[Short track speed skating] From academic master to Winter Olympic champion

The person who came was the head coach of the Dutch short track speed skating team, Fan Biya. Gu Ran mischievously called him Fan Guidance back then.

Director Fan now doesn't look much different from ten years ago, which made Gu Ran doubt his real age for a while.

Director Fan stroked his beard and said, "65 this year, I was only in my early fifties when I met you."

Gu Ran praised sincerely: "You are old and strong, and you can lead the team to fight for another 20 years."

Director Fan asked him: "You should be very familiar with Katarin."

"Katalin?" Gu Ran tilted her head in thought, "Who, I haven't heard of it."

Director Fan reminded him: "Cui."

Gu Ran suddenly realized that he was talking about Cui Zhien.When Ms. Cui came to the Netherlands, she married a Dutch name, Katharine, which is quite foreign.

Gu Ran shrugged: "I've known each other since I was fourteen or fifteen years old, so it's hard to say how good the relationship is."

Fanbia said: "Over the years, our women's team has been getting better and better, especially after Katarin joined us. In the four women's events and the mixed relay competition, we have the strength to win gold."

"But in the men's program, we haven't improved much over the years."

Fan Biya smiled at Gu Ran again: "At my age, it's time to resign in two years, so I hope that our men's team can make a breakthrough in next year's Winter Olympics."

Gu Ran leaned back, put her hands on the ground, and looked at him with half-closed eyes: "You mean..."

Fan Biya smiled and said, "Xiaoran, can you help me realize this wish?"

Gu Ran didn't answer his question directly, but asked: "I'm already 30 years old. Many athletes have already retired at my age. Why do you think I can fulfill your wish?"

Fanbia smiled very amiably: "I know you are 30 years old, and you have been in the Netherlands for two months due to injuries recently. And because of the Korean team's Zheng Minyu, you are deeply under pressure from public opinion..."

Gu Ran has some doubts about the pressure of public opinion, because he stayed away from the Internet while recuperating in Amsterdam, and never opened any social software. He didn't know about the bloody storms on the Internet, and he had no interest in learning about it.

Fan Biya continued: "Do you know that the Chinese team will go to Canada for a closed training camp in the summer?"

Gu Ran shook her head: "I don't know."

He really didn't know that Xu Qing and the others usually cared about his injury when they called him, and they didn't have anything to do for training, and they didn't urge him to go back, so that he could recover from his injury and don't worry about other things.

Fan Biya nodded knowingly: "I don't think you're in the mood to care about these things now. It's better to stay in the Netherlands, you said you like it here."

"I know you are a computer major. After the Winter Olympics, if you want to retire and work in a professional field, I believe there are many schools, research institutions or well-known companies in Europe that welcome you to join."

Hearing this, Gu Ran finally figured out the purpose of Fan Biya's coming to find him today.He is 30 years old this year. He returned to the game after retiring. He suffered a torn ligament in the World Championships. He stayed in the Netherlands for two months and has not returned to China. Because of Zheng Minyu's unilateral contact, he was deeply involved in the whirlpool of public opinion. The speed skating team did not disclose to him the external training plan for this summer...

Based on the above information, Fan Biya thinks that he can attack Gu Ran like he did with Cui Zhien, let him become a Dutch citizen, and play for the Dutch short track speed skating team.

Gu Ran didn't agree, nor refused, but raised her head and watched a group of unknown birds flying past in the sky.

Fan Biya didn't urge him either, just sat quietly and waited: "It's okay, I can give you time to think about it."

Gu Ran smiled and shook her head: "No, I already have the answer."

Fan Biya's heart skipped a beat, he was still a little nervous at this age: "Tell me."

Gu Ran turned her head and smiled innocently at him: "I came back to represent the Chinese team in the Winter Olympics. If they don't want me, I will choose to retire without hesitation."

"I have only played for the Chinese short track speed skating team in my life."

