The 2023-2024 National Short Track Speed Skating Championships held in Qitaihe from the 15th to the 17th is the first time that the "City of Olympic Champions" has hosted a top-level national event. Despite this, from the local relevant departments to the audience, there is no "first" jerky feeling, and the professionalism and hot atmosphere of the competition have attracted praise from all the famous players who came to participate in the competition.
Panoramic view of the arena. As a native of Qitaihe, Xu Aili, who fought at home, made a "good start" in front of her hometown parents, and left the gold medal in the women's 1500m race that ended at the earliest end of the national championships in her hometown - the number on the championship list in the Qitaihe Short Track Speed Skating Championship Hall will be rewritten for her again. In an interview after the game, Xu Aili introduced herself happily and said: "I am Xu Aili of the Heilongjiang team, and my hometown is Qitaihe, which is where we are now. Then she said: "I am very honored to be able to participate in the national top competition in Qitaihe, especially with so many parents and villagers in my hometown, so supportive, this competition held in my hometown is so good and successful, and I also hope that my hometown will produce more and more champions in the future." ”
The most popular athlete in this event is undoubtedly the Winter Olympic champion Wu Dajing, and his fan group has hung several posters in support of him in the stands, and every time he appears, the arena will completely become his home stadium. He is no stranger to Qitaihe, "It takes more than an hour to come to Qitaihe from my hometown (Jiamusi), and I often come here", Wu Dajing also repeatedly said that since he was a child, his teammates and colleagues around him are particularly from Qitaihe. For this competition, Wu Dajing was also full of praise for the venues, ability to host the competition, audience atmosphere, and urban sports culture in Qitaihe.
Compared with locals like Xu Aili and Wu Dajing, or half a local, Winter Olympic silver medalist Han Tianyu, although he was born in Fushun, Liaoning Province, he also feels "home" when he comes to Qitaihe - his wife, world champion Liu Qiuhong, is also from Qitaihe, and he also visited his relatives here on behalf of his wife in this competition. Han Tianyu said frankly that the deepest feeling of this competition comes from the "wife's mother's family", that is, the audience of Qitaihe, "Compared with me who came here to participate in the competition in 2014, today's venue is full, obviously there are more Qitaihe people who know and love the short track speed skating project, and the quality of the ice is also very good, this competition is really a good experience." I didn't expect so many people to come and cheer us on, it felt really good. Han Tianyu participated in the relay event this time, and he said that he is also very much looking forward to participating in the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games, whether as an athlete or otherwise.
Reporter: Yang Lei;Photo: Jing Tianxu;**Yang Lei.