Xinhua News Agency, Harbin, January 3 (reporter Wang Junbao) more than 20 degrees below zero. Standing outside the windless outside of Qitaihe city, Heilongjiang province, I can already feel the “scratch” of cool air on my face “, however, Lu Qingxian had to wear skates, galloping in the wind, and his slightly smiling face could not see any cold. An audience stopped in a hurry and looked at LV Qingxian standing in front of him, with doubts: “Is he really 72 years old?”
Lu Qingxian is a seventy years old man, but his state on the ice rink is indeed “out of line with his age”. Technical movements such as pushing ice and pressing steps on corners can be used freely. Since 1973, he has been in contact with skating. 47 years has not only endowed LV Qingxian with skillful skills, but also brought him a great love for skating.
You can see one of the two places that love skating with him and his friends.
Since 2013, LV Qingxian and his friends who like skating have swept out a basketball court-sized ice surface in the ice-sealed pool water covered by snow in the anti-drug Park of Qitaihe city.
“The ice-sealed pool water is uneven, so we made a simple pouring ice wagon and pushed the bucket to pour ice. Where does the water come from in winter? We have to cut a hole, pour water scooping under the ice into the bucket.” Sun Yulin is the coach of the Qitaihe City double skating champion club. It is an important part of his life to open an outdoor ice rink and skate with 52 skating enthusiasts such as LV Qingxian.
“We participate in many competitions at our own expense every year and teach children skating for free.” Sun Yulin is 64 years old this year. The average age of the members of his club is around 60 years old. This amateur skating team has won gold medals in many domestic competitions.
In fact, in winter Qitaihe city, it is easy to see the figure of slippery Wild ice on many frozen water surfaces in the urban area. Skating is a city business card of Qitaihe city. In the past few decades, this northeast border city with a population of 920000 has delivered 10 short track speed skating world champions, including Zhang Jie, Yang Yang, Wang Meng and Fan Kexin, athletes who walked out Qitaihe City won 172 world-class gold medals.
Nowadays, Qitaihe city has not only established 7 short track speed skating characteristic schools to make the selection of local short track speed skating have a broader and solid foundation, but also established Qitaihe City Vocational College short track speed skating training center, former world champion Zhang Jie served as coach.
In 2017, Zhang Jie Ice Sports College of Vocational College was established Qitaihe city. The college opened short track speed skating major to train short track speed skating coaches, making athletes who failed to go to the professional stage do their best, it further promotes the promotion of short track speed skating.
In order to make the ice and snow sports more in-depth and abundant among the masses, Qitaihe municipal people’s government also held ice and snow carnival activities covering the whole city for two consecutive years. Special short-track speed skating events, ice lantern events and other activities are held in many places in the city. A series of ice and snow sports such as snow circles and snowmobiles even extend to the countryside……
As night falls, the lights of the small town in Qitaihe city are bright. The high tower beside Taoshan Lake is the Qitaihe City short track speed skating champion hall built in February 2019. The 8-storey exhibition hall shows the development of Qitaihe City short track speed skating from scratch and the achievements made through hardships. Several citizens carrying skates pushed into the door and climbed to the top of the tower. (Finished)