Chapter 107 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Free Dance
◎Hidden Fragrance◎
"Ahhh what is this!!"
At this time, a hot pot restaurant in the capital was packed with customers. Many customers had finished eating, but they were still gathered in front of the TV, howling.
On TV, the live broadcast of the Winter Olympics ice dance short dance just ended. After the host and guests said goodbye, the TV station started playing GG. But the guests were reluctant to leave.
"Ahhh, this score difference is almost killing me!"
"My heart is about to jump out of my throat!"
"I've watched football matches before, but I've never seen such an exciting scene!"
"Who has ever seen such a scene? We were just that close to first place in ice dancing! This is the first time in history!" The guests were discussing heatedly.
"I'm not going to leave this store! I'm going to wait here for the free dance competition to start!" A regular customer turned around and shouted to the hot pot restaurant owner Chang Yu.
"Our hotpot restaurant doesn't provide accommodation! The free dance starts tomorrow. Go to bed early and come back early tomorrow to watch!" Chang Yu tried his best to persuade the regular customer.
A group of guests reluctantly left the hot pot restaurant, still dancing on the way out.
"The world has really changed. I never thought that an ice dance competition would be like this." Chang Yu looked at the backs of the guests leaving, and talked in a daze to Wei Xiao, another hot pot restaurant owner beside him.
Seeing that Wei Xiao hadn't responded, he turned around and saw that Wei Xiao was concentrating on talking on the phone.
"I'm calling Lao Feng." Wei Xiao noticed Chang Yu's gaze and said, "I felt like he was about to cry when he was explaining."
"He should have just finished his live broadcast recently, so he might not be able to take the call. Hey, Lao Feng is awesome too, he's even on TV! It's all thanks to Tiantian and Tang Yi. If it weren't for them, I don't know when the ice dance competition could be broadcasted so grandly, with all the preheating in advance." At this point, Chang Yu's eyes were filled with emotion and pride.
Chang Yu and Wei Xiao retired and opened a hot pot restaurant, while Coach Feng, who had been in charge of teaching them, continued to stay in the national team and lead the younger generation of ice dancers. However, Chang Yu and Wei Xiao have always maintained contact with Coach Feng.
Wei Xiao waited for a long time, and the call was finally connected. Coach Feng's familiar voice came from the phone.
"Old Feng, are you okay? I almost cried when I heard you live." Wei Xiao stood in the corner and whispered to Coach Feng. Chang Yu leaned over to Wei Xiao and listened.
"What could happen? I'm just excited!" Coach Feng said.
"Old Feng, you better hold on! There will definitely be more people watching the live broadcast tomorrow! Don't cry when you're explaining the free dance!" Chang Yu said to Coach Feng, "If you really can't do it, practice it yourself first, and then go and explain after you finish crying!"
"You think I'm you! How can you cry so hard!" Coach Feng's disdainful voice came from the phone, "Don't worry! I'm a little nervous because it's my first time on TV today. I won't cry tomorrow!"
At this time, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi were at the edge of the ice, hugging and blessing the ice dancers they knew. Then they changed into sportswear and prepared to leave the venue and go to the Olympic Village to rest.
"The scoring is fairer now than before, but many judges are still used to giving higher scores to European and American contestants for their program content. You should be prepared for this." Xu Chi walked forward while counseling Ji Tang beside him, "It is already remarkable to have achieved the results you have now. You should always remember that medals are not the most important thing for athletes. The most important thing for athletes is to beat their past selves. You have already done it."
"I know." Ji Tiantian nodded and spoke softly, "If you think about it carefully, Dalia and the others' Latin dance is indeed more mature and has more charm. It is acceptable to lose to them in terms of program content."
Ji Tiantian looked at Xu Chi and understood what was expressed in his eyes, so she clenched her fists lightly, lowered her eyes and continued speaking: "Tomorrow's free dance... I am also ready. In short, the most important thing is to create something that everyone likes." After she finished speaking, she couldn't help but reveal a gentle smile.
