TAKING THE LONG TRACK

Zhang Yan

The sporting spirit is not only about winning， but about playing the games right

Students at Gaojiaying Primary School in Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City could never have dreamed that a world champion would teach them. “Your heart is nearest to your dreams，” said Xiao Han， an accomplished short track speed skater. She introduced the basics of short track speed skating and shared some sports stories. “I hope my experience encourages them to pursue their dreams and never give up despite difficulties and setbacks.”

Relentless Pursuit

Back in the spring of 2010， Xiao Han was already frequenting the short track training rink in Jilin City， northeast China’s Jilin Province. She started her routine 20 laps as early as five o’clock in the morning， after which she would immediately join teammates to engage in regular training.

Despite Xiao ranking third in the China National Short Track Speed Skating Championship， she failed to make Chinese national short track speed skating team because of her weight. “It was a huge setback for me，” she said. “My height was 160 centimeters， and my weight at that time was 60 kilograms. It was fit for regular person but far too heavy for a speed skating athlete. I needed to be around 52.5 kilograms.” Xiao became committed to losing weight before the next selection. But it can be difficult for athletes to lose weight because they don’t want to eat less or take drugs， so the only way is to exercise more.

“My daily training schedule was already full from six o’clock in the morning to nine-thirty in the evening，” recalled Xiao Han. To add even more exercise， she started jogging at five. “The track of the training field was 460 meters long， and I did 20 laps before joining regular training with my teammates，” said Xiao. “I used every spare second to exercise.”

However， Xiao was quite disappointed to find no change in weight at all when she stepped on the scale after a month of hard exercise. “I wanted to give up the moment I saw the results，” she recalled. But her coach encouraged her to keep going saying that losing weight was like sculpting stone and that the results she wanted would come eventually if she kept working. So Xiao decided to continue running every day without checking her weight.

After three more months， Xiao suddenly found her clothes too large. She stepped on the scale again and excitedly saw it read 48.5 kilograms. Hard work paid off.

Xiao also noted that the weight loss led to the improved muscle quality and performance in competition. “That year， I won every short track race including the national short track speed skating championships.” Xiao’s excellent performance drew the attention of the head coach of the national team， and she finally got selected to join the team.

Changing the Tracks

As a newcomer to the national short track speed skating team， Xiao worked even harder to keep up with other excellent skaters， which made the coach decide to nominate her for the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

Xiao felt lucky for the opportunity and won gold in the women’s 3000-meter relay. Standing on the podium， Xiao watched the rise of the national flag of China， heard the national anthem， and knew that her dream had finally come true. Xiao’s dream of becoming a champion started when at the age of eight， she saw Chinese skater Yang Yang win China’s first gold medal on the Women’s 500m short track speed skating at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.

However， Xiao’s career as a professional athlete ended due to a severe injury. Before the 2014 Sochi Winter Games， a doctor ordered her to stop high-intensity exercise. When Xiao became depressed and upset about her future， a coach of a local speed skating team in her hometown invited her to return for a guaranteed job. “It would have been a great way to end my career as a professional skater with a coaching job， but I still did not want to give up， so I rejected the offer.”

In 2019， Xiao headed abroad to study. She hoped to combine her skating experience with theory to help more people understand and love the sport. Her studies helped her recognize the significance of promoting sports. “I realized that winning is not the only way to promote the sporting spirit，” Xiao said. “Helping more people get to know and love sports is also important.”

The Next Chapter

Xiao Han has remained committed to promoting winter sports since retirement. She worked with Yang Yang to build the Yang Yang Ice and Snow Club in Jilin Province. After careful surveys and trial classes， they selected ten primary schools as pilots to promote winter sports. “We experienced doubts and rejections， but the sporting spirit kept us going，” said Xiao.

When studying abroad， Xiao realized the importance of regionalconditions for snow and ice sports and learned that the venues for such sports had specific standards. Xiao became determined to change the bias towards the sports on ice and snow. After returning to China， she started spreading Olympic Winter Games information on the internetand posting coaching videos on social media platforms regularly. Xiao taught skating to all who were interested and suggested roller skating to those lacking a convenient ice rink.

As the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games approached， Xiao became even busier. She visited elementary and middle schools to introduce short track speed skating to students， show them her skating outfit， equipment， and medals， and share stories about the sport. On college campuses， she stressed to Generation Z the need to learn and feel the Olympic spirit and promote it to more people alongside understanding the rules of the games.

Xiao believes that the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games will inspire more people to get interested in and participate in winter sports. She encourages people to gain deeper understanding because “those who know the sports and their rules have more fun.” “I hope my sharing encourages people to find out more about winter sports so they will be more educated spectators of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. I hope they feel as thrilled and excited about the sports as I do and find themselves closer to the Olympic spirit.”

Xiao Han now teaches physical education at the college level. “Now that I no longer race as an athlete for my country， I remain committed to teaching sports and promoting the sporting spirit，” she said. “Doing this feels just as great as standing on the podium， watching the national flag rise， and hearing the national anthem. My career as a professional skater ended， but my story with the sport continues.”