10 Heartwarming Moments from the Beijing Winter Olympics
Number 1: GU Ailing comforted her opponent after winning the competition
On February 8th, Chinese competitor GU Ailing won the women’s freestyle skiing final. When she saw the disappointment and tears of her opponent, French athlete Tess Luder, she rushed to comfort her, as well as Swiss bronze medalist Mathilde Gremode. This scene moved the audience.
Number 2: Thirty-four years later, the son wins the same medal as his father
On February 10th, 29-year-old Austrian Johannes Strolz won the Olympic gold medal in the Alpine combined race, just like his father 34 years earlier, Hubert, at the Calgary Winter Olympics.
Number 3: Speed skating “Aunty”
German speed skating competitor Claudia Pechstein, who made her debut 30 years ago and turned 50 in February, was the oldest female competitor to participate in the Winter Olympics. She is also the only woman who took part in her eight Olympics! Even though she finished last this time, she is still very proud of the five gold medals won over her Olympic carrier.
Number 4: American freestyle ski competitor Ashley Caldwell hugs her competitor
Ashley Caldwell lost against XU Mengtao at the freestyle ski competition. The two have been competing against each other for years and forged a deep friendship. When XU Mengtao won the championship, Ashley Caldwell hugged her warmly and told her how proud she made her.
Number 5: A team of… one person
Katie Tannenbaum was the only athlete heading to the Winter Olympics this year from the US Virgin Islands, and the first they had sent since 2014. She was representing her country at the Skeleton competition.
Number 6: Canadian athlete Max Parrot wins a gold medal after winning the fight against cancer
Canadian snowboarder Max Parrott got diagnosed with cancer after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In 2019, he received a total of 12 chemotherapy treatments. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in slopestyle.
Number 7: Hanyu Yuzuru missed out on history, but remains undimmed in eyes of fans
The Japanese ice-skater could not retain his Olympic title, nor land the first quad Axel. But Hanyu is still loved dearly by his fans, many of whom are Chinese. A lot of them were upset that his eight-year reign as Olympic champion came to an end but still praised him for attempting a quadruple axel, which has never been landed in competition. A Chinese woman in her 50s told Kyodo News, “It’s a pity that Hanyu missed a medal, but he took on a challenge that nobody has done before. The spirit is wonderful.”
Number 8: Nina O’Brien ‘heartbroken but also feeling so much love’ after giant slalom crash
American alpine skier Nina O’Brien on Tuesday thanked everyone who took care of her, especially those who rushed to her side after her crash in the giant slalom, and said she was “heartbroken, but also feeling so much love.” “For now I’m in great hands,” she said. “I want to say thank you to everyone who’s taken care of me, especially those who rushed to me in the finish and my doctors and nurses in Yanqing.”
Number 9: The young man who became popular overnight
Bosnia and Herzegovina luger Mirza Nikolajev told Xinhua that he will never forget the friendly and hospitable atmosphere at Beijing Winter Olympics. Nikolajev had the honor of carrying his country’s flag at the opening ceremony, and he won the hearts of lots of fans with his wink to the camera. “When I left for Beijing I had some 900 followers on Instagram. Today, I have more than 29,000 and counting. It’s crazy and flattering at the same time. I cracked quite a few jokes with my girlfriend about the countless compliments I received from girls and the invitations to extend my stay in China,” he said upon his return to his hometown Sarajevo.
NO.10 赛后获赠徽章
2022北京冬奥会冰壶混双循环赛第八轮，中国组合凌智/范苏圆5-7不敌美国组合佩辛格/普利斯（Victoria Persinger/Christopher Plys），但比赛结束后，中国队二名选手虽败犹荣，亲手将两盒冰墩墩徽章赠予对手，展现体育精神。这个举动十分感动，他们发文称，“今天下午，很荣幸收到中国队员送的礼物，很漂亮，这是体育精神的绝佳体现”这是体育运动的意义，用公平的比赛结下友谊。重要的是参加，不是胜利。
作者: 迪老师
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