"Yes." Jiang Lin nodded vigorously, "Create the most beautiful ice dance and enjoy the feeling of skating. Never forget your original intention!"
"Yeah!" Ji Tiantian smiled, then turned to look at Tang Yi and spoke softly, "Tang Yi, is your foot okay?"
"If there is a problem, I will let you know." Tang Yi lowered his eyes and looked at Ji Tiantian, "How about you, how is your knee?"
"I'm in very good shape now." Ji Tiantian straightened her chest and was full of fighting spirit. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Afterwards, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi followed the coach's advice, had a brief meeting with their relatives and friends, and then returned to the Olympic Village to rest.
That day, Ji Tiantian lay on the bed and soon fell asleep. She slept very soundly that night, just like a bird that had been flying for a long time and finally found its nest.
This is where she should be.
While Ji Tiantian was resting, the figure skating forum was in an uproar, with many posts about ice dancing floating on the front page.
"Ahhh Tiantang is only 0.23 points away from first place! Kill me!" One of the posts had this title.
1L: How come Tiantang is so powerful this time! It’s amazing!
2L: I can see that the above user didn't pay attention to Tiantang's performance this season, right? If they hadn't been stuck in the Grand Prix Finals, they would have gotten the full rating this season. But Big Goose No. 1 is also very good. They didn't get the full rating in the finals because they couldn't adapt to the new rules. Now they have adjusted and returned to the peak.
3L: There wasn't a single full-grade short dance in the finals, and now suddenly there are two! Ahhhh, I can't predict the ending at all!
4L: Both of the two dancers from Big Goose No. 1 are in their thirties, ten years older than Tiantang. This is also the age when many ice dancers decide to retire. This may be their last Winter Olympics. They must want to give it a try.
5L: Yes. Goose One won the silver medal in Sochi, so they must be eager to win the gold medal this time! They have more competition experience than Tiantang, but I don’t think they have the aggressiveness and innovative ability of Tiantang.
6L: This is not just a competition between European, American and Asian players, it is also a transition between the old and the new... I just don’t know what the final situation will be.
7L: Wow, I am so excited to see such a competition in my lifetime! But it is too heartbreaking!
…
On Weibo, topics such as "Chinese ice dance achieves the best short dance result in history", "Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi temporarily rank second in short dance", and "The competition for the gold medal in free dance is about to begin" have become hot searches.
More and more netizens clicked on the topic and made comments.
"Ahhh come on sweetie!"
"I look forward to Chinese music echoing in the Winter Olympics!"
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! Go!"
In a blink of an eye, it was the next day, the day for the free dance competition.
Many old customers of the hot pot restaurant arrived at the hot pot restaurant early, ready to watch the live broadcast together.
Thousands of people who were following the Winter Olympics chose to sit in front of the TV with their families. Before the live broadcast began, they picked up their phones and kept posting updates on Weibo to express their anxious feelings.
Before the live broadcast began, the host of the sports radio station sat in the studio with guest Coach Feng to conduct pre-match warm-up as usual.
"Dear audience friends, the second round of free dance competition of ice dance in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics is about to begin." The host said to the camera, "After yesterday's short dance competition, our country's ice dancers, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi, and Russia's No. 1 pair of Dalia and Nikolay both achieved excellent results in the short dance with full rating. At present, our contestants are ranked behind the Russian pair with a gap of 0.23 points."
"I feel like many people didn't sleep well after yesterday's short dance competition. They wish they could watch both rounds in one go so they can know the final result." The host smiled and looked at Coach Feng, who had dark circles under his eyes. "Coach Feng, have you ever had similar thoughts?"
"Yeah." Coach Feng sighed, "This score difference is really confusing. Sigh... But actually, there's no need to be too anxious. This score difference is not difficult to understand. Russia's No. 1 is indeed more experienced than us in Latin."
"Yes." The host nodded and continued, "Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi have ten years less competition experience than the Russian No. 1. Although the score difference is small, we must understand that the score difference is reasonable. Coach Feng, do you think Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi have any unique advantages over the experienced Russian veterans?"
