Chapter 138 First Gold Medal: A New Era for Pairs Figure Skating
In the world of sports, the Olympics is always the most coveted arena for all athletes, and so are the medals.
Even if they didn't get the one they wanted most, the Chinese players hugged their teammates tightly. Some of the more emotional players couldn't help but burst into tears in the arms of their loved ones.
For example, the female pair of figure skaters, who were underage, were crying uncontrollably while holding a doll in her arms, her shoulders trembling slightly, while her male partner hugged her and gently comforted her.
Not to mention the athletes, even all the sports fans who were following this sporting event were stunned.
No one expected that China's first medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics would come from figure skating, a sport that is not particularly strong domestically.
This medal seemed to be a good start, as the Chinese team won more medals in other events the day after the team competition ended.
Before the individual competition begins, figure skaters have two days of rest, during which many skaters go to watch other events.
Even Xia Yuezi managed to steal a moment from her busy schedule to watch a short track speed skating competition, and was so angered by the host country's underhanded tactics that she couldn't eat for a whole day.
South Korean short track speed skating already has a poor reputation worldwide, and now, on their home turf, they are displaying the word "hegemony" to the fullest extent. Some athletes are even taking advantage of the situation, which perfectly matches the stereotypes that Chinese people have about South Korea.
Compared to them, Xia Yuezi felt that the Russian and American systems had become more elegant. At least Russia's behavior at the Sochi Winter Olympics wasn't so ugly, and it didn't go to the point of using any means necessary to win gold medals.
However, not long after, Coach Xia suddenly found that the pressure had returned to their figure skating team, especially when Coach Lu and his three pairs of students were so busy that they could hardly be seen.
The figure skating team won its first medal a couple of days ago, which immediately raised expectations for the sport across the country. The first individual competition was the pairs figure skating event, one of China's hopes for winning gold.
This is also Cao Jinhui and Lu Sheng's last chance to win gold at the Olympics.
In addition to the existing pressure, they also have to face the current situation that the Chinese delegation has no gold medals. The combination of these two pressures would be enough to drive other less experienced athletes to the brink of collapse.
However, the Cao-Lu duo seemed to have acquired some kind of converter, becoming visibly more composed, while their coach, on the other hand, had a few more gray hairs.
Xia Yuezi could hear the conversation coming from Coach Lu's room whenever she passed by the dormitory corridor. It was most likely that they had called from China to put pressure on him again.
On February 14th, at 10:00 AM Pyeongchang time, the pairs short program began. Chinese skaters and staff gathered in the spectator area to cheer on the three pairs of skaters.
Meng Xin stood at the front of the crowd, waving the national flag with both hands, giving off an imposing aura as if she were about to beat a big drum.
Before becoming a women's singles coach, she was a pairs skating partner, and in recent years her attention to pairs skating has been second only to women's singles.
Xia Yuezi stood next to Meng Xin, listening to her introduce the other contestants who were about to take the stage.
“Look at that Canadian couple. They’re not young anymore, and like Xiaohui and Xiaolu, they’re plagued by injuries. The male partner’s shoulder is so bad that he needs a steel plate. But this season, they’ve had almost no mistakes on their twists. Their spirals are rated very highly, and their throw jumps are also very difficult.”
"There are also the two Russian pairs. The younger pair has a 3LZ solo, and the other pair has a twist and a 3F solo. They are also strong competitors of ours. The program was choreographed by a well-known Russian choreographer, and the quality is quite high. There is no gap in the choreography and transitions."
Xia Yuezi watched the two encouraging each other in the corridor. The moment they stepped onto the stage, they displayed the aura of kings, their eyes filled with ambition and confidence.
They had the highest points coefficient, so their short program was performed last.
The moment the music started, the two stood on the ice, their eyes meeting, filled with a deep affection that only they could understand.
As a rare couple in pairs figure skating, and with so many years of tacit cooperation, the two can almost synchronize every glide and step, without needing any prompting from anyone; they know exactly what to do next.
Moreover, the fact that Cao and Lu were able to stand out among European and American skaters, become the number one pairs skating team in the hearts of figure skating fans, and receive good treatment from the judges shows that they must have real skills.
To compensate for the height difference, Lu Sheng continuously improved his strength and was able to quickly perceive his female partner's intentions and cooperate in a timely manner, which earned him the title of best male partner in pairs figure skating.
