"I started playing in the World Cup at the age of 18 and I never skated in a repechage, so I didn't expect to start playing a repechage at such an age. Walking off the field, Ren Ziwei laughed at himself with a big grin. On the first day of the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Beijing on December 8, Beijing Winter Olympics champion Ren Ziwei competed in two individual events, all of which missed the top two in the group, and needed to compete for qualification in the repechage match on the morning of the 9th.
This is Ren Ziwei's first appearance on the international stage after the Beijing Winter Olympics, and when asked about the "biggest change" after his comeback, Ren Ziwei made no secret of it: the level of competition has declined.
This year, Ren Ziwei, who has taken a "long vacation", returned to the national team, but because he has not yet returned to the level of competition, he did not register for the first two World Cups. At the Beijing station, Ren Ziwei made a comeback at home, and every time he appeared on the stage, he received deafening cheers. However, the enthusiasm of the crowd could not make up for the gap in the past two years, and in the two races, he was unable to skate, including the 500m was overtaken on the last lap, and unfortunately finished third in the group, becoming the only host player to "fall behind" in the qualifying round.
What does it feel like to be back in the game?It's not good. After the joke, Ren Ziwei said again, in fact, it was all expected, "I train every day and know what level I have." Now both the physical condition and the technical level are not comparable to the Winter Olympics season, and they are still in the process of 'climbing'. The tactics are also a bit passive, and there are mistakes that shouldn't be made, so let's gain experience. ”
However, the difference in results did not hit him. Ren Ziwei said that he did not have the burden of stars and champions, and when he stepped off the podium of the Winter Olympics, everything started again. "Although I have stood at the top, I can accept the trough and not let my mentality explode because of this. It's nothing to play the repechage, just get up early. For the Milan Winter Olympics, he is still full of confidence, "When you see where you are missing, you know how to make up for it." Keep working hard every day. ”
Like Ren Ziwei, the 30-year-old veteran of the women's team, Fan Kexin, also returned to the national team this spring and started the journey of preparing for the Winter Olympics for the fourth time. She signed up for the first two World Cups, playing repechages in each of them – something that Fan Kexin has been in for more than a decade in her World Cup career. In Beijing, Fan Kexin successfully passed the 500-meter preliminaries twice. "It's great to see that I'm regaining my strength step by step, and I'm grateful for the trust of my coach, my team-mates and the hard work of the whole team. Xiao Fan said.
According to Zhang Jing, the head coach of the Chinese team, the return and re-start of the veterans is not only about winning gold and silver, "They train extremely hard, are self-disciplined, and pay great attention to details, setting an example for the young players." And they often share their own experience, which has played a positive role in the unity of the team and the growth of young players. Li Wenlong, the 22-year-old Beijing Winter Olympics silver medalist, said that the veteran is like a leader, leading him forward, "With them on the field, I feel very determined." ”
And this is also the task and goal of Ren Ziwei and Fan Kexin outside the arena. "I'm enjoying standing on the ice and fighting with my teammates. Fan Kexin said, "I hope to pass on the spirit of our Chinese short track team." ”