On November 17, in the starting area of the "Snow Dragon" track in Yanqing Olympic Park, the temperature was only minus a few degrees Celsius, and Huang Shuang, a girl from Yanqing, wrapped in a thick down jacket, and her colleagues monitored whether the temperature on the air, ice surface and the blade of the bobsleigh met the requirements of the rules of the competition. "The temperature of the athlete's bobsleigh blade must not be higher than the standard blade 4, otherwise the athlete's qualification will be affected. This is after the Winter Olympics, Huang Shuang once again returned to the "Snow Dragon" referee.
In this year's snow season, Yanqing ushered in the first international and domestic high-level events after the Winter Olympics - the 2023-2024 International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup, as well as the 14th National Winter Games Bobsleigh, skeleton, sled and alpine skiing events, the International Ski Federation Alpine Skiing Far East Cup, and the National Alpine Skiing Championships have landed in Yanqing.
In mid-November, during the 2023-2024 International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup, Huang Shuang measured the air temperature by the trackside. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
Adjudicator. The temperature of the bobsleigh blade should not exceed 4 from the standard temperature
Since November, Huang Shuang has started a three-point life: school, home, and "Snow Dragon".
Huang Shuang is an English teacher at Yanqing No. 1 Middle School, and the 2022 Winter Olympics at her doorstep has given her a new identity - referee.
In October 2023, Huang Shuang received a notice to adjudicate the bobsleigh and skeleton events in the 2023-2024 season of the International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup and the 14th National Winter Games. "The former is the first international high-level event ushered in by Yanqing after the Winter Olympics. Huang Shuang said that after receiving the task, she was very excited, "I can return to 'Snow Dragon'." ”
On November 17, the 2023-2024 season of the International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup officially began, with athletes from 18 countries and regions competing fiercely. As in the Winter Olympics, Huang Shuang served as the referee of the starting area. "Temperature measurement is an important task for the referees in the starting area, and the temperature on the ice, air and bobsleigh blades must be strictly controlled. Before the race, in the starting area, Huang Shuang held the thermometer, put the probe perpendicular to the side of the standard sliding blade, and stood still for a moment, and the temperature was displayed on the electronic screen of the thermometer19. "According to the competition requirements, the temperature on the standard blade of the bobsleigh should be between 18 and 22 for 45 minutes before the start of the race, and the temperature of the athlete's bobsleigh should not differ from the standard blade by more than 4. If an athlete's bobsleigh edge temperature is too high, the speed will be faster, which is unfair to other athletes. ”
Experience. The referee's uniform is one size larger and the inner layer is covered with a down vest.
The Snow Dragon National Bobsleigh Center Track, also known as the "Snow Dragon", is the 17th in the world, the third in Asia, and the first in China, with a total length of 1,975 meters, a total of 16 corners, and a vertical drop of more than 120 meters.
The temperature in Yanqing is lower than that of the city in winter, and the coldest time in the departure area of "Snow Dragon" is only minus a few degrees Celsius, and even if you wear thick winter clothes and shoes, you will be blown through by the cold mountain wind. With the experience of refereeing at the Winter Olympics, Huang Shuang Xi habitually made the referee's uniform a size larger, and added a down vest to keep warm.
Compared with low temperature, it is the most important thing for Huang Shuang to reasonably coordinate the scheduling of posts and personnel, and make the work in the starting point run efficiently. Normally, she and her colleagues need to arrive at the starting point two to three hours before the race to do all kinds of pre-race preparations. "Due to the relatively low temperature in the mountains, many athletes' bobsleighs and sleds are also cold, so we need to guide the athletes to transfer their vehicles to the designated location in the check-in area before the start of the competition. After the athletes have completed the commissioning of the bobsleigh within the allotted time, we will clean the bobsleigh blades, i.e. wipe them with acetone, and then take a temperature measurement. The bobsleigh is cooled on the ice in the starting area and the blades are re-sharpened, after which the athletes are ready to go. All steps need to be stuck, and there must be no mistakes in any of the rings that will affect the game. In addition, in between the two rounds, our staff also needs to rotate to multiple points within the established time, and post the results of the previous round and the starting order of the next round to ensure the smooth progress of the competition. Huang Shuang said that although there are also electronic notifications, this traditional "errand publicity" is also a kind of double insurance.
During the 14th National Winter Games, after the check-in area was closed, Huang Shuang polished the participating bobsleigh. Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
In this kind of international competition, there are actually various challenges in each post. As Huang Shuang said, "There are definitely difficulties, but with everyone's unity and cooperation, we can always 'pass' smoothly." ”
According to Meng Depeng, the referee of the 2023-2024 International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup Yanqing Station, in the early stage, the Yanqing District Sports Bureau sent 13 domestic technical and staff members who had participated in the Winter Olympics to serve as referees for this competition. At the same time, the young English talents in the whole region were surveyed, and outstanding talents were selected to participate in the bobsleigh and skeleton referee training class. After layers of screening, a total of 33 referees were finally selected to participate in the event. Among them, 22 are local referees in Yanqing, accounting for more than 60% of the total number of referee teams, and Huang Shuang is one of them. Before the official competition, the international technical personnel are familiar with all the operations of the track, although they have experience in refereeing the Winter Olympics, but Huang Shuang does not dare to relax at all.
