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China

Feature: Chinese youth carry forward the Olympic spirit

2022-05-04 10:14:37

BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, the young Chinese athletes shined on the ice and snow, while many Chinese youth also committed themselves as officials and volunteers to present the world with streamlined, safe and splendid Games.

The legacies of Beijing 2022 include the world-class venues for winter competitions and the young talents with a great passion for contributing to a winter sports country. The youth carrying forward the Olympic spirit can lead the world to a shared future.

DEDICATION

Liu Yuanjie, who was born in 1994, joined the operation team of the National Speed Skating Oval as an intern in 2018, but now in the eyes of her colleagues, she has already become a veteran in the "Ice Ribbon."

Over the past four years, Liu witnessed how the carbon dioxide refrigerants were introduced to make the "fastest" ice ever, where around a dozen of Olympic and world records were broken during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

"I can feel a sense of honor each time when a new record was achieved here, which was also an award for all our venue operation officials," said Liu, who was a manager at the venue's operation center during the Games, functioning as a nerve center to ensure smooth coordination of operation teams.

As the National Speed Skating Oval is currently set to open to the public, Liu and her colleagues are preparing for the new stage of the "Ice Ribbon." "Sustainable development is an important concept of the Beijing Winter Olympics. I will always keep my Olympic journey in mind and strive to develop the 'Ice Ribbon' into a symbol of China's winter sports in the future," Liu said.

BURNING PASSION

"I couldn't be more excited on January 8 this year when I was informed to get involved in Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics as a national technical official (NTO) in Alpine skiing," said Xie Xiaoyu, a 25-year-old ski instructor in Yanqing, one of the three competition zones of Beijing 2022.

Xie tried different jobs before learning skiing in 2017 and believed that the youth should be brave to explore the unknown. With a passion for skiing, he spent more than a year training to become a ski instructor at a local ski school.

"Many of my students had little access to skiing before, while the youngest was only two and a half years old. I was really delighted to see them make progress each time, which also made me realize that I chose the right and meaningful career," he said.

As he was skilled in skiing and obtained the national certificate of a ski instructor, Xie tried to apply for the NTO at the National Alpine Skiing Center in 2021. To his surprise, the dream came true.

During the Games, he usually got up at 3 a.m. and finished his work of cleaning the piste at about 6 p.m.. "Those days were busy, but I didn't feel tired at all. We had a 59-year-old team leader who was always diligent and energetic. He set an example inspiring us to achieve the best," he noted.

Now, Xie returns to the ski school to make training plans for his students. "Skiing becomes popular across China as more than 300 million Chinese people have participated in winter sports. I want to visit more skiing resorts in the future, bringing the happiness of skiing to more people," Xie added.

LASTING FRIENDSHIP

While Xie concentrated on the track conditions during the Games, Shu Jingyan, a volunteer at the National Alpine Skiing Center, introduced Chinese culture to athletes and officials from other countries and regions.

Shu is a college student majoring in foreign languages at Beihang University, or Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. During the Games, she offered language services to the Olympic and Paralympic family for nearly 450 hours in total. "We represent the Chinese youth who are enthusiastic and confident," Shu said.

Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, visited the National Alpine Skiing Center on February 7, during which Shu presented him with a Chinese paper-cutting containing elements of the Chinese Spring Festival and the Winter Olympics.

"I introduced the paper-cutting to Bach, and he really liked it. He praised our work and told us to cherish our Olympic moments, which lifted all of us. The Olympic memory would be the treasure of my whole life," Shu recalled.

After the Games, Shu and other volunteers from Beihang University shared their experiences with more college students and local residents.

"What impressed me the most in the Olympics was the friendship beyond national boundaries. In the future, I hope to make my due contribution to foreign affairs, make more friends from all over the world to gain a better understanding of China," Shu said.

Editor:Jiang Yiwei