"Tiantian and Tang Yi both have very flexible and soft knees, which allow them to quickly change edges and perform blade steps on the ice, something many ice dancers cannot do. In terms of talent, they are impeccable, they are natural ice dancers. In addition to their physical talent, Tiantian also has very strong emotional expressiveness. What's even more incredible is that Tang Yi can withstand her expressiveness. Every time Tang Yi is emotionally high, she can hold Tiantian up steadily, making her emotional expression more contagious. This kind of tacit understanding is also something that many ice dance combinations do not have." Coach Feng said with a smile.
"It seems that Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi are really a perfect ice dance partner made in heaven." The host said with a smile.
"But I think that what I just said is not the most important." Coach Feng coughed lightly and spoke louder. "Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi have unimaginable perseverance and a deep love for this project. Without perseverance and love, they would not have been able to grit their teeth and move forward when our country's ice dancing was still at a low point, and climb to the top of the world step by step for so many years. I believe that with these two points alone, they can go a long way. Although the rivals are strong, I still believe that they have a very good chance of winning the gold medal."
"Yes. I believe so too." The host nodded vigorously. "The game is about to start. Let's connect with the on-site reporters to check the current situation of the venue."
Soon the host connected with reporter Xiao Lu who was currently at the competition site.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Xiao Lu! I'm currently at the Gangneung Ice Arena! Soon, there will be an ice dance freestyle competition here!"
Because the noise in the audience was too loud, Xiao Lu had to raise his voice and shout, "The audience here is very excited! I feel like many Chinese ice fans who came here didn't sleep much last night and lined up outside the venue early in the morning! Everyone is looking forward to today's free dance!" After Xiao Lu finished speaking, he couldn't help but raise the microphone towards the audience behind him.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!" A clear shout came from the audience.
"Everyone has been shouting intermittently for a long time! We want to use this method to relieve our inner tension and at the same time cheer for our players!" Xiao Lu took back the microphone and spoke.
"Okay, let's look forward to the start of the competition." The host paused and continued, "Dear audience friends, after the short dance competition, 20 pairs of ice dancers from all over the world have advanced to this free dance competition. The free dance contestants are divided into four groups. The groups are divided in reverse order based on the short dance scores, and the order within the groups is random. Our contestants, Lin Aili's group will appear in the third group, the third pair, and Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi will appear in the fourth group, the fourth pair. The competition will start soon, please don't miss the contestants you are paying attention to!"
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!"
"China! Come on!"
Before the game started, such shouts echoed in the audience.
Ji Tang's relatives and friends sat together, and influenced by the atmosphere on the scene, they also shouted along from time to time.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!"
Although their voices were hoarse from shouting, they did feel the strength in their shouting, and gradually, they were no longer so uneasy. Zhang Lilian and Liu Hui looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.
Soon, the first group, contestants ranked 16 to 20 in the short dance, came on stage to compete.
After they finished the competition, it was the turn of the second group of short dances ranked 11 to 15. Japanese player Suzuki Kotani was in the second group. After the warm-up, the competition officially began.
Suzuki Kotani's free dance had a lot of mistakes in the steps, so she was only at level 2, and the other set was at level 3. One straight lift was downgraded to level 3 because of a mistake, as the female partner did not hold the difficult posture in the air for three seconds. The other technical movements were at level 4. The free dance score was 96.31. Together with the short dance score of 63.03, the total score was 159.34.
The competition continued. Then it was the turn of the third group, the contestants ranked 6 to 10 in the short dance, who went on the ice one by one in order after warming up.
Lin Aili's team finished the competition very quickly. The two sets of step sequences were rated level 3, and the other technical movements were rated level 4. The final score was 103.35. Together with the short dance score of 68.56, the total score was 172.91. They achieved the best result of the season and the highest score in their career.
