Hohhot, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Star of the Fourteenth Winter: The long-lost short track star is back.
Xinhua News Agency reporters Li Dian, Li Chunyu, Wang Junbao, and Wei Jingyu.
On the 15th, the short track speed skating event of the 14th National Winter Games was contested on the first day of competition. On the same day, many Winter Olympic champions such as Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Liu Brothers, and Lin Xiaojun all appeared. In the men's 1500m race, Han Tianyu, a famous player who had faded out of the field for a long time, appeared in the third lane of the second group, and the audience applauded warmly.
It was the sixth day of the first lunar month, and the Spring Festival atmosphere was strong on the field, with elements such as Chinese knots and blessing characters everywhere, and the audience cheered for their favorite athletes, and the atmosphere was warm. "I'm excited right now, the environment and the atmosphere are good, and I'm back to the ice rink that I know and love. Han Tianyu said after the game.
27-year-old Han Tianyu can be said to have become famous at a young age. In 2012, at the age of 15, he entered the national team, and then won a silver medal in the men's 1500m at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, setting the best Winter Olympic result for a Chinese athlete in this event. At the 2016 World Championships, Han Tianyu won three gold medals, including the men's 1500m title. This is the first gold medal won by a Chinese player in the 41-year history of the World Championships. In addition, he won the individual all-around and the 5,000-meter relay at the World Championships.
I have tasted the sweetness of my debut, and I have also felt the bitterness of injury. After winning the silver medal in the men's 5000m relay at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018, Han Tianyu gradually faded out of competition for a period of time due to injuries and other reasons, and missed the Beijing Winter Olympics.
At the last Winter Games, Han Tianyu won the gold medal in the men's 1500m, 1000m and 500m. Eight years later, Han Tianyu is already a father of two children, and his love for short track speed skating has made him stick to it until now. "I still love this ice rink, I don't want to give up so easily, I have dedicated my youth to short track speed skating all my life, and I don't want it to end so soon. ”
Although it will not be easy, he says he will do his best. In this "14th Winter", Han Tianyu participated in the men's 1500m and 1000m individual events. In the match on the 15th, he successfully advanced. Regarding the full winter meeting of famous generals and newcomers, Han Tianyu admitted that the competition was not easy to compare. "The competition is fierce and I feel like the competition can reach an international level. The young athletes are growing faster than our group and it's nice to see them. ”
As I get older, I recover more slowly in all aspects of my body, but I still play aggressively to adjust my condition to the best I can, and I want to repay the fans with the best performance. Han Tianyu said.
Han Tianyu told reporters that after the end of the "14th Winter", he will give himself a vacation and spend more time with his family. "I have been training step by step for so many years, I rarely have time to spend with my family, and my wife has always taken care of my two children, which is not easy. ”