Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, February 10 (Reporter Lu Yuchen) Qiu Zheng and Zhang Xinxin, members of the Chinese trampoline team, turned into two "koi" in the early morning of the 10th and appeared in the 2024 Spring Festival Gala "Leaping Dragon Gate" program of **Radio and Television Station.
Dressed in bright, delicate and colorful one-piece costumes, Qiu Zheng and Zhang Xinxin are like two smart and cute koi fish, jumping and flipping on the trampoline.
According to Feng Zhenxiang, the leader of the Chinese trampoline team, after the team returned from the World Championships last year, they received an invitation from the Spring Festival Gala program group. In order to show the demeanor of athletes in the new era and let more people understand, love and participate in the trampoline project, the Chinese team decided to send two athletes with excellent results to participate in the performance after reporting and communication. Zhang Xinxin won the women's double synchronization championship at the 2021 Trampoline World Championships, and Qiu Zheng was the runner-up in the women's double synchronization at the 2023 Trampoline World Championships.
Although they have been in the arena for a long time, Zhang Xinxin and Qiu Zheng did not expect that they could appear on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala.
It feels incredible: I can actually go to the Spring Festival Gala? After all, this is a big show that we saw since we were children, so we are all very happy and cherish this opportunity. Zhang Xinxin said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency.
Participating in the Spring Festival Gala for the first time, the two girls encountered a lot of challenges. The sleeveless legless gymnastics suit that I am used to wearing has been replaced with a "slippery" long-sleeved and long-legged one-piece this time; Usually, the venues for training and competitions are usually only illuminated by overhead light sources, but this time the lights in all directions are unpredictable, and even the floor is a large LED screen with moving pictures; Usually, even when I go to the field, I only wear light makeup, and this time I even put on false eyelashes ......
Because I usually turn my eyes when I flip the movements, I am used to turning them with my eyes closed. As soon as I slammed the false eyelashes, I felt like I couldn't close my eyes. At first, I was a little uncomfortable, and I felt a little scared in the air. But I'm not afraid to adapt to it later. Zhang Xinxin said.
Qiu Zheng, who is a little older, faces the same challenge. After discussing with the coaches Dong Dong and Tu Xiao who were responsible for the protection at the scene, the two athletes who originally planned to do difficult synchronous movements unanimously decided to appropriately reduce the difficulty and ensure the effect of the program on the basis of ensuring safety, showing the unique charm of trampoline sports.
In fact, the trampoline is also called 'aerial ballet', and all the movements are completed in the air, which is very ornamental. I hope that through the platform of the Spring Festival Gala, we can improve the popularity of trampolines, let more people know about trampolines, and watch more of our wonderful trampoline competitions when they have time. Qiu Zheng said. (ENDS).