with great success. In 2018, he was selected to join the national training team for the cross-border freestyle ski slalom pursuit.

　　Qiu Xiyang admitted that during the five years of wrestling practice, he never thought that one day he would be able to participate in the Winter Olympics. "I have just come into contact with this project, so it is a challenge for me. I have never seen snow, but I believe that the previous training will help me learn to ski."

　　Qiu Xiyang felt very fresh when he saw snow for the first time, and gradually became interested in skiing. As a cross-border and multi-sport skier, Qiu Xiyang admitted that it was difficult to adapt when he first arrived at the training ground. However, after a long period of study and training, he gradually mastered the skills of skiing.

　　In 2020, Qiu Xiyang represented the national team in the freestyle ski slalom pursuit of the third Winter Youth Olympic Games, becoming the first athlete in Guangxi's history to participate in the Winter Youth Olympics.

The picture shows Qiu Xiyang and coach on the podium. Photo by reporter Zhang Linhu

　　Regarding his performance in this "14th Winter", Qiu Xiyang said that he tried his best and was very satisfied with the results of the competition.

　　"For me, this is a long-awaited competition. Through our efforts on the field and our usual training level, we are actually fulfilling our dreams. I hope more people will join ice and snow sports in the future." Qiu Xi Yang said.

　　Talking about the future, Qiu Xiyang has a clear goal: to enter the national team and compete in the Milan Winter Olympics.

　　In fact, during this Spring Festival, ice and snow sports are a beautiful sight in both the north and the south. In the "14th Winter" ice and snow arena, ice and snow athletes once again fought for honor, not only showing the gains after hard training, but also witnessing the results of the in-depth advancement of my country's ice and snow sports strategy of "expanding south, expanding west, and advancing east". (over)