Chapter 40 Interview: Do You Want to Become a World Champion?
After the competition, Feng Simai arranged to have dinner with several other players at the hotel restaurant, and also sent messages to other Chinese players in the stands who had time, asking them to come along.
Xia Yuezi figured the kids would probably want to go for a walk outside after the dinner, so she didn't stop them, only giving them a few verbal instructions.
She had just returned to her room when she received a call from Li Tan, who said that the General Administration of Sport had reached a cooperation agreement with a certain sports live streaming app and was preparing to conduct an exclusive interview with the athletes from the China leg of the competition. The reporter would arrive the next morning.
The results at the China leg were better than the leaders expected. Almost every athlete withstood the pressure of playing on home soil, bringing back two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, and also securing two spots in the finals.
Most athletes will have interviews or video footage after they emerge as stars, which will be broadcast on partner platforms before major competitions or after they move up a group. For example, before the Olympics, there will be documentaries about each Olympic athlete's preparation.
In fact, many countries where figure skating is very well developed have documentaries featuring athletes from the junior to the senior levels, comparing them with their contemporaries. This provides fans with valuable material for understanding the athletes and the sport.
After the World Youth Championship ended last season, Yang Yiyan and Feng Simai each gave an exclusive interview after returning to China, and they were very familiar with the process.
Xia Yuezi sent a message to Feng Simai, telling them not to stay up too late, otherwise they wouldn't be able to get up tomorrow. It took a few minutes for the other party to reply.
The next morning at seven o'clock, the reporter and his assistant arrived at the hotel carrying their equipment. Li Tan, as the head coach of the Beijing team, personally greeted them downstairs and led them upstairs.
Four reporters came this time, each to interview an athlete in one of the four events. The athletes had already gotten up, tidied themselves up, and were waiting in their respective rooms.
Lin Ye and Feng Simai were staying in the same room, and the reporters were led by Li Tan to stand outside the door and knock.
The coach from Heilongjiang Province opened the door. If you listen carefully, you can also hear a female voice coming from inside the room: "I told you not to move around, your hair isn't done yet."
A few people walked in curiously, and the two athletes sat cross-legged on the ground, looking like flower buds that had been ravaged.
One person had a head clip on, while the other had his eyes closed, letting Xia Yuezi pat powder puffs on his face. A fully equipped makeup box was placed at his feet.
Hearing the noise behind her, Xia Yuezi didn't even turn her head: "Wait for me for a minute, it'll be ready soon."
Seeing the puzzled looks from the others, the Heilongjiang coach explained from the side: "Coach Xia said that after all, we have to face all the ice skating fans, so we can't be too casual."
This statement is actually a simplified version of the facts.
When the two athletes returned from the restaurant, they ran into Xia Yuezi, who was carrying a makeup box, in the corridor. Lin Ye, a tough guy from Northeast China, refused to put on makeup. Feng Simai tried to resist but was physically suppressed by his own coach.
He grabbed Lin Ye, who was watching the show from the sidelines, and wouldn't let go, saying that they should do their makeup together. Lin Ye was so scared that he ran towards the door, but Xia Yuezi finally managed to pin him down on the ground.
Xia Yuezi put down her tools, removed the clip from Lin Ye's head, and looked at her "masterpiece" with satisfaction.
Feng Simai's skin is already fair, and with a little foundation, it looks even cleaner and fresher. Her eyebrows are also well-shaped. Lin Ye has some acne scars on her forehead, which she covered with concealer, and also concealed the dark circles under her eyes.
"Thank you for your hard work, we can begin now." Xia Yuezi nodded to the reporters and stepped out of the camera's view, carrying her makeup box.
The assistants, suppressing their laughter, found a spot to set up the equipment. The reporter who came to interview them was a woman, and she joked, "Coach Xia, your technique is quite professional, no worse than a beauty blogger."
Xia Yuezi put away the cosmetics and stood to the side to explain: "There was no other way. In the past, the team didn't have enough funds, so we couldn't always take a makeup artist with us to competitions. Most of the time, we did our own makeup."
Lin Ye opened his phone's camera, pointed it at his face, and muttered to himself, "Isn't this face a little too pale?"
Feng Simai rolled her eyes and retorted, "You should be grateful that Yang Yiyan didn't do your makeup."
The voice was quite loud, and everyone present heard it. Li Tan was very surprised: "Xiao Yan even did your makeup?"
Standing at the back of the crowd, Xia Yuezi seemed to be thinking about something, and lowered her head to suppress her laughter.
Yang Yiyan will be promoted to a higher group next season. After discussing it with her mother, they decided to teach her makeup. However, this girl was not even used to doing makeup on her own face before she started doing makeup on other people. Feng Simai's face has been ruined by her countless times.
