Chapter 96 2017 World Championships
◎Two Winter Olympics spots◎
As soon as Ji Tiantian finished posting on Weibo, she saw the comments were filled with screaming fans.
"Ah ...
"Mom, I finally got the real thing!"
"Wow, I can't stop crying. Both my career and my love life have come to fruition."
"Wow, isn't this a dream?"
"I'm stunned. The Four Continents Golden Sweetie Awards have officially been announced. How can this be possible? Someone come and wake me up!"
With the increasing number of comments and reposts, the topic of "Ice Dance Group Tiantang Official Announcement" was brought to the hot search. As a result, many passers-by and netizens squeezed into the homepage of the "Chinese Ice Dance Group Ji Tang's Speech Special" account to leave messages, and the number of followers of the account was also constantly increasing.
"I didn't pay much attention to the sports circle before, but seeing this ice dance duo is so good-looking, I clicked in immediately!"
"Oh, they're the ice dance duo that won the bronze medal at the Sochi Winter Olympics! Wow, they've really grown up!"
"Not only have I grown up, I've also won the gold medal at the Four Continents Games!"
"Aaaaah I need to make up for it! Oh my god what have I missed!"
"Great looks and great talent, isn't this my dream couple?"
"Sisters, I'm new here, please show me the way, where can I go to eat candy?"
"There are a lot of sweet posts on the figure skating forums! You can also go to video websites to find clips!"
"Ahhh, I just finished watching their short dance and free dance video and I burst into tears. I never paid attention to them before, how come they are so beautiful!"
Similar comments continue to appear.
Ji Tiantian looked at the comments and gently covered her face.
She is still not used to exposing her love life to the public. This is why she did not open a personal Weibo account but decided to open a Weibo account under the name of the group. Of course, it is necessary to make their relationship public, otherwise it is not a solution to always be asked about the relationship between the two by reporters or fans.
However, the sharp increase in attention can also bring benefits. Many netizens who stopped paying attention to ice and snow sports after the Sochi Winter Olympics fell into the ice dance pit again through Ji Tang's official announcement, looked for their programs to watch, and then began to recommend them. More and more people began to pay attention to ice dance. This seems to be a warm-up before the Winter Olympics season.
When Ji Tiantian woke up, she found that there were several more hot searches related to them. "Green Snake enters the international arena", "Tiantian and Tangtang's six years of companionship", and another hot search was "Chinese ice dance and pair skating won the championship in four continents".
This time, Yu Sha and Gao Zhe won the pair skating championship at the Four Continents. They were also the pair skating champions at the previous Four Continents. But after all, figure skating is relatively niche, and the Four Continents cannot be compared with the Winter Olympics in terms of attention, so the two won the championship but did not attract much attention from netizens. This time, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi brought them to the hot search together. Many netizens were busy watching the pair ice dance program while enjoying themselves.
“Wow, I feel like we’re going to have great results at the next Winter Olympics!”
"Yeah, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it!"
"Wow, I wish time could fast forward. I want to go to the 2018 Winter Olympics right now!"
Ji Tiantian couldn't help but smile when she saw these comments. Although it was hard to adapt to being watched by so many people, from other perspectives, this official announcement was undoubtedly meaningful.
After the Four Continents Competition ended, Ji Tang, his coach, and teammates flew back to China and came to the national team training ground again.
"Let us welcome our ice dance duo! Two winners in life! Ji Tiantian! Tang Yi! I wish you two a long and happy life together! A long and lasting career!"
As soon as Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi entered the gate, male singles player Ning Huai led the national figure skating team's athletes of all sizes to give them warm applause. The female singles player Qiao Menghan excitedly applauded and wiped away tears. She had secretly been waiting for the official announcement for a long time, and her excitement was beyond words.
Amid everyone's enthusiastic congratulations, Ji Tiantian lowered her head shyly.
"Give me a kiss! Give me a kiss!" some brave athletes shouted, "Don't be shy! We have been partners for so many years!"
"Who says you can't be embarrassed after being partners for a long time?" Yu Sha, the female partner of the couple, came out to help Ji Tiantian out. "Don't make things difficult for Tiantian! She played with an injury and worked hard to win the gold medal. She made such a great contribution. Why should she show off her affection to you?"
