Xinhua News Agency, Paris, September 6 (Reporter Ma Sijia, Zhang Wei) On the evening of the 6th, at the Paris La Défense Stadium, the audience stood up and watched the three five-star red flags accompanied by the majestic "March of the Volunteers" rising - in the men's 50-meter butterfly S5 final of the Paris Paralympics, Chinese players Guo Jincheng, Yuan Weiyi and Wang Lichao won the gold, silver and bronze medals.
On September 6, the champion Chinese player Guo Jincheng (middle), the runner-up Yuan Weiyi (left), and the third runner-up Wang Li Chao took a group photo after the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiong Qi
In the blue pool, three "armless flying fish" slapped the water with their legs at high speed, and hit the pool wall headfirst at the end of the pool. Guo Jincheng also set a new world record set by his predecessor Zheng Tao in 30.28 seconds, and after the race, he excitedly slapped the water with his foot, and poured back into the water, venting his joy.
Although he missed the gold medal, the runner-up Yuan Weiyi was also very happy. On his trip to Paris, he ended with 2 golds and 2 silvers, making up for the regret he had in Tokyo three years ago. Over the past three years, timed swimming of 8,000 to 10,000 meters a day combined with strength training has allowed his personal ability to improve rapidly. "What bothers me the most is the technical details. Until the competition, I was wondering if I was good enough, but this time I was able to bring out all the training skills. He said after the game.
On September 3, Yuan Weiyi was in the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
He knew that someone would watch his game in front of the TV or swipe into a video clip.
Sixteen years ago, at the age of 8, he lost both arms in a high-voltage accident, causing burns to 46% of his body. While lying on his hospital bed watching TV, he was inspired by the inadvertent sight of He Junquan, the "armless flying fish" of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, winning the championship.
With the idea of giving it a try, Yuan Weiyi's father left a message for He Junquan on the Internet, and received a reply within a few days. With the encouragement of the Paralympic champion, Yuan Weiyi began to practice writing with his feet, dressing, surfing the Internet, and told his parents about his dream of learning to swim. In 2009, under the introduction of He Junquan, Yuan Weiyi began to devote himself to professional training and flew to the mountain in his heart.
Every summer, the skin of his burns would suppurate due to the hot weather and lack of air circulation, and he had to go to the hospital for treatment. But he never cried out of pain, and as soon as the wound healed, he voluntarily asked to return to training. This tenacity and courage made him selected for the Hubei Provincial Para Swimming Team at the age of 13.
On September 3, Yuan Weiyi was after the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
All armless flying fish have faced the challenge of maintaining balance in the water. In order to overcome this difficulty, Yuan Weiyi tied a resistance umbrella around his waist and hung a plastic bag full of water on his feet during training to strengthen his waist. Because he relies on his lower limbs to exert force throughout the whole process, he must strictly control his weight and hardly touch sweets. In the final sprint, hitting the wall of the pool with his head is the pain that the "armless flying fish" must endure.
1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics, the "Triple Crown" at the World Championships, and 2 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronzes at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games...... The pain and suffering that able-bodied people can't empathize with make the "armless flying fish" give birth to wings.
On September 5, the runner-up Yuan Weiyi was at the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xiong Qi
"From an able-bodied person to a disabled person, the process is difficult and difficult, but sports have led me to a better path in life, making me more confident, sunny and cheerful, and my physical condition is much better than before." Yuan Weiyi said, "I don't want this kind of power to stay only on me, I want to pass it on to more people." ”
Born in a mountainous rural area, he saw many children with dreams, but some of them did not have the conditions to achieve their dreams. "I want to do something to help them."
From his mother, Yuan Weiyi learned that a pair of sisters had to take care of their sick mother in addition to studying, so he began to sponsor them to go to school, buy painting tools for them who love painting, and provide them with help in life. In addition, he also donated learning equipment to the primary school in his hometown, gave motivational speeches, and donated rescue equipment to the local blue sky rescue team.
When he returned home after the competition, he also wanted to take time to see the children he had sponsored.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Editor: Chen Jianli (intern)