China's short track speed skater Qu Chunyu recalled how she overcame immense personal and professional challenges before helping the host nation secure an Olympic mixed team relay gold at Beijing 2022.
BEIJING, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Recalling her triumph at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, China's short track speed skater Qu Chunyu's memory would flash back to one month before the Games.
In late November 2021, during the fourth leg of the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Qu made the difficult decision to leave the competition to focus on a personal transformation. It was a critical turning point in her journey toward Olympic glory.
Qu's decision to step away came after a frank conversation with her coach, Kim Sun-tae, who urged her to make adjustments to improve her skating.
"At that time, Kim told me that I needed to make a change," Qu recalled. "He wanted me to lose weight to enhance the lightness of my skating strides." Despite the grueling regimen, Qu remained resolute, knowing her Olympic dreams were on the line.
The mixed team relay event was one of China's gold medal hopefuls at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Although Qu had competed in the first three legs of the World Cup, she was replaced by her teammate Zhang Yuting in the finals.
"I knew my performance in the World Cup was below expectations. After talking with my coach, I realized that I had to work harder to earn a chance to prove myself on the Olympic stage."
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
This was not the first time Qu had faced challenges during an Olympic season. In 2017-2018, she only competed in the first two World Cup legs before suffering an ankle injury. At that year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics, she was disqualified from the semifinals in the women's 500m and 1,000m events due to penalties, but she still relished her Olympic debut.
Four years later, Qu once again encountered challenges. During the first week of her weight-loss regimen, she strictly cut out dinner and was committed to extensive cardio workouts. By the second week, she started doing early morning exercises on her own before joining her teammates for a full day of training.
After she had successfully lost four kilograms and resumed speed training, new challenges arose. "I struggled to keep up with others during speed drills, and my performance as the pacesetter also fell short," Qu said. Then Kim adjusted her training regimen, and after consistent efforts, she gradually regained her ideal speed.
Team meetings, training reviews, and opponents analysis - the Winter Olympics preparation was packed with tasks that weighed heavily on Qu, who admitted that the pressure during that time was immense. "Even the slightest problem could break me emotionally," she said.
"One day, I fell during training and just broke down in tears," Qu recounted. "I kept asking myself, how can I catch up with others in such a short time? I had no choice but to adapt quickly and minimize the recovery time, because the training won't stop, and the match won't wait for you."
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
On February 5, 2022, the Beijing Winter Olympic mixed team relay competition took place at the Capital Indoor Stadium. China's team, comprising Fan Kexin, Qu, Ren Ziwei and Wu Dajing, successfully progressed through the quarterfinals, which also helped Qu shake off the shadows of her past struggles.
"I wasn't that confident before the race," Qu admitted. "The setbacks during the World Cup left me insecure. But after this race, I felt like I was back - my legs were strong, and I was completely focused on the track."
For the semifinals and finals, Kim kept Qu in the lineup, marking the first time that Qu had competed in all three rounds in the mixed team relay that season. In the final, her speed allowed her to overtake Canada's Kim Boutin, giving China a critical edge.
When Wu crossed the finish line first, Qu initially didn't realize they had won. She was assigned to stay on the ice during the final laps to safeguard Wu and step in if needed. It wasn't until her teammates celebrated that she understood the gravity of their achievement.
As the national flag was hoisted during the medal ceremony, tears welled in Qu's eyes. She tried to hold back, reminding herself that this was a moment of joy.
"At that moment, I felt like my mission was completed - I made it!" Qu said with pride.
A NEW CHAPTER
Looking back on her sporting career spanning over 20 years, Qu sees every hardship as worthwhile. "It's been a journey of constantly proving myself. Winning this gold medal has fulfilled part of my mission, which is to improve my family's situation," she said. "In the next chapter, I want to give myself more options."
Short track speed skating has dominated nearly every aspect of Qu's life. "I can't even remember how I made it through since joining the national team in 2015," she admitted. "Every day was almost the same - focused on one thing, seeing the same people, eating the same food, and sleeping at the same time."
After the Beijing Winter Olympics, Qu found time to delve into new things. She tried skiing and even attended acting classes. "I wanted to discover more about myself," she said. "That time brought me joy and broke the limits I had once imposed on myself."
With the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics approaching, many wonder if Qu is aiming for her third Olympic appearance.
"I won't go there unless I can truly contribute to our team, rather than just having an appearance on the track," Qu stated firmly.
"I hold a beautiful hope for what's to come," she said with determination. "If I go there, I'm going to bring glory to my country." ■