Hohhot, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Nineteen-year-old Samuhar Selik was exhausted at the moment he crossed the finish line, unloaded his skis and sat on the ground, opened his mouth to breathe, and the cold and fresh air of the northern country crashed into the teenager's chest, and his eyes were full of pride and joy for finishing the race. After a 10-kilometre cross-country skiing session, Selik completed his first "performance" at the National Winter Games.
Data map: Saimuhar Selik (first from left) in the FIS cross-country skiing FIS points series Altay station. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Zanghar) Unlike most snow sports, cross-country skiing not only has a downward dive to compete for speed, but also has a long track with extremely endurance tests on flat and uphill ground, so cross-country skiing is also known as a "snow event against the current". In the "14th Winter" cross-country skiing field, there are a group of "young players" with an average age of less than 20 years old, which brings hope to China's cross-country skiing sport.
In the men's and women's 10km (interval start freestyle) in the junior category, Xinjiang's Semuhar Selik finished 10th in the men's race, and this is only his third year of training in cross-country skiing.
Samhar Selik warms up before the race. Photo provided by the interviewee Saimuhar Selik is from the Altay region of Xinjiang and was introduced to skiing at the age of 15 through the "Ice and Snow on Campus" campaign. "When I was in junior high school, there were more and more ski resorts around my hometown, and the school would also organize professional coaches to take us to the ski resort to familiarize ourselves with skiing. I was very curious for the first time, but after a long time, I gradually fell in love with the feeling of skiing. ”
Tall and a little shy, Selik doesn't say much when asked by reporters, but when it comes to cross-country skiing, the teenager's eyes light up. "I think the best thing about cross-country skiing is that you can feel how your hard work and dedication are rewarding, as long as you train hard, as long as you don't give up, your performance will improve in the next competition, and I enjoy the process of pushing myself to the limit. ”
These energetic children have dreams in their hearts, which gives them a lot of strength.
Guo Wanru in training. Photo courtesy of the interviewee "My biggest dream is to train hard, get good results, and try to get into the national team. Guo Wan, who represents the Liaoning team, is now 17 years old and has been practicing cross-country skiing for four years.
Born in Jilin City, Jilin Province, the cheerful Guo Wanru has learned to ski since childhood and has participated in many competitions. Due to the perennial training and competition outside, she has not been home for the Chinese New Year for several years, but Guo Wanru has no regrets about the path she has chosen: "Cross-country skiing is actually a competition of willpower in the end, and I tell myself every time I compete, no matter how tired and painful I am, I must persevere, I can't leave regrets for myself, and the happiest thing is to be able to help the team win medals." ”
In the snowless southern alpine forests, there are also children who show their talent in skiing, and Ao Ziyun of the Guizhou team is one of them.
On January 16, 2019, children skied at Meihuashan International Ski Resort, Zhongshan District, Liupanshui City. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tao Liang Ao Ziyun, 16, from Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, first came into contact with skiing in the winter of 2021. "At first, it was just out of curiosity, because many friends around me were skiing, but after skiing a few times, I liked it very much, and my parents were very supportive, and after many training and selections, I entered the Guizhou cross-country skiing team. According to Ao Ziyun, although his hometown is in the south, more and more people have participated in ice and snow sports in recent years, and he was also infected by the hot atmosphere of the snow resort before choosing this sport.
Due to the high altitude, high humidity and many mountains, Liupanshui in winter has become a rare "snow town" in southern China. It is understood that this Winter Games is also the first time that Guizhou has organized a group to participate.
On the 23rd, the competition of the cross-country skiing youth group of this Winter Games officially started. These young people from all over the country, representing the future of cross-country skiing in China, will continue to chase their dreams and inspire youth in this arena in the next three days.