In a hurry, Wu Dajing ended his competition for individual events in the 14th winter journey. On February 17, in the quarter-finals of the men's 500-meter short track speed skating, he missed the next round due to a foul. This is the only individual event that Wu Dajing signed up for in this Winter Games. After unfortunately stopping, he could only compete for medals through relay events.
At the end of the game, Wu Dajing was the first to slide to the sidelines, the first to pack up his equipment and leave the field. Even when he passed by the mixed interview area briefly, he looked in a hurry and did not accept any interview. In the short track speed skating hall of the Inner Mongolia Ice Training Center, ice fans from all over the country are still shouting heartily, but when you see this familiar face exiting the arena, you can't help but feel that time has flown by.
The last time Wu Dajing won a gold medal at the Winter Games was eight years ago. In 2016, at the 13th Winter Games held in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Wu Dajing won the men's 500-meter short track speed skating gold medal. This was also the first Winter Games gold medal in his career.
That championship was a turning point in Wu Dajing's career. Before that, he had been struggling for a long time to find a stable development space.
"Eastern Pole" Jiamusi is Wu Dajing's hometown. In his childhood, he saw the ice rink at 4 a.m., and his hard work and hard work allowed him to touch the threshold of short track speed skating, but he was still a long way from becoming an excellent professional athlete. When he was 13 years old, Wu Dajing chose to run away. After joining the Jiangsu Provincial Short Track Team, he finally enjoyed the "privilege" of riding on the ice rink during the day. But in 2009, the Jiangsu team disbanded, and Wu Dajing transferred to Jilin again. A year later, he entered the national team. He was 16 years old that year, but his main job was as a sparring partner for the team. When he was 17 years old, Wu Dajing sent his teammates to compete abroad. Watching them get on the bus and set off one by one, a strong ambition began to surge: "I want to practice well, and I hope the coach can take me with me next time."
found Wu Dajing worked harder in training and his strength continued to improve. In October 2013, Wu Dajing won the first world championship in his career at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in South Korea. In 2014, Wu Dajing ushered in the first Winter Olympics in his life. He ranked first in the men's 500m final. In the end, he lost to his biggest competitor Ahn Hyun-soo.
This defeat inspired Wu Dajing's desire to win. He no longer allowed himself to fail easily, and became a veritable national champion at the 12th Winter Games in 2016.
So, the story comes to a new chapter. The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was Wu Dajing's "Battle of the Gods". The away game environment was quite complicated, as can be seen from the fact that head coach Li Yan changed the name of the group chat to "Extracting Teeth from the Tiger's Mouth". From the opening on February 9th to February 22nd, the Chinese short track speed skating team had no results and only "received" 9 fouls, including Wu Dajing who fell off the track in the 1500m semi-finals and was sentenced to obstruction. foul.
The 500-meter final was Wu Dajing's last chance to prove himself. Ren Ziwei had stated that he would win the championship in the finals, but in the end he failed to advance to the finals. In the final, facing the double-teaming of two Korean athletes competing at home, Wu Dajing scored a stunning victory. With 39.584 seconds, Wu Dajing broke the world record and achieved zero gold medals for the Chinese men's short track speed skating team in the Winter Olympics. breakthrough.
Wu Dajing has since become the leader of the Chinese short track speed skating team. He has gone from being a young player who surpassed others to becoming a target for others to surpass. However, when the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was held at home, fate once again played a small joke on Wu Dajing. Although he won the gold medal in the 2000-meter mixed relay, he unfortunately stopped in the semi-finals of the men's 500-meter individual event.
"I always treat every game as the last one. I don't know if I will participate in world competitions in the future..." With this unwillingness, Wu Dajing's life began to move on to another journey.
After the Beijing Winter Olympics, Wu Dajing took a break for more than a year, and his identity changed from a simple athlete to an athlete and coach. Behind this choice, in addition to age, there is also the further risk of injuries. "I am now trying to extend my cycle as much as possible and make a sufficient long-term plan.It must be very scientific and precise. Any negligence may lead to failure in the end. "He said.
Where is the "last"? Maybe he doesn't know it himself. Wu Dajing still longs for and is attached to the competition field, but the passing of years and the alarm of his body have made him learn to compromise. Perhaps this is the price of growth. This year , Wu Dajing will usher in his thirties, and at the crossroads of destiny, he will face more choices.
But no matter what, the ice mark scratched by Wu Dajing's feet has been engraved in the history of China's short track speed skating Even though youth flies by, the burning moments are enough to illuminate the future of future generations. Wu Dajing, keep up the good work.
Reporter: Hou Chao Editor: Zhao Chen Proofreader: Faye Wong
