Jumping for joy

Competing at the National Ski Jumping Center, two years after the Beijing Winter Olympics, Zhao Jiawen saw an improvement from 81 meters to 102.5 m in the men's Gundersen normal hill event.

At the venue of China's 14th National Winter Games in Chongli, Hebei province, Zhao triumphed with two individual and one team gold in Nordic combined. "I've made great progress in ski jumping since the Beijing Winter Olympics," Zhao, China's first Nordic combined athlete at the Winter Olympics, stated. "With the experience of the Olympics, I'm familiar with the weather and hills here. Returning to the same venue feels amazing, and I realize that I've made significant improvements."

Despite adapting well, the challenge of gliding down from a height of approximately 100 meters and staying in the air for 5 to 7 seconds is formidable for any beginner.

Born in 2001 in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, Zhao was a top student until third grade, when his PE teacher, Wang Zhiru, identified his potential as an athlete. "I had no idea what the right choice would be at that time," Zhao's mother Yuan Hongxia recalled. "I simply believed it would be better for him to continue his studies, considering how difficult it is to become an athlete."

Zhao's athletic talent shone through in a long-distance running competition, attracting the attention of Yu Qingbao, coach of the Mudanjiang cross-country skiing team.

"We couldn't afford the expenses of a professional athlete," Yuan explained. "But coach Yu assured us that if Zhao could make it into the top 16 in the upcoming provincial youth competition, all expenses would be covered by the team."

After only 20 days of practice, Zhao impressed everyone with a seventh-place finish and, within a year, was recruited by the provincial cross-country skiing team.

At the end of 2016, China began forming its Nordic combined national team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Zhao made the transition. The event, encompassing ski jumping and cross-country skiing, demands courage, skill, fitness, endurance, and other essential elements.

The challenge of recruiting skilled athletes was evident, as the team's size reduced from 20 to just five, including Zhao. Learning about the 100-meter-high jumps, Yuan was extremely worried, and once again urged her son to reconsider his athletic career. However, Zhao, initially insistent, hesitated when faced with his first-ever ski jump during a training camp in Hokkaido, Japan.

"Mom, I've thought about it, and I should go back to school as you suggested," Zhao told her over the phone. Yuan, however, encouraged him to persist: "No, son. Once you've made a choice, you cannot give up halfway. If you've chosen what you love, then love it unconditionally."

Ge Da, leader of the Chinese Nordic combined team, noted Zhao's high level of discipline. He would undertake extra practice and study videos in his spare time.

Overcoming fear and honing his skills, Zhao, with his teammates, finished seventh at the FIS Nordic combined Continental Cup in Ruka, Finland, in January 2019. A month later, he won first place in the individual event at China's National Youth Games.

However, a knee injury during training temporarily halted Zhao's momentum. "I had a mental block and became very stiff at the take-off point," he recalled. "It took me a long time to overcome my fear, but I just had to compete against myself."

In November 2021, Zhao finished 22nd in the men's Gundersen normal hill/10km race at the FIS Nordic combined Continental Cup in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, earning China its first Olympic spot in the discipline. "Skiing brings me pure happiness and is a lot of fun," he said. "Of course, setbacks and failures are part of the journey towards standing on the Olympic stage."

At the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022, Zhao had the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron alongside female cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang. "I'm so honored and excited to become one of the torchbearers," Zhao said at the time, emphasizing that it gave him lasting motivation.

Two days later, Zhao made his Olympic debut in ski jumping with Dong Bing, Song Qiwu, and Peng Qingyue, but was eliminated in the first round, placing 10th. On Feb 9, he became the first Chinese Nordic combined Olympian, competing in the men's individual Gundersen normal hill/10km event. The 21-year-old ranked 42nd with a jump of 81 meters and a score of 59.0 points, before completing the 10km cross-country race in 33 minutes and 29 seconds, placing 43rd overall.

"If we can compete at the next Winter Olympics, we will definitely achieve a better finish," Zhao optimistically stated.

Returning to the National Ski Jumping Center, where his dreams began, Zhao, representing Heilongjiang province, excelled in ski jumping and cross-country skiing, winning gold in the men's individual Gundersen normal hill/10km and Gundersen large hill/10km events, as well as in the team Gundersen large hill/4x5km events, at the 14th National Winter Games.

Zhao will compete in four ski jumping events in the coming days, with one eye already on the World Cup in March — another step toward his ultimate goal of standing on the podium at the next Winter Olympics.

Xinhua