He took out a sincere heart and placed it in front of Fan Biya. It was so red that it dazzled the eyes, and there was no room for anything else.

When the U.S. team tempted him to study in prestigious schools, Gu Ran was able to remain unmoved.Fan Biya's "request" sounded more sincere today, but Gu Ran still refused without hesitation, which was enough to show his utter loyalty to his motherland.

Hearing his words "I've only played for the Chinese short track speed skating team all my life", Fan Biya knew that no matter what he said, he couldn't convince Gu Ran.The old coach gave up this topic very decisively, and sincerely admired his frankness and loyalty.

The two sat by the river and chatted a few more gossiping words, then Fan Biya took his leave and left.

Gu Ran still lives in Heerenveen, and is not in a hurry to go back.

In the past two weeks, many people have come to look for him, besides Fan Biya, there are Marco and Cui Zhien.

Especially Miss Cui, who sat with him for a whole afternoon and couldn't bear to leave. She thought it was about Zheng Minyu and apologized to him repeatedly.

Gu Ran waved her hand: "You don't need to apologize to me, really. I haven't even paid attention to this matter."

Cui Zhien expressed his incomprehension: "He said something that didn't exist in front of the media, aren't you angry at all?"

Gu Ran shrugged indifferently: "He is a complete loser in front of me. People don't care what the loser says, they just think he is a clown."

Cui Zhien bit her lower lip: "But I'm very angry, I can't accept others saying that about you. In my heart for so many years, you are perfect."

Gu Ran was noncommittal, but sincerely thanked her: "Nothing is perfect in this world, and neither am I."

What he meant was: "You don't have to be so persistent with me, there will be no results."

But Miss Cui was very open-minded: "This is my business, so you don't have to worry about me."

Gu Ran felt that what she said made sense, so she didn't bother with this topic anymore.

Two weeks later, Gu Ran welcomed the last visitor by the river in Heerenveen.

His recovery training has been fully accepted, and the injury to his left knee has also healed, but he does not seem to intend to leave.

It was raining lightly in Heerenveen that day, and the rain water made circles and ripples on the river.Gu Ran lay leisurely on the bank of the river, letting the rain wet his T-shirt and shorts.

At this time, a person suddenly walked up to him, and the long-handled umbrella in his hand covered the sky above his head.Someone looked down at him from top to bottom: "You are not afraid of catching a cold."

"Don't listen to the sound of Chuan Lin slapping leaves, why don't you roar and walk slowly."

Gu Ran turned over and sat up, with her long legs resting on the bank of the river. She took out her glasses from somewhere and put them on. Then she saw clearly that the person who came was Wei Yuening, his classmate, colleague and roommate whom he hadn't seen for half a year.

Gu Ran patted her side: "Teacher Wei, please sit down."

Wei Yuening put the umbrella on the open space behind him, and sat on the ground like a stream of kindness: "Happy here, don't miss Shu."

Gu Ran bumped into him with her arm, and said with a smile, "I'm recovering from my injury."

Wei Yuening asked concerned: "How is the injury?"

Gu Ran patted her knee again: "It's completely healed."

Wei Yuening looked around, even if it was a gray and rainy day, this small town didn't look depressing, but had a special charm.

"Is this the place you chose to die for yourself?" Wei Yuening nodded, "It's not bad."

Gu Ran asked him: "Why are you here?"

"Take annual leave and walk around casually."

Gu Ran raised her eyebrows: "Walk casually, have you come here?"

Wei Yuening smiled helplessly: "I came here specially to find you, that's fine."

The two sat silently for a while, and not long after, the rain gradually stopped, the cloud cleared, and the weather began to clear up. There was a fresh smell of soil in the air, and the surrounding buildings were washed by the rain as mirrors as new.

"It's healed, why don't you go back?"

Gu Ran looked down at the leaves floating in the river: "In my career, I have never suffered such a serious injury. The moment I fell, I even wondered if I would not be able to stand up in the future."