"It feels like their free dance was smoother than their short dance, and their scores were very good. They should be able to make it into the top ten in the total score." Coach Feng looked at the live broadcast of Lin Aili and her partner hugging each other excitedly, and couldn't help but sigh, "In the past, Lin Aili and her friends only achieved the tenth place in the world in one World Championships. After that, their form has been a bit sluggish. I think they should be able to return to their best form through this Winter Olympics."
"If they can make it into the top ten, we will have two pairs of ice dancers ranked in the top ten in the world!" The host's voice became excited. "This is unprecedented for our country, and even for the whole of Asia!"
After Lin Aili's group, Mia Lucas came on to compete.
The theme of their free dance was "How to Train Your Dragon". Both the music and the performance of the two gave people a sense of leisure, which was particularly different in the intense Winter Olympics.
Their technical score was 54.64, the program content score was 55.32, and the free dance score was 109.96. The two sets of step sequences were level 3, and the other technical movements were level 4. Together with the short dance score of 74.23, the total score was 184.19.
Then, it was the last group's turn, and the contestants ranked 1 to 5 in the short dance came on stage to warm up.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi held hands and stood at the entrance of the ice with several other pairs of players waiting to go on the ice for warm-up.
Perhaps because the atmosphere of the Winter Olympics is more solemn than ever before, several pairs of athletes did not chat calmly as they did in the past.
Ji Tiantian turned around and looked at Dalia and Nikolai. They also looked at Ji Tiantian and nodded slightly as a greeting.
However, after only a brief glance, Ji Tiantian still saw the anxiety hidden in the eyes of the two Russian veterans. As expected, everyone is the same, they will be nervous before the big game.
Ji Tiantian couldn't help but curl her lips slightly. For some reason, she felt a lot more relieved after realizing this.
"Please invite the last group of five pairs of athletes to go on the ice to warm up." A bilingual English and Korean broadcast came out.
There was a sudden burst of cheers on the field.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!"
"Daria! Nikolay!"
Just like during the short dance, ice fans from China and Russia were not willing to be outdone and kept cheering for their country's athletes, with each wave of shouting getting louder and louder.
The five-minute warm-up passed in a flash, and the players went on stage one by one.
The groups were divided based on the short dance results, and the order within the groups was decided by drawing lots. After warming up, the first to go on stage was the American group Rita Thompson. The soundtrack of their free dance was from the movie "Interstellar".
Ji Tiantian stood silently by the side watching them skate.
With the experience of the Grand Prix, Rita Thompson completed the two sets of steps very smoothly this time. However, when entering the synchronized twist step, Thompson made the same mistake of ignoring his partner. The two did not slide in sync, and the synchronization rate was quite poor. Rita probably felt a little depressed when twisting, and fell down when doing the third twist of the second set.
After finishing the program, both of them looked unhappy and went to the waiting area to wait for their results.
"The synchronized twists for level four require two groups of twists to complete at least four weeks. Level three requires at least three weeks. They didn't complete three weeks in the second group, so they should be downgraded to level two, and there will be additional points deducted for falling." Coach Feng's commentary sounded at the right time.
"The synchronized twist looks easy, but it's actually not that easy." The host paused, "I seem to have heard that Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi will challenge a five-week twist in this competition. Is this actually quite difficult?"
"It's not easy. For two people to rotate so many circles synchronously, you can imagine how much effort it takes. We always say that having tacit understanding between ice dance partners is a great advantage. But this advantage doesn't come from the sky. It is honed through hard practice day and night."
After a while, Rita and Thompson received their free dance results in the waiting area.
The technical score was 56.32, the program content score was 56.21, and 1 point was deducted for falling. The free dance score was 112.53. The synchronized twist was level 2, one set of connecting steps was level 3, one set was level 4, and other technical movements were level 4. Including the short dance score of 78.67, the total score was 191.20.
Next up was Canada's number one, Judy Jayne. Their song of choice was the Egyptian-style score "The Secret Chamber," and in the free dance, the two played Cleopatra and Julius Caesar, respectively, with costumes matching the characters they were playing.
