Editor's note: The translators DUO Renyue and ZHU Xuehan are students of School of Foreign Languages and Literature of Beijing Normal University.

By Yuan Xiuyue, CNS   Feb 9, 2022

On February 8, in the women’s freeski big air of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Eileen Gu came back strong from the third place before the final run to take the insane gold.

This young Chinese skier immediately flooded the screen and was dubbed as “Yu Jiaolong (a legendary heroine who is bright and brave) at the Big Air Shougang”.

Photograph: Mao Jianjun/CNS

In addition to sharing the joy of Gu’s victory, many people were moved by another scene at the race that day.

French competitor Tess Ledeux failed to improve on her score with a flaw on the landing in the last and final run, so she took silver, only 0.75 points behind Gu.

After knowing that she had missed the championship, Ledeux was disappointed and burst into tears.

20-year-old Ledeux has rich experience in the competition and stable performance in the freeski big air events, ranking first in the World Cup total score list. She has fought with Gu many times and is one of Gu’s biggest competitors. In January 2021, Ledeux’s father died. After overcoming the sadness of losing her next of kin, she returned to the competition.

Seeing this, Gu and Swiss competitor Mathilde Gremaud, the bronze medalist, came together to console Ledeux.

Gu Ailing (see photo, R) and other athletes help each other. Photograph: Mao Jianjun/CNS

Gu hugged the French competitor Tess Ledeux, the silver medalist. Photograph: Mao Jianjun/CNS

Many netizens say that this is the Olympic spirit.

The IOC Official Micro-blog on Sina Weibo praised the scene——competitive sports are far more than success or failure. It is the freemasonry among redoubtable players that makes great achievements.

Screenshot from Weibo

In interviews after the contest, Gu said she participated in the Winter Olympics not to defeat her rivals but to do her best.

On that day, the audiences at the competition site were also very warm. If the players performed well, everyone cheered. When they made mistakes, the audience would also cheer and encourage them.

“Everyone ends up with smile and I feel the positivity conveyed by sports.”

“The atmosphere is good. Whoever performs well, the audience cheers.”

“This is sportsmanship, which means making progress together.”

Netizens remarked as the above.

Screenshot from Weibo

At Beijing Winter Olympic Games, there are many moments like these.

On February 5, in the round robin games of mixed doubles’ curling, despite losing to the Americans 7-5, China’s Fan Suyuan and Ling Zhi wished their rivals well and presented commemorative pin badges of the Beijing Winter Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen as gifts to them.

On February 5, the Chinese pair of Fan Suyuan and Ling Zhi lost 5-7 to the American team in the Beijing Winter Olympics mixed doubles’ curling round robin games. After the match, Chinese curlers gave their American counterparts a set of four Games’ commemorative pins each. Photograph: Cui Nan/CNS

The American duo of Christopher Plys and Victoria Persinger thanked them and later posted a tweet appreciating “the wonderful display of sportsmanship by Chinese counterparts”.

The tweet was liked by foreign netizens. Someone said, “This is what sport is about, making friendships with fair competition. Wonderful!”

Photograph: Cui Nan/CNS

On the morning of February 6, in the women’s slopestyle final, New Zealand snowboarder, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, the last of the competition, completed the most difficult three-jump sequence.

After she landed, two rivals of hers excitedly rushed up to hug her and celebrate with her.

Photograph: the IOC Official Micro-blog on Sina Weibo

The scene touched many people in front of the screen. Everyone praised that to each other, they were both respectable opponents and friendly friends.

On February 7, in the men’s slopestyle final, Chinese teen Su Yiming won the silver medal standing on the podium with his idol, Mark McMorris, Canadian famous athlete and the bronze medallist.

After receiving the Olympic souvenirs, Su couldn’t wait to hug his idol. He said, “Receiving the medal on the same podium with my childhood idol is one of the most precious experiences in my whole life.”

McMorris raved about Su’s performance as well. “He was very young when I first met him. He’s now grown into a strong snowboarder and I’m proud of him.”

On February 7, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics men’s slopestyle final was held.

The athletes have learned from each other and cheered each other on, which not only reflects the competitive spirit, but also conveys the meaning of the Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together”, and offers guidance for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The snowflake-shaped cauldron at the opening ceremony symbolized harmony and beauty. Foreign athletes were moved to tears by Chinese volunteers and thought highly of Winter Olympics tracks. Chinese netizens lavished praise on Japanese athletes...... Since the opening day of the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has shown how the perspective of a great nation has changed from “I” to “we”.

Two athletes placed the last Olympic torch in the centre of the “Big Snowflake”. Photograph: Mao Jianjun/CNS

Sports should be kept separate from politics. The field should truly become a platform for fair and friendly exchanges between athletes from all countries, allowing the spirit of sport to blossom on and off it.

People not only cheered every improvement, but also applauded every fall; not only praised every breakthrough, but also encouraged every failure. The warmth of these moments came together to “break the ice” at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

http://www.chinanews.com.cn/ty/2022/02-09/9672166.shtml/