The victim looked indignant and recounted her memories at length: "Don't even mention it. She used me as a practice subject for blush, and ended up making me look like a monkey's butt. When Sister Mengyi passed by, she even asked me if I was sick."
The room erupted in laughter. Lin Ye sat next to him, laughing and patting his back forcefully, which angered Feng Simai so much that he punched him.
The reporter adjusted the camera and officially began the interview.
"First of all, congratulations to both of you on your great results in the China leg. As representatives of the Chinese men's singles event, what do you think is your biggest advantage on the court?"
Feng Simai glanced at Lin Ye and replied, "He jumps really fast, like a little bomb, but I'm better at sliding."
Lin Ye nodded and added, quoting a fan's assessment of them: "He is an artistic jellyfish, and I am a jumping machine."
The reporter was amused and asked, "You're under pressure to compete for Olympic spots this season, are you nervous?"
Lin Ye said, "It's normal to be nervous, but there's still a lot of time before the World Championships. No matter who goes, we will make all the necessary preparations."
Last year at the World Championships, only one spot was secured for the men's singles event, so the higher-ups will definitely be very selective in choosing the athletes to send.
She then asked, "So what are your expectations for the future, or what are your next plans?"
Feng Simai rubbed his knees and spoke first: "I want to improve my physical fitness first, increase the difficulty of the show as much as possible, and get rid of the label of 'artistic jellyfish'."
Lin Ye blinked, looking a little embarrassed: "I don't really have that much talent in artistic skills, so I can only try to make up for it by increasing the difficulty."
The reporter asked a few more questions, and the two of them chatted back and forth, making the atmosphere very lively.
Xia Yuezi stood at the back of the crowd, watching them bicker, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
As the interview drew to a close, the reporter asked one last question: "Do you want to become world champions?"
So far, China has not won a gold medal in any A-level event in men's singles. Li Tan looked a little nervous and wanted to stop the discussion, but the two athletes were more enthusiastic.
Lin Ye's eyes lit up: "Of course I want to. I don't think any athlete doesn't want to become a world champion. I know my current strength is not enough, but I will keep working hard towards that goal."
Feng Simai nodded in agreement, subconsciously straightening his back: "Although this road is difficult, it is never short of people who strive hard."
The rising sun streamed through the glass windows, bathing the room in a golden glow and refracting a dazzling light. A gleam shone in the eyes of both athletes, their pupils reflecting the camera lens opposite them, brimming with youthful energy.
………………
With the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix, the final lineup for the Grand Prix Final has been finalized.
The list of Chinese players is similar to that of last season, but this year only Yang Yiyan remained in the youth group.
During the adult competition, Yang Yiyan was almost overwhelmed by exam papers. What many people saw as training so exhausting that she collapsed on the ice became the only time she could catch her breath.
Yang Yiyan boarded a plane to Russia right after finishing her monthly exams and before the results were even released.
It had already snowed in Moscow in December. Yang Yiyan was unusually sleepy even before getting off the plane. She wrapped her down jacket tighter around herself and followed behind the coach, dragging her suitcase.
As soon as Yang Yiyan arrived at her hotel room, she took her ice skates out of her bag. The area below the eyelets was covered in creases, and the uppers of the skates were so soft and limp that they could almost be pressed into an oval shape.
Xia Yuezi helped her tidy up and casually took out another ice skate bag from the pile of luggage.
Xia Yuezi had previously suggested that Yang Yiyan consider changing her skates, but the girl refused, saying she "wouldn't be able to find the right feel if she changed them" and wanted to hold on for a while longer until the end of the season.
However, based on Xia Yuezi's experience, it would be difficult for these worn-out skates to last through the World Junior Championships, so she brought a spare pair of skates.
Figure skaters don't change their skates easily, as it would affect their feel.
Professional athletes typically use two types of ice skates: Piano and IceFly. Yang Yiyan usually uses Piano.
The uppers of the new shoes are very stiff. Even professional athletes will feel their ankles are restricted when they first put them on, and their ankles will be in severe pain when they make movements. Their toes will also get blisters. This period of discomfort will last for at least a week.
In the past few months, Yang Yiyan has been practicing 3A on the ice in addition to building muscle, trying her best to stabilize this jump before the Grand Prix Finals and incorporate it into her free skate. As a result, the uppers of her ice skates are worn out very badly.
Xia Yuezi put the ice skate bag aside and reminded her, "If you feel your skates are worn out, wear these on the ice."
Yang Yiyan nodded, put the new shoes together with her usual pair, and checked the Costum and gloves again to make sure nothing was left behind.
After seeing the coach off, she looked out at the falling snowflakes, leaned over the window and breathed on it, drawing a "凸" shape on it. At the highest point, she drew a simple stick figure with a hoop around its neck.
She stared at the crooked stick figure with the "gold medal" hanging around its neck for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed out loud and reached out to wipe it away.
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