While doing the twist and lift, Judy put her arms around Jayne's neck and gave him a passionate kiss, causing screams from the audience.
"Fake ship! Fake ship!" someone in the audience screamed.
After completing the free dance, Judy Jayne waited in the waiting area for their results.
The technical score was 57.13, the program content score was 57.54, and the free dance score was 114.67. One set of transition steps was level 3, and one set of transition steps and other technical movements was level 4. Together with the short dance score of 79.78, the total score was 194.35.
They were both very happy to see the score and kissed again in front of the live camera.
"It's a fake boat! Don't get on it!" Someone in the audience screamed again.
"What is a fake ship?" Zhang Lilian asked Qian Xiyue.
"That is, there is no actual emotional relationship between the ice dance partners. However, due to various factors such as the atmosphere of the show, they may do some confusing intimate behaviors like a couple," Qian Xiyue introduced.
"Can it be like this..." Zhang Lilian was a little dazed.
"The world of young people is so complicated." Liu Hui let out a long sigh when he heard this.
"Judy and Jayne have done quintuple twists before, but their performance was not stable, so they decided not to do it this time. It won't affect their grading anyway," Coach Feng said. "They were successful in strategy, their technical moves were good overall, and their performance fully moved the audience. If nothing unexpected happens, this pair will win the bronze medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics."
"Now we just don't know who wins the gold medal." The host was silent for a moment and couldn't help but say this.
"Yeah." Coach Feng sighed.
Katerin and Ivanov came on stage next. Their free dance was accompanied by the music of "AIMER (Love)" from the musical "Romeo and Juliet".
Katerin was extremely excited to be able to participate in the Winter Olympics this time, and she expressed her joy to the fullest in the show.
When doing the connecting steps between technical movements, she and her partner added a lot of improvisations, and the audience responded very enthusiastically, with screams coming one after another.
"They are a real couple and they really have an emotional relationship," Qian Xiyue introduced to Ji Tang's mothers.
Liu Hui and Zhang Lilian sighed at the same time.
After completing the entire program, Katerin Ivanov slid down the ice while sticking to each other and waited for their results in the waiting area.
Their technical score was 57.55, the program content score was 56.77, and the free dance score was 114.32. One set of transition steps was level 3, and the other technical movements were level 4. Together with the short dance score of 75.25, the total score was 189.57.
"This pair's level is pretty good, and their free dance score is very close to Canada No. 1." The host said this while looking at the score.
"Yes. I remember this pair. The female partner did not participate in the Sochi Winter Olympics, but the male partner did participate with another female athlete. They disbanded and reorganized the group. After a period of running-in, they have become more and more tacit in understanding each other." Coach Feng said.
In the live broadcast, Katerin and Ivanov were also very happy to see the score, and they were very enthusiastic and close to each other again.
"They seem to have a really good understanding of each other." The host's voice was full of laughter.
After laughing, the host's voice became serious. "In this Winter Olympics, many athletes have achieved good results. I hope our athletes, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi, can also achieve satisfactory results. They will be on stage soon!"
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!" The broadcast notifying the contestants to go on stage had not yet sounded, but the audience seats were already shouting impatiently.
Many spectators had already shouted themselves hoarse, but they still shouted the contestants' names over and over again, as if they were calling for a long-awaited miracle.
"Keep going!" More Chinese audiences sat in front of the TV, staring at the screen intently.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!" In a hot pot restaurant in the capital, the guests stood up and shouted along with the audience. Wei Xiao and Chang Yu also stopped what they were doing and waited for Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi to appear.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi stood at the edge of the ice, waiting for the broadcast to sound.
This time, Ji Tiantian had a more complicated hairstyle, with her hair braided into a pigtail and then rolled up at the back of her head, pinned with a snow-white plum-shaped hairpin. Her Costume was still a plain little skirt, while Tang Yi wore black pants with a white shirt.
"The next pair to appear are from China, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi!" The long-awaited voice finally came from the radio.
Ji Tiantian took a deep breath, turned around and smiled at Tang Yi: "Before I knew it, it's the end."