"That's right, congratulations anyway!"
Afterwards, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi met with their respective relatives and friends for a short while, and then continued on their way. Their schedule was very full. It was indeed as Tang Yi had said before, they had almost no time for intimate time between lovers, and they no longer paid attention to online news.
The World Championships, the highlight of the end of the season, is approaching step by step, and training cannot be put aside. Because of the popularity brought by the official announcement and the gold medals of the four continents, they became celebrities for a while, and many variety shows came to invite them. In order to strike while the iron is hot and take the opportunity to promote ice dancing, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi discussed with the team and selected two or three programs to participate.
On a variety show, Ji Tang performed a set of Green Snake and then accepted an interview from the host. This variety show was also very impressive, as it invited the champion duo of the Sochi Winter Olympics, former Canadian No. 1 Victoria and William, to be guests and comment on Ji Tang's performance on the spot.
"I think Ji Tang's free dance showed oriental romance and created another possibility for the expression of ice dancing," William said. "The technical movements, music and theme were integrated very well, which is also in line with the aesthetics of ice dancing. They deserve the gold medal of the Four Continents."
"Then do you think, with their strength, can they win gold medals in other international competitions?" The host asked a rather sharp question, "Recently, I've seen many netizens discussing that the Grand Prix World Championships and the Four Continents are somewhat different in the scoring of program content. Is it that Ji Tang's free dance is not easy to be recognized by European and American judges? What do you think?"
Victoria and William discussed it quietly for a while, then smiled and continued talking, "We feel that Ji Tang is making a revolution in the arena. Their dance choreography and design are actually very advanced. Apart from the factor of prejudice, there are some places in the international arena where the aesthetics are backward, which is also the reason for the difference in P scores in various arenas. We have always believed that ice dancing needs change and fresh power. We can't always use the same expression, Western music, and social dance methods. If it continues like this, the entire arena will lose its charm and the players will become lifeless. And Ji Tang is the power that ice dancing needs.
"However, we also feel that ice dancing is a sport that takes time. I believe that as time goes by, Ji Tang's strength will sooner or later be discovered and recognized by more people. After this Four Continents Championships, the International Skating Union will also be more aware that a new Asian force is rising. They cannot be suppressed."
"So, you are still very optimistic about our Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi?" the host asked with a smile.
"Yes. I can see endless vitality in them. They are bringing vitality to this project and it is growing all the time." Victoria nodded affirmatively, and then looked at Ji Tang again, "Our contestant Judy Jayne once said in a private conversation with us that the reason they chose The Nightingale this season was because they were influenced by you. They have watched your Tang Dynasty princess' free dance many times in private. In the ice dance arena, you have made an excellent cultural output. I am very much looking forward to your performance in the Winter Olympics season."
"Thank you!" Ji Tiantian said with a smile.
"Let's stop here for the competition questions. Now I want to ask a personal question." After getting Ji Tang's consent, the host continued, "I heard that ice dancers have a very long service period, and some will not retire for more than ten years. During this period of service, do you not consider getting married? I know you are still young, but I just want to ask the questions that the majority of ice fans are concerned about."
"Well, I won't consider it for now." Ji Tiantian smiled.
"Next season is the Winter Olympics season, and we need to concentrate on preparing for the competition," Tang Yi continued.
"I guess you will be very busy in the coming year, and you won't have much private time and space." The host showed an understanding smile, "Standing on the podium means supreme honor, but it also means a lot of sacrifice. I hope that the audience who watch our show can understand the sacrifices behind the athletes."
"In fact, there weren't many sacrifices." Ji Tiantian curved her eyes, stared at Tang Yi, and then continued, "Tang Yi and I just made a choice, to devote ourselves to the career we love. We are willing to bear any cost. And fortunately, we have all been rewarded. This is a very happy thing."
"I hope you can keep skating happily like this. Together with all the ice fans, I am looking forward to seeing more outstanding performances from you!" the host gave his sincere blessing.
After finishing the recording of the show, Ji Tiantian chatted with the guests Victoria and William for a while.
