Written by Li Li
Edited by Li Xu/Liang Lina
Vision Wang Ye/Liu Liang
"As long as we work hard, it is possible that we are not worse than others."
Zhao Jiawen, who came from cross-country skiing, probably never imagined that he would one day associate himself with the Nordic biathlon, considered one of the most difficult sports to compete in snow. He also did not expect that at the opening ceremony of the much-anticipated Beijing Winter Olympics, he and Diniger would light the main torch of unique innovation.
Instantly, the outside world exclaimed: Who is Zhao Jiawen? What projects to practice?
After starting to practice Nordic biathlon in 2016, he has not returned home in six years; because of the difficulty of the project, the teammates around him have shrunk from the initial 20 or so to only 5 people. With a momentum to fight himself to the death, he persevered and did it.
In November 2021, with the curtain drawn on the International Snow Federation Nordic Biathlon Intercontinental Cup held in Lower Tagil, Russia, the post-00s youngster Zhao Jiawen made history - in the men's individual standard platform + 10 km cross-country skiing event, he won 22 places, qualified for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and became the pioneer of China's Nordic biathlon.
Cross-border training jumping platform - "Hit the top ten of the World Cup, you can participate in the Olympic Games"
In the depths of Zhao Jiawen's heart, he has always had an Olympic dream.
In 2012, Zhao Jiawen was a cross-country skier racing against his opponents in the snow, and later, he suspended cross-country skiing training and stood at the crossroads. After the successful bid for the 2015 Beijing Winter Olympics, Zhao Jiawen's heart was ignited again. In 2016, he returned to the snow field and began to try to practice Nordic biathlon.
The leap from off-road to platform jumping is not an easy task.
Zhao Jiawen
The Nordic project, which includes cross-country skiing and ski jumping, is a long-term project ruled by the Nordic countries, which started late in China and has a weak foundation. In 2017, Zhao Jiawen entered the national Nordic two-event training team through cross-discipline selection, and in 2018, the national Nordic two-event training team was officially established.
In order to achieve the best training effect, Zhao Jiawen followed his teammates to Japan for training. There is no springboard, no jumping shoes, just wear alpine shoes and alpine boards to train; without professional equipment, wear a tights and shorts to train.
Three years after the transfer, in the 2018-2019 season, Zhao Jiawen's achievements have made a great breakthrough. According to Ge Da, the coach of the national biathlon training team, Zhao Jiawen's performance at that time was often ranked in the top ten in the world. This is the goal he gave himself, because rushing into the top ten is getting closer and closer to the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Standing on the Olympic field is the ultimate dream of every player. Not to mention, the Olympics are on their doorstep.
Just when the all-out sprint was in full swing, an accident occurred...
Eight-month truce – "I want to jump, but I can't move my body"
"I fainted when I jumped down, and then I got injured..."
Zhao Jiawen did not expect to be injured. During the eight months of rest, his legs were completely unable to move, and he didn't know what to do or what to do. He felt that he might not have a chance to sprint for the Winter Olympics, and when he was low, he even thought about giving up training.
After convalescence, he eventually recovered from a leg injury. But before standing on the stage, the demons in my heart are still insurmountable. Zhao Jiawen said: "My body seems to be out of control, standing in front of the jump platform is unable to jump." ”
Zhao Jiawen in training
In the dark days, coach Ge Da is his strongest backing. "We were in touch all the time when I was away from the national team training, and after I got my leg injury, we kept working on that training plan, the coach was my backbone, the relationship was like father and son, without talking, he gave me a look and I knew what he meant." Zhao Jiawen described the coach this way.
Relying on the encouragement of the team leader and teammates, Zhao Jiawen reflected on his mistakes in training, regained confidence, and returned to the national team.
Mom's advice: Stick to the end - "You have to get your grades before you go home"
Six years ago, when Zhao Jiawen decided to go to the training ground to practice nordic two, his mother told him a sentence, "If you want to choose, just stick to the end, or don't learn." "He made up his mind to get his grades and go home.
After experiencing the torture of injury, Zhao Jiawen's mentality after returning was more calm and his training requirements were more stringent. Not only is the day longer and more intense than the practice of his teammates, but he also insists on practicing at night. He always moved towards one goal: to participate in the Olympics.
When he learned that he had qualified for the Beijing Winter Olympics, Zhao Jiawen burst into tears. "It's been six years," he once told his family on the phone, "and I haven't been home since I started practicing Nordic biathlon." ”
Since Beijing's successful bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, winter sports have flourished in the mainland, and the blessing of sports wind tunnels and other technologies has also inserted "wings" for athletes participating in ski jumping events, which can help athletes get rid of weather restrictions and the risk of injury in training.
"With the help of wind tunnel training, we have made a little progress every day in terms of ski jumping. In foreign countries, the average athlete needs to train for 4 or 5 years before he can train on the big jump, and we can train for 2 or 3 years. Zhao Jiawen felt that as long as he worked hard, everything was possible.
Diniger Yilamujiang (left) and Zhao Jiawen (right)
On February 4, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics opened romantically at the Bird's Nest. Zhao Jiawen appeared in front of the world as the main torchbearer and lit the last romantic torch. He was unforgettable about that excitement: "It is an honor to be the last torchbearer of the Beijing Winter Olympics." I will be the first Chinese athlete to stand in the Nordic biathlon of the Winter Olympics, and I thank the motherland for giving me this sacred moment and letting me light the main torch. ”
Five days later, on February 9, he will set foot on the snow field to make his Nordic Winter Olympic debut in China's Nordic biathlon. This persistent post-00s young man has worked hard to confirm his Olympic dream.