In the blink of an eye, they rushed all the way to the last stage of the Winter Olympics.
Tang Yi paused, then reached out to Ji Tiantian with a faint smile on his face: "One last dance, are you willing to dance with me?"
Ji Tiantian was stunned for a moment, then smiled brightly.
"Of course." She stretched out her hand solemnly and placed it on Tang Yi's palm. Tang Yi held her hand tightly.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!" The shouts from the audience became more and more intense. The bright red flags waved violently in the audience.
"Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi!" Liu Hui and Zhang Lilian held each other's hands tightly and joined the cheering team.
"Come on!" Zhang Lilian shouted loudly, tears of heartache, anxiety and pride falling from her eyes.
"Come on!" Ni Chuan and many others shouted loudly.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi raised their hands high towards the audience. Ji Tiantian looked up at the dark audience and took a deep breath.
The shouts from all directions turned into a powerful force that poured into her chest, making her feel her blood boiling.
At this moment, she suddenly felt that she and Tang Yi were not two small boats swaying in the wind, but two warships built with solid walls and iron fortifications, bravely and fearlessly sailing towards the sea that belonged to them.
"It suddenly occurred to me that the love performances by the two previous pairs, Judy Jayne and Katerina Ivanov, were both quite vigorous." Qian Xiyue suddenly spoke softly, thoughtfully, "If the emotions expressed by Tiantian and Tang Yi were not so intense, they might be overshadowed by the emotions left over from the first two pairs, and it would be difficult to get points for the program content."
"Then what should we do? We Asians can't express the words "grand and vigorous". Ni Chuan immediately frowned.
"This order of appearance is indeed a bit disadvantageous." Chen Yusheng nodded.
"It will be fine." Feifei said expectantly, "I believe in Tiantang!"
The excited crowd gradually quieted down.
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi stood at a distance, ready to pose. Ji Tiantian closed her eyes and immersed herself in the show.
In the silence, their free dance selection, "Hidden Fragrance", sounded.
When the petals leave the flower, the fragrance remains
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi turned around and looked at each other. They gradually approached each other face to face, moving in mirror-like steps.
Tang Yi held Ji Tiantian's hand, and Ji Tiantian knelt on the ice, dragged by Tang Yi. Ji Tiantian's skirt flew up along the ice, and she bent backwards, closed her eyes and smiled happily.
Like a plum blossom in its first bloom, she enjoys the breeze on the branch.
With the help of Tang Yi's strength, Ji Tiantian stood up and jumped, and entered the snake-like connection step with Tang Yi.
They hold hands, change their footwork, twist and separate, then step closer and hold hands again. While gliding along the arc, they complete one "8" shaped sliding trajectory after another.
Following the ups and downs of the music, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi's pace became hurried.
They were like two plum blossoms blown down by the wind, with no one to rely on except each other. They circled around each other, spinning non-stop and moving forward.
After the first set of steps, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi held each other in the KILIAN grip. They clasped their hands in front of their chests, and slid side by side, facing forward.
If the heart dies in splendor
Love will be reborn from the ashes
Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi kept their hands clasped together and skating on the ice on one knee.
They lowered their heads and knelt down, then stood up, switched legs, and knelt down again, repeating the process over and over again. Their movements were neat and powerful, as if they were struggling to move forward against a strong wind.
“Wow, wow, wow…” Some audience members in the audience couldn’t help but shed tears.
Next, it was the joint lift. Ji Tiantian stood on one of Tang Yi's legs and performed a straight and slender split in the air. Tang Yi supported Ji Tiantian's leg standing on him and took a big straight step, leaving a wide arc on the ice.
He looked up into her eyes and she looked down at him with a sad smile.
Ji Tiantian maintained the vertical split posture steadily, while leaning towards Tang Yi. She stretched one hand behind her and the other hand towards Tang Yi, with her fingers extended, very close to the tip of his nose.
In the storm of fate, I dance with you. From cradle to grave, life after life.
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