The Sochi Winter Olympics champions are currently mainly active in the three northeastern provinces. They were hired by local ice dance teams as special coaches. Ji Tang and Victoria William agreed to meet when they were free, and then continued their respective careers.
After finishing the variety show, Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi started sprint training before the World Championships.
Although her knee injury has not healed, Ji Tiantian cannot give up training. The World Championships are coming soon, and this World Championships is related to the country's Winter Olympics quota, so she can't relax.
Once she stopped practicing, her ice feeling and foot feeling would decrease, which would affect her edge use on the ice. And an error in edge use would likely result in a downgrade in her technical movements and a point deduction. All she could do was to reduce the length of her ice training, replace it with land training, and ask Tang Yi to help more. Even so, her injury worsened.
"Tiantian's body just couldn't handle it." After examining Ji Tiantian, the team doctor sighed heavily and looked up at the coach, "The ligament injury is quite serious. You should prepare for surgery. But don't be too nervous. Replace the damaged ligament with an artificial ligament. Just be more careful in the future. It won't have much impact."
Xu Chi and Jiang Lin both looked a little serious when they heard this. Ji Tiantian finally recovered from the muscle injury that had tormented her for a long time, but ended up with a knee injury. This might be the price of taking off.
"If I have the surgery now, I may not be able to catch up with the World Championships." Ji Tiantian lowered her head and pursed her lips.
"I suggest you not to go, but you have to go." The team doctor smiled helplessly, "Then rest more before the game and take good care of yourself. You will be fine. You can have the surgery when you come back."
After saying goodbye to the team doctor, Ji Tiantian was supported by the coach and went to the side to rest. No one spoke for a while.
This World Championships is more important than the previous World Championships because it determines the places for the next Winter Olympics. As the country's number one ice dancer, Ji Tiantian must take part.
After Xu Chi and Jiang Lin said a few words to Ji Tiantian, they went to ask about the team's medical insurance and maintenance matters. So Tang Yi was left with Ji Tiantian.
"I'm sorry, I didn't take good care of myself." Ji Tiantian lowered her head and smiled apologetically. These days, Tang Yi had been accommodating her injuries and accompanying her in those land trainings, and she felt a little embarrassed.
"It's my fault. I didn't take good care of you." Tang Yi looked at Ji Tiantian with a low voice.
"Well, injuries are bound to happen anyway, so let's not apologize to each other." Ji Tiantian said with a smile.
"Wei Xiao has done ligament surgery before, and there is no risk." Tang Yi was silent for a moment, then sat next to Ji Tiantian, "I'll ask later..."
Ji Tiantian suddenly reached out and hugged Tang Yi tightly, and Tang Yi's voice stopped abruptly.
"Don't talk, let me lean on you." Ji Tiantian gently closed her eyes in Tang Yi's firm arms, revealing a reassuring smile, "After the World Championships, we will have time to rest, and then we can go out and play together. Come to think of it, we don't seem to have dated in this life. Hey... we didn't date many times in the previous life. How come I got married so soon?"
"I'll make it up to you later." Tang Yi reached out and touched the back of Ji Tiantian's round head, "But didn't we eat oden together in Japan?"
"How can this be considered a date?" Ji Tiantian looked up, eyes wide open, and stared at Tang Yi in disbelief. "We discussed the step sequence the entire night!"
"I thought that was the kind of date you wanted." There was a smile in Tang Yi's voice.
"What are you talking about!" Ji Tiantian hit Tang Yi hard a few times, "Okay, go practice by yourself, let me rest for a while."
Tang Yi held Ji Tiantian's head with one hand, hugged her to his chest, rested his chin on her head, and nodded gently.
As the competition approaches, she needs a steadfast comrade more than a tender and affectionate lover. He knows this very well, and he has always known this. All he can do is to concentrate on training and give her peace of mind as always.
"I always carry my cell phone with me. Call me if you need anything." Tang Yi said and left.
The two coaches came and talked with the team doctor, gave Ji Tiantian some instructions, and then went to find Tang Yi.
Ji Tiantian sat alone, listening to the headphones and reviewing the two programs in her mind, thinking about what details could be improved. After a while, Ye Yidong, a female singles player who had just seen the team doctor, sat next to Ji Tiantian.
