On January 25, 2021, the Shenzhen Kunlun Hongxing women's ice hockey team defeated MSMO 7.62 2-0 in a Russian Women's Ice Hockey League (WHL) match. Qi Xueting, the former captain of the Chinese women's ice hockey team, played 11 minutes and 43 seconds, still trying her best. Perhaps many people did not expect that this was her last professional race. Plagued by injuries, the 35-year-old veteran once again chose to retire and failed to play as an athlete at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
However, Qi Xueting's connection with ice hockey has never been interrupted. Returning to Shenzhen to promote ice hockey, participate in public welfare activities, work as a staff member for the Winter Olympics... In the 11 months without the competition, Qi Xueting's identity began to change. Whether she stands on the field or not, she always wants to contribute to the Winter Olympics held on her doorstep and do her best to popularize ice and snow sports.
Retirement: After training, the knee is swollen like a bun
Qi Xueting has had an indissoluble relationship with ice and snow since she was a child: when she was born, there was a heavy snow in Harbin, so her family put a snow word in her name. At the age of 10, Qi Xueting was photographed by the coach and started her hockey career. In 2010, she made her first appearance at the Winter Olympics and left a fond memory of her winter in Vancouver. In 2013, Qi Xueting chose to retire and serve as the coach of the national youth women's ice hockey team.
However, Qi Xueting is still looking forward to competing in the Winter Olympics again. In 2017, the time came. At that time, the Kunlun Hongxing women's ice hockey team settled in Shenzhen and jointly built a "national club" with the China Ice Association to prepare for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Qi Xueting, a girl in Harbin, was invited to make a comeback and put on her battle robes again. She said: "I was particularly hesitant when I received the invitation, because I had not trained systematically for a long time, plus ice hockey is a very confrontational project, and the intensity is particularly high. After thinking about it for almost a week, I replied, 'Then I'll try'. After all, as an athlete, the Olympic complex is still very heavy. "
In the past two years, Qi Xueting has participated in the Canadian Women's Ice Hockey League and the Russian Women's Ice Hockey League together with the Kunlun Hongxing Women's Ice Hockey Team, and won a WHL championship in the 2019-2020 season. At that time, Qi Xueting seemed to be not far from stepping onto the stage of the Winter Olympics again.
However, the veteran can't hide from the fight against injuries. High-intensity professional events have brought honor to Qi Xueting, but also brought knee injuries. "I suffered a knee injury in the 2020 Finals and spent a long time treating last season, recovering while playing. After the whole season, it felt quite difficult, and for a period of time, as soon as the training intensity came up, there would be a lot of fluid accumulation in the knees, swollen like steamed buns. "
At the end of last season, Qi Xueting thought for a long time and decided to retire again. In the past six months, in addition to her daily work and activities, she has also taken time out of her regular rehabilitation. "In the past, I was engaged in high-intensity exercise for too long, and the accumulated injuries and illnesses were still relatively serious, and the treatment cycle would be longer."
Role: From Winter Olympic player to staff
Will you regret not being able to stand on the Olympics again as an athlete? For this problem, Qi Xueting has her own understanding. "There was not much baggage when I came back in 2019, and since I have such an opportunity, I still want to try it." If you can, of course, it's good, but if it doesn't work, you're doing your best. And in these two years, I have gained a lot. "
Qi Xueting, who wore a sweatshirt for the 2020 WHL All-Star Game, said that participating in professional competitions has brought her a lot of different experiences, which impressed her: "In the past, in China, we trained and participated in competitions in a professional mode, but the professional arena was different. The local professional hockey culture and the feeling of having to fight for points in every game have brought me a different feeling. "
Although she failed to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics as an athlete, Qi Xueting still hopes to contribute to the ice and snow event at her doorstep. "I have now joined the National Gymnasium team of the Winter Olympic Organizing Committee as a staff member to assist the venue, and some time ago I went to Beijing to do some pre-game preparations." She believes that the experience gained over the past two years has made her more comfortable playing in the Winter Olympics as another.
In the team of the Winter Olympics, Qi Xueting is mainly responsible for the work related to the men's ice hockey project, and most of the 12 men's teams are from professional leagues in the United States, Russia and Europe. "When you participate in professional competitions in Canada and Russia, you are actually a process of accumulating ice hockey culture and information, and you will better understand the habits of professional athletes." During this Winter Olympic Games, I may not understand everyone's habits, but I know something about the operation of the team and the needs of the team. If there are staff, volunteers, etc. who do not understand the situation of the ice hockey project, I can also give them some corresponding suggestions. "
Qi Xueting's love for ice hockey is overflowing, and she cannot be on the stage of the Beijing Winter Olympics as an athlete, which does not reduce her enthusiasm in the slightest. She said: "Whether it is playing or not, no matter what kind of work, as long as it is related to ice hockey, I will take the initiative to do it, even if the identity change will be more handy, ice hockey brings me this feeling of pleasure." 」 "
Popularity: Shenzhen citizens are very enthusiastic about ice and snow
Shenzhen is located in the south, there is no snow all year round, and the citizens do not know much about ice and snow sports. However, to Qi Xueting's surprise, the enthusiasm of Shenzhen citizens for ice and snow is very high.
In 2019, the Shenzhen Kunlun Hongxing women's ice hockey team was home to the Universiade Center Gymnasium, when each game attracted about 3,000-4,000 spectators. These fans who cheered on the sidelines were Qi Xueting's first impression of Shenzhen's ice and snow sports: "I was pleasantly surprised by everyone's enthusiasm. It may be that everyone has little contact, or it may be that everyone thinks that the game is quite exciting, after the game is over, the players shake hands and greet, basically no spectators leave the stadium, and they want to continue to see what will happen. "
After returning to China in 2021, Qi Xueting has participated in ice hockey promotion activities for many times. In September 2021, the 17th (China) International Cultural Industry Exhibition Expo, Kunlun Hongxing Ice Hockey Club appeared at the branch venue of Shenzhen Beili Moscow University to pass on the ice hockey culture. Qi Xueting guided the public to visit, and also gave a popular ice hockey lesson for everyone, so that everyone could understand the culture of the ice hockey locker room, the development process of Chinese ice hockey, and the "Mulan" story of Kunlun Hongxing female ice.
Qi Xueting said: "Many citizens who visit the exhibition of the cultural fair have come to see our game and learn about the sport through the Kunlun Hongxing women's ice hockey team. Including the ice hockey courses we offer in cooperation with neighboring schools, they are basically fully booked. Maybe many southern children don't know much about how to play ice hockey, and may rub snowball for the first time after coming to the ice rink, but I think Kunlun Hongxing Club and our ice hockey rink have given everyone more opportunities to contact ice and snow sports, which has brought a good experience to many people. "
In the "No Longer Lonely Ice Hockey Team" public welfare class to help autistic children express themselves, interact with students in the school open class, Qi Xueting, who left the arena, has never left ice hockey, and she is realizing more wishes through this sport. "In terms of popularity, I hope that the Beijing Winter Olympics will be a new starting point, and more schools can cooperate with us in the future to promote ice hockey." As a member of the Chinese women's ice hockey team, I also hope that the Chinese team will have a better performance in this competition and get better results. "
Shenzhen Evening News reporter Lin Weihang