Hohhot, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- After winning the gold medal in the men's big air snowboard and the silver medal in slopestyle at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Su Yiming gave himself a long vacation.
In the 2023-2024 season, the Chinese snowboard star has made a strong start again, winning one gold and one silver in the FIS World Cup competition, which is full of masters, and also won two gold medals in the just-concluded "14 Winters" competition.
On February 24, Shanxi team player Su Yiming celebrated during the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe.
He has just celebrated his 20th birthday in the "14th Winter" and is now aiming for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Su Yiming said: "My goal has never changed, that is, the gold medal in the Winter Olympics, I have always wanted our Chinese national flag to be raised high, and I have always wanted to win glory for the country from the bottom of my heart." ”
But he also admits that the preparations for the Milan Winter Olympics will be more difficult than the Beijing cycle, and he will try his best to prepare himself in terms of competitive training, physical condition and mentality.
At the Beijing Winter Olympics, I joined as a newcomer. Now, not only my body, but also my mentality, including a lot of external reasons, will make it more difficult for me to prepare for the next Winter Olympics. ”
On February 24, Su Yiming, a player from the champion Shanxi team, kissed the gold medal at the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jianan.
Su Yiming did not shy away from talking about the greater pressure he is currently experiencing. After his two victories in the National Winter Games, the "release" scene after his intense psychological activities also left a deep impression on the audience. After the big air competition, he hugged his family tightly, tears flashing in his eyes; After the slope jump, he excitedly threw his skis into the sky and cheered with his arms.
The aura of the Winter Olympic champion, the trouble of sudden injuries before the game, and the challenge of sudden weather made the "14th Winter", which was the opening battle of Su Yiming's 20th year, "heavier than the Beijing Winter Olympics". The pressure may be to be in the spotlight for a long time to become famous, to be in the spotlight, and to be with him for the rest of his career.
Su Yiming used three short sentences to describe his personality on the field and on the training ground: a perfectionist person, a person who is eager to win, and a thoughtful person. But for every aspect of these personalities, he is also constantly debugging and polishing.
On February 24, Su Yiming, a player from the Shanxi team, was in the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe.
I'm a perfectionist in training and I want to do my best in every move. Su Yiming said. But he also said that a lot of practical experience has taught him a truth - sometimes the pursuit of perfection must reach a compromise with reality. Just like when he competed in the "14th Winter" competition, he had to reduce the difficulty of the movement due to weather conditions, even if he ended up finishing the race in a way that he didn't like very much.
The need to "change your mind in a short period of time" has certainly been a source of confusion, but this is the realism of competitive competition, and he admits that he needs to learn to adapt - "I am a person who is very hungry for results, and I really want to win gold medals in competitions......I will do whatever it takes to get the gold medal. ”
The desire for a gold medal after the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics does make him think about "more things", but he says that when standing on the starting platform, he must forget about it: "All that's left in my mind is how to do everything well." ”
Snowboarding park sports are extreme sports in the public eye, and many athletes who participate in them say that there will always be some elements of breaking the routine and taking risks when it comes to difficulty. But in contrast, Su Yiming insisted: "I am not very adventurous, and all the new moves I try and all the new choices I make will be carefully considered." ”
Data map: The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics snowboard men's big air final was held at the Shougang Ski Big Air in Beijing. China's Su Yiming won the gold medal. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi.
This is also in line with the impression that Su Yiming established in people's hearts after the Beijing Winter Olympics, when he stood on the sidelines with his back hands, he looked young, calm and stylish; When it erupts with intense emotion, it exudes an aura power far beyond its age.
I'm definitely more mentally mature than I was at that time [at the time of the Beijing Olympics]. ”
In addition to being himself, Su Yiming is being challenged by a younger player in the international snowboarding world, which is increasingly characterized by "fame before it happens", and the former "supernova" has now switched places and become a target for his opponents.
I was probably playing their role at the Beijing Winter Olympics, where I was improving at a very fast pace. But now that I'm seeing the efforts of these teenagers, I want to be able to keep my skills at the highest level in the world, which is a lot of hard work. ”
In addition, the overall difficulty level of the snowboard big air and slopestyle events is also improving, Su Yiming said that the 1440° rotation may have been a gold medal before, but now it is only a warm-up movement, and the difficulty will develop to a completely different level every 5 to 10 years.
On February 24, Su Yiming, a player from the Shanxi team, finished the first round of skating. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe.
But I think skiing is not just about pursuing difficulty, but also about adding your own understanding of skiing style and showing your unique style. Su Yiming said that at the Milan Winter Olympics, everyone can expect to see him add more inspiration to his movements.
During the "empty-time" period after the Beijing Winter Olympics, Su Yiming did not let go of the exploration of snowboard inspiration. "I have traveled a lot of places, met a lot of people and things, and gained a better understanding of life. These are also common in snowboarding, and there may be a lot of movements, including some truths, that are also gained from this experience. ”
Su Yiming, who returned to the training ground, was studying new techniques and styles all the time. He said that he practiced with many of the best players in the world, including him, who loved snowboarding from the bottom of their hearts and couldn't stop thinking about snowboarding.
We would be the first to go up the mountain in the morning and skied until the sun had set in the evening and the slopes were closed. ”
Walking out of the arena and training ground, the influence brought by fame also requires Su Yiming to deal with all aspects of life. For example, some crew members have recently hyped that he will appear in a TV series, but Su Yiming said that this was actually just filming at his training venue, and he did not participate in the performance himself. At the moment, his main task is to prepare for the Milan Winter Olympics.
On February 23, Su Yiming, a player of the champion Shanxi team, was at the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Beihe.
But he also said that he still has a long way to go in life, and he is happy to explore all the possibilities of his career and life. "Anything can happen to me. Su Yiming said.
It's just that now I need to focus on the most important tasks. ”
I hope to be able to take a good look at every day of training, my university life, and the time I spend with my family. I hope to be a very happy person who can enjoy the process and achieve the goal. ”
Su Yiming expressed his gratitude to the "fans" for their love. What he particularly values is his role model for young people to participate in ice and snow sports.
As a snowboarder, as an athlete, I not only want to achieve better results in competitions, but I also have a particularly important task to promote skiing and make more people understand and accept the sport. ”
Su Yiming said that he has launched a personal special public welfare in 2023 to promote the development of youth sports education. "I grew up looking at how my role model became a champion and I know how big a role model can be. ”
Producers: Yu Xiaozhong, Liu Wei.
Producers: Zhou Jie, Yin Yao.
Co-ordinator: Wang Jingyu, Zhang Rongfeng, Zhang Yunlong.
Reporters: Lu Xingji, He Shuchen, Gu Xun, Liu Bo, Liang Wanshan.
Photo: Peng Yuan, Da Rihan.
Editing: Darihan.
Editors: Liu Yang, Yue Dongxing, Huang Xuguo, Zhao Jiantong.
Produced by the Sports Department of Xinhua News Agency and the Inner Mongolia Branch.
*:Xinhua.