Noticing Ye Yidong's gaze, Ji Tiantian took off her headphones and looked back at her silently. Ye Yidong was also unlucky this season. After breaking his hand, he also broke his toe. It hasn't healed yet, and he has to play with the injury in the World Championships.
Unlike the men's singles, which have maintained stable results, and the pairs, which have always been at the top, the situation of the Chinese women's singles has not been very good recently. In the world competitions, it is rare to see Chinese women's singles in the top ten in the world. Although injured, Ye Yidong is still the main player in the women's singles event, carrying the mission of striving for a place in the Winter Olympics.
"You look down on me, don't you?" Ye Yiddong glanced at Ji Tiantian quickly, then looked away.
“No way.” Ji Tiantian shook her head. “I think you’re amazing. Single skating training is so hard, but you’ve always persisted.”
"It's hard for everyone." Ye Yidong lowered his head and smiled to himself, "I can't do the backward crab step that I used to be good at. But, I've never beaten you before."
Ji Tiantian still remembers the crab step competition with Ye Yidong when she first joined the national team. At that time, she had just joined the team and wanted to gain recognition from other veteran players, so she had a competition with Ye Yidong. At that time, she and Ye Yidong were both only 13 years old.
Now, they are all 19 years old. 19 years old is a very young number for ice dancers. Many 19-year-old ice dancers may just be considering moving up from the youth group to the adult group. However, female singles players of this age may have to consider retiring.
Ye Yidong is now a veteran in the women's singles event. She is no longer so good at the movements that tested her flexibility when she was a child. Ji Tiantian looked at Ye Yidong's young face and felt quite emotional. Time and pain over the years have smoothed her edges and corners, and she is no longer the irritable loli she used to be.
"I haven't tried the backward crab walk for a long time." Ji Tiantian paused, "How about we have another match after the World Championships? Just don't bend down so deep."
"Then you have to hurry up. I will retire at the end of this season or next season." Ye Yidun stood up, put his hands in the pockets of his sportswear, and deliberately showed an indifferent smile. "But I think it's great. You... and the pair skating are all very good. The next Winter Olympics will definitely be exciting." After she said that, she turned around, not wanting Ji Tiantian to see the tears flashing in the corners of her eyes.
"Yidong." Ji Tiantian called her solemnly, "Retire or not is your business, but I want you to know that I will always remember you. Ice fans will also always remember you."
"Not so fast yet, we have to compete in the World Championships." Ye Yidong turned his back to Ji Tiantian, took a deep breath, and his voice trembled. "Then let's cheer for the World Championships together." She added softly.
"Well, let's work hard together!" Ji Tiantian nodded and watched Ye Yiddong step onto the ice with his head held high.
In the blink of an eye, it was March, and the World Youth Championship, a competition exclusively for the youth group, began. Both pairs of ice dancers in the youth group performed well, securing two places for the country.
Next, it’s the World Championships that determine the qualifications for the Winter Olympics.
The best athletes from four continents and Europe will gather together to compete for a place in the Winter Olympics. In this competition, some countries will gain a lot, while some countries may not get a place at all and miss the Winter Olympics.
Ji Tang, Lin Aili and four other contestants set off with high morale.
"Although there are still many difficulties ahead, the situation we are facing is better than the previous Winter Olympics cycle, no matter how you look at it." After arriving at the competition venue, Xu Chi spoke to the players in front of him in a loud voice, "So don't think too much, just perform as usual!"
"Okay!" Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi said together.
After that, there was the regular group draw, and then the short dance competition began.
Everyone knows that this game is of great significance. During the group warm-up, Ji Tiantian clearly felt the atmosphere of the stadium, which was more tense than in the past. The players, of course, hope to perform better than in the past and win a ticket to the Winter Olympics.
Ji Tiantian had a good attitude. If she had to worry, she could worry about many things, such as her knee injury, whether the P score this time was fair, whether it would disappoint new fans, etc. In this case, she simply stopped worrying. Just like Xu Chi said, no matter how bad their current situation was, it couldn't be worse than last season, so she just let go and skated.
Soon it was Ji Tiantian and Tang Yi's turn to compete. After leaving a flawless short dance on the field, they went to the waiting area to wait for their results.