Guarantee. In the post-Winter Olympics era, Yanqing's ice and snow events are still of high quality.
At about 8 p.m. on November 19, as the bobsleigh crossed the finish line, the 2023-2024 International Bobsleigh Federation Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup Yanqing Station officially came to an end at the "Snow Dragon". Over the course of three days, the National Bobsleigh Centre continued to be fast and furious, with a variety of exciting races. Huang Shuang's refereeing work is not over - after the World Cup, she began to participate in the refereeing of the bobsleigh and skeleton events of the 14th National Winter Games.
Huang Shuang said that during the two major events, she traveled between the arena, school, and home every day. Although the school adjusted the curriculum for her and let her devote herself to the guarantee of the competition, Huang Shuang still made various "careful calculations" according to the competition schedule and the curriculum. It not only ensures the competition, but also tries not to delay the normal teaching progress. Huang Shuang is also a novice mother, so she still needs to go home to visit her daughter, "The two games ended perfectly, and the busyness of nearly a month was too worthwhile." ”
Huang Shuang's tone showed pride, she said that the Winter Olympics were held in Yanqing, so that the world's attention was focused on Yanqing, and in the post-Winter Olympics era, Yanqing's ice and snow events are still of high quality.
Just as after the competition, Ivo Feriani, a member of the IOC Executive Committee and president of the International Bobsleigh Federation, said in an interview with ** that after a year and a half of successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics, he returned to Yanqing again and felt a lot of excitement and surprises. "The service guarantee in Yanqing is incredible, the venue is running in a perfect and orderly manner, and the athletes who come to participate in the competition have expressed to me their willingness to continue to participate in the competition in Yanqing next year. Yanqing's bobsleigh stadium is one of the most beautiful in the world. ”
Love. There are more and more people on the ice and snow in Yanqing.
Huang Shuang, like many Yanqing staff and volunteers in the Winter Olympics, signed up for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics with a simple purpose - "The grand event at your doorstep must be participated." ”
Huang Shuang's love for ice and snow began with the Winter Olympics, and in Yanqing, the public's enthusiasm for ice and snow also began with the Winter Olympics. From November 6 to 12, the International Bobsleigh Federation International Training Week, Yanqing District specially organizes primary and secondary school students in the district to visit the National Bobsleigh Center in the Yanqing Olympic Park to see the training of the International Bobsleigh Federation bobsleigh and skeleton athletes. Seeing international athletes training up close was thrilling for the students.
Liu Qianxun, deputy director of the Yanqing District Sports Bureau, said that in the past two years, in the post-Winter Olympics era, Yanqing has always attached great importance to the publicity, promotion and popularization of youth ice and snow sports, and will drive more young people to participate in bobsleigh and sledding in the future, so that more young people in Yanqing District can love and understand ice and snow sports, and tap potential and reserve talents for ice and snow sports.
refereed the Winter Olympics competition, so that Huang Shuang's life and fate have also changed because of the Winter Olympics. During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the Haituo Farmers Ski Team, composed of farmers from all walks of life in Yanqing countryside, became popular, not only becoming skiers, but also participating in the event service guarantee work in the closed-loop venue of the Winter Olympics. Captain Lang Enge has changed from a "sheepherd" to a ski coach and a Winter Olympic torchbearer, Zhang Yanfeng, an authentic farmer in Balidian Village, Shenjiaying Town, Yanqing District, has become a volunteer of Yanqing villagers for the Winter Olympics, and Zhang Kai, a young team member, has become a professional ski coach ......
This snow season, the Beijing News reporter also paid a return visit to the team members. Captain Lang Enge's family has made a big move - building a two-story villa to create an ice and snow theme homestay. Every time a guest stays, he introduces ice and snow sports to them, and continues to teach during the snow season. There are already thousands of skiing enthusiasts brought out by Lang Enge himself.
Hello Coach!We're already on the slopes and ready for class!Team member Zhang Kai sent a WeChat voice again. The 2023-2024 ice and snow season is coming, and the ski resorts in Beijing and the surrounding areas have opened one after another, with Yanqing, Chongli, Miyun, and Huairou ......Zhang Kai travels between various ski resorts, unlocking new technologies and leading students. Zhang Yanfeng and other team members also prepared ski equipment and went to the ski field to ......Zhang Kai said that after the Winter Olympics, the profession of ski instructor has gradually become a "hot profession", because more and more people are on the ice and snow in Yanqing.
Beijing News reporter Cao Jingrui.
Edited by Zhang Shujing and proofread by Lu Qian.