Wei Yuening asked him: "Do you regret it?"

Gu Ran shook his head: "I will never regret it." He smiled wryly, "The life here is so comfortable, I can't muster up the courage to go back."

Wei Yuening half understood: "You dare not go to the ice rink anymore?"

"Not all," Gu Ran casually twisted the water out of the T-shirt, "I wasted half a year, and I have to start all over again after I go back."

"I have said long ago that being a teenager is not a blessing. It takes a lot of courage to get up after falling at my age."

Wei Yuening turned his head and looked at his profile.Knowing this, he just said it with his mouth, and when it was time to go back, he would not hesitate at all.

Gu Ran said: "I've been thinking, this comeback, besides being a champion, what else can I bring to my coach and teammates?"

"The championship is not enough?"

"not enough."

Gu Ran stood up, and stretched out her hand to pull Wei Yuening up from the ground. The latter put away her umbrella and followed him towards the hotel.

"I hope to buy enough time for them so that the young players can grow up. Even without me in the future, China will still be an unshakable power in short track speed skating."

Wei Yuening raised his head, saw the sun poking out from the clouds, and remembered the line "Ding Feng Bo" he had recited casually just now.He used to come up with a sentence or two of Su Shi's words from time to time, and he probably admired this great Northern Song Dynasty master very much.

Therefore, Wei Yuening said: "After the Wutai Poetry Case, Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou. He was 42 years old that year. The song "Ding Feng Bo" was written during this period, which was the darkest moment in his life, but it made him truly climb to the peak of literature from then on."

Wei Yuening pulled him back: "I think your choice is definitely not 'the boat will pass away, and the sea will leave the rest of my life', but 'looking back at the bleak place, there is neither wind nor rain nor sunshine'."

Gu Ran understood, so she nodded, "It's time to go home."

As soon as Wei Yuening arrived in Europe, he came to Heerenveen non-stop to enlighten him. In order to express his gratitude, Gu Ran accompanied him on a tour of various European countries.

When I returned to Beijing, it was mid-June, and the national team was about to start training at the Haigeng base in Kunming. Gu Ran made a plan to come back.

Cheng Sen was startled when he saw him downstairs in the apartment: "Oh, who is this?"

Gu Ran dragged the suitcase upstairs and replied casually, "You don't know your son?"

"My son?" Cheng Sen thought for a while, "I thought my son was going to settle in the Netherlands and didn't plan to come back."

These days, they contact almost every two weeks.In fact, many times, Cheng Sen wanted to ask him when he planned to come back, but every time Xu Qing stopped him with a look.

Xu Qing knew Gu Ran too well, and knew what he was thinking: "The child's thoughts are too burdened, let him relax and release the pressure over there."

Cheng Sen had no choice but to say, "You just get used to him."

"I'm used to him, what's wrong?"

"nothing."

After Gu Ran returned to the team, he did a physical assessment, and the results showed that he was in very good condition in all aspects.And he has already completed recovery training when he was in Heerenveen, and there is no problem in directly investing in pre-season preparations now.

It has been more than two months since Gu Ran was injured, and he has not been on the ice for more than two months.Now that he had put on his equipment and stood on the ice, he couldn't help but recall the moment he was injured. The severe pain of the torn ligament surged up from the depths of his memory, which made him unable to walk.

"What's wrong?" Gao Ziyi leaned over nervously, "Is there any discomfort?"

Gu Ran smiled self-deprecatingly: "There are some psychological barriers that need to be overcome."

Gao Ziyi stretched out his hand to him: "Don't worry, let's take our time."

In the past few days, Gu Ran did not practice together with the whole team, but with Gao Ziyi's company, began to slowly adapt to ice training.

Senior brother Xiao Gao has always been gentle and patient with him, and accompanied him to gradually adapt bit by bit.

Soon, Gu Ran regained the previous feeling, both physically and mentally, she was able to accept fast skating on the ice without any obstacles.