Perhaps it was because of so many games that Ji Tiantian had a very good mentality. No matter how bad the situation was, it would only be that her P score would be sanctioned, and she would definitely get a place in the Winter Olympics.
Since taking her seat in the upper division, Ji Tiantian has been holding the doll and greeting the spectators watching the game through the camera.
Then there was an unusually loud shout. Ji Tiantian subconsciously raised her head and looked at the score display screen in a daze.
Their short dance technique score was 43.21, the program content score was 37.64, and the short dance score was 80.85, breaking their group record again and getting the highest short dance score of the group this season and the highest short dance score of their career.
"Ahhh, the short dance got 80 points!" the audience in the auditorium were screaming.
“It’s so high!”
"Ah ...
In the equal division, Ji Tiantian was also a little absent-minded. The content score of this program was lower than that of the Four Continents, which was expected by her, but this technical score was higher than before...
Ji Tiantian quickly came to her senses and went to the information desk to get her score sheet.
The key points of the pattern dance were correct, level 4. The connecting steps, lifting, and synchronized twists were all level 4, just like in the past. At the same time, the clear numbers told her that she and Tang Yi had always been level 3 in the pattern derivative steps in the past, and this time they also got the highest level 4.
The pattern derivative step is completed after the technical movement pattern dance. The grading rules are similar to the sequential step, except that the rhythmic sliding must be consistent with the pattern dance. The more diverse the grips, the more difficult steps, and the larger the sliding track when the male and female partners complete the movements, the easier it is to get a high grade. Before this, no contestant had ever received the fourth level of derivative steps.
As the season progressed, Ji Tiantian felt that she and Tang Yi had become more skilled in dancing the derivative steps, but she never expected to get level four.
It was incredible. When she adopted an attitude of "you can deduct my P points as you like, I just want to skate for fun", her rating actually went up.
Ji Tiantian held the small score sheet in her hand, her heart filled with emotions.
Although North American judges can suppress their P scores, they cannot hinder the improvement of their technical grading, which is the key to determining the level of a pair of ice dancers.
The score table clearly shows that all their technical movements have reached level four, the highest rating, which is the full rating.
This was the first time they got full rating in the short dance.
Happiness came so suddenly that Ji Tiantian was a little dazed for a moment.
"The derivative step has reached level 4!" Jiang Lin's excited voice rang in her ears, "We got the full rating for the short dance at the end of the season! That's great! Tiantian and Tang Yi are first-class players recognized by the competition!"
"Originally, getting level 4 for a set of connecting steps was already a legend, but I didn't expect to get the full level for the short dance... This is really... a legend that only exists in dreams!" Xu Chi was also very excited.
"This score shows that at least the technical experts of the judging panel acknowledge that we are the champions of this season's hip-hop rhythm!" Jiang Lin continued excitedly, "The video of the match between Tiantian and Tang Yi will definitely be saved by many people. Then when the next hip-hop rhythm season comes out, the video will be dug out and used as a tutorial!"
"Definitely!" Xu Chi nodded vigorously, and then said with emotion, "Hey, the referee finally did something humane..."
"It's also because our players are very strong!"
"That's right."
Soon, other contestants also finished the competition, and their rankings were displayed on the display screen according to their scores.
First place: China's Ji Tiantian Tang Yi 80.85
2nd place Darya Nikolay of Russia 80.61
3rd place: Judy Jayne of Canada 77.51
4th place: Rita Thompson of the United States 76.25
5th place: Katerin Ivanov of Russia 74.23
6th place: Mia Lucas of Canada, 73.87
Lin Aili's team ranked 12th with 67.21 points. Their technical action grading is the same as in the past, but the program content score is slightly less than the four continents, so the total score is also less.
But in general, as the season progresses, most people's scores have increased.
This time, the No. 1 of the Big Goose, Dariya Nikolay, was also injured during the pre-match sprint training, which affected her performance on the field. Their derivative steps were upgraded to level 4, just like Ji Tangyi, but their pattern dance made a mistake, and a key point was wrong, which was downgraded to level 3. The other technical movements were all rated at level 4. They could not get the full rating, so their scores were slightly lower than Ji Tangyi's.