Cao Jinhui's performance skills and physical abilities are quite outstanding, which allows her to express her emotions very openly. She also has a strong sense of control, and can even turn her axis back when her male partner makes a mistake in the throw.
Especially when they skated a love-themed ice skating routine combined with tango, their emotions were so intense that they could practically have a dance party on the ice. They would also exchange glances from time to time, as if extending invitations to ice skating fans, making the other skaters wish they could go up and skate with them.
Many ice hockey fans are saying that watching their shows is much more interesting than watching dating reality shows.
This textbook-perfect performance broke the world record for the pairs short program, giving them a significant advantage before the free skate.
However, after the competition, the two ice skating champions were almost out of health, so they went backstage to find the team doctor for emergency replenishment, each holding an ice pack and placing it on their wounds.
Coach Lu asked worriedly, "Are you two going to compete for a double quadruple in your free skate?"
In pairs figure skating, the double quadruple consists of a throw quadruple and a twist quadruple.
They did the four-throw move when they were promoted to the senior division, but the success rate was very low. They almost never got a positive goal in the main competition. Later, their injuries worsened, and they never included it in the program again.
On the contrary, the twist move had a very high appearance rate during their adult group period, and they also got the highest GOE for this move.
Cao Jinhui touched her knees, her palms were wet, and her clothes were soaked with sweat.
"Don't worry, I can still manage."
Lu Sheng sat down next to her, put an arm around her shoulder, and his eyes once again showed the tenderness he had shown during the short program, masking his previous worry: "I'm here for you. I'll stand with you and face everything together."
The other players from the Chinese team had just arrived backstage to offer their congratulations to the two heroes when Lu Sheng's words brought them to a sudden halt, and they all covered their faces and left.
No matter how you look at it, these two players don't need them by their side right now.
The two maintained their form in the short program on the second day. Although they still made mistakes with the four throws, at least they managed to stay in the game and prevented their score from dropping too drastically.
Cao Jinhui finally leaned on Lu Sheng and was helped off the ice. Even when she sat on the sofa in the waiting area, her face was still pale. She held her waist with one hand and leaned on her partner.
"Xiao Hui's injury..."
Meng Xin kept glancing at the big screen and then at the partition, muttering to herself the whole time.
Cao Jinhui already had foot and back injuries, and during the training camp, she was hospitalized again due to her foot injury. Today, her spins and twists during the free skate seemed to have aggravated her back injury.
Xia Yuezi patted her shoulder to reassure her: "With Lu Sheng and the team doctor by her side, everything will be alright."
That's what they said, but they both knew in their hearts that this pairs skating duo had fought so hard for this gold medal, and Cao Jinhui probably wouldn't leave until they saw the final score.
In fact, the competition in pairs figure skating is quite intense.
Besides the teams from Canada and Russia, the United States and Germany are also formidable opponents. Just by looking at the team events, one can anticipate how fierce the competition will be in the individual events.
Before long, the final result came out.
Cao Jinhui leaned on Lu Sheng's shoulder, tears streaming down her face, and a patch on her male companion's clothes suddenly darkened in color.
Coach Lu, standing to the side, hugged the two tightly. In front of the camera, the middle-aged man held the newly crowned Olympic champions and wept bitterly.
The Chinese commentator, overcome with emotion, broke his voice as he said, "This gold medal was hard-won for them. Cao Jinhui and Lu Sheng have been together for nearly twenty years. Initially, they were overshadowed by their predecessors, supporting each other to the Olympics and ushering in a new era for Chinese pairs figure skating."
Xia Yuezi silently clapped along, her gaze gradually shifting to the two Chinese pairs standing beside her.
For a long period when no new talents emerged, China only had Cao Jinhui and Lu Sheng in pairs figure skating, which led many people to believe that Chinese pairs figure skating was declining.
But in this Winter Olympics, in addition to the Cao-Lu pair, the other two pairs also made it into the top fifteen, with He Jiayun and Qi Ran even finishing fifth.
They proved with their actions that China's pairs figure skating has not declined. They realized their dream, continued the glory of their predecessors, and won China's first gold medal at this Winter Olympics.
Meng Xin, who was once Coach Lu's student, was also moved by this scene and pulled Xia Yuezi to hug her and cry.
Coach Xia looked somewhat helpless, but he didn't dampen her spirits. Just like he usually comforted the athletes in his own group, he gently patted her back.
She turned to look at the three of them, still embracing, her eyes also filled with tears, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.
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