Canada's No. 1 Judy Jayne achieved the Level 4 short dance transition step in this competition, which she had never achieved before, and her score increased significantly compared to previous competitions.
The three pairs of American No. 1 Rita Thompson, Goose No. 2 Katerin Ivanov, and Canadian No. 2 Mia Lucas were rated the same as before, all of which were graded as derivative steps and transition steps at level 3, and other technical movements at level 4. In this World Championships, Katerin and Ivanov performed street dance more skillfully than before, and did not make any mistakes in the pattern dance, so their scores also increased significantly compared to the Grand Prix Finals.
Then came the free dance competition.
During the free dance, Ji Tiantian was injured. Although she did not make any mistakes in her step sequence, her skating speed was slower than before, and the ice surface coverage rate was reduced. Their technical score was 56.21, the program content score was 55.81, and the free dance score was 112.01. Two step sequences were level 3, and the other technical movements were level 4. In the past, they had a step sequence that could reach level 4, but this time it did not.
Other groups finished the competition one after another. Lin Aili's group's free dance maintained the previous four continents technical action classification and received 96.91 points.
Mia Lucas's two sets of step sequences were level three, the other technical movements were level four, and her free dance score was 109.21.
Katerin Ivanov performed one set of step sequences at level three, one set at level four, and the other technical moves at level four. Her free dance score was 114.32.
Rita Thompson's free dance grade was the same as Katerin Ivanov's, with a free dance score of 115.85.
Judy Jayne's free dance did not hold up as well as her short dance, perhaps because she was a little nervous. In the end, their two sets of transition steps were level 3, and the other technical movements were level 4, with a free dance score of 115.01.
Dariya Nikolay was also affected by the injury and did not get the full grade in the free dance that she always got. One set of steps was downgraded to level three, and the other technical movements were downgraded to level four, and the final score was 116.51.
After the free dance competition, the total scores of all contestants are shown on the display.
First place: Darya Nikolay of Russia 197.12
2nd place: China's Ji Tiantian Tang Yi 192.86
3rd place: Judy Jayne of Canada 192.52
4th place: Rita Thompson of the United States 192.10
5th place: Katerin Ivanov of Russia: 188.55
6th place: Mia Lucas of Canada 183.08
Lin Aili's group ranked 12th with 164.12 points.
The game was over and everyone looked at the display screen in silence.
This game was full of dangers for Ji Tang.
Fortunately, they had the advantage of the short dance, and in the end their score was slightly ahead of the North American players.
Ji Tiantian looked at the score, feeling somewhat relieved and somewhat unwilling. Fortunately, they still got second place in the total score despite losing the free dance. But she was unwilling because they did not perform well in the free dance and missed the opportunity to challenge the highest score in their career.
Lin Aili was also a little unwilling to give in. The total score of her and her dance partner Brother Bianzi was 0.46 points lower than the 11th place.
"If we move forward a little bit more, we can get three places for the Winter Olympics." Lin Aili looked at her own score sheet with strong emotions in her eyes.
According to relevant rules, if two pairs of athletes from a country compete in the World Championships and the sum of the rankings of the two pairs of athletes is less than or equal to 13, then they can get three places for the Winter Olympics and can send three pairs of athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics next year.
The combined ranking of Ji Tang and Lin Aili's group was exactly 14, so they were eliminated.
If the sum of the rankings of the two pairs of athletes is greater than 13 but less than or equal to 28, they will get two Winter Olympics places.
"It is possible that the referee deliberately lowered our score to make us lose a spot. But I know you all tried your best. I am personally very satisfied and proud." Xu Chi touched Ji Tiantian and Lin Aili's heads. "You have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Your scores are much better than before. What's more important is that we got two spots in the Winter Olympics. This is an unprecedented achievement."
"Yes, after so many years, our ice dance project finally got two places. This is a historic step." Jiang Lin continued.
She took a deep breath and smiled with a mixture of sadness and relief. "A few years ago, I couldn't imagine that we would have this day. If we keep improving like this, one day, we will be able to get three places. Just keep taking one step at a time and we will definitely succeed!"
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