When South Korean skater Hwang Dae-heon captured gold in the men’s 1,500-meter short track final on Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Hwang and Team South Korea. The true charm of the Olympics is not only the higher, faster, stronger competitive level it presents, but also the spirit of “togetherness” it carries, the message said.
The Beijing Olympic Winter Games are nearly halfway done. When athletes’ wonderful performances leave unforgettable memories, disputes and divergences are emerging among Chinese and foreign netizens over the results of some competitions. The statement the Chinese Embassy in South Korea issued has well responded to this kind of debate.
Netizens from all over the world may have intense emotions about the competitions. But in general, Chinese society has gained a much deeper understanding of sportsmanship.
For instance, young Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming, born in the 2000s, could have won the gold medal. The head judge of snowboarding admitted a mistake had been made in their judgment, but Su himself said he was in good shape and had done the moves he wanted to do.
Another Chinese athlete, short track speed skater Ren Ziwei, missed the short track speed skating 1,500m final due to a foul. He accepted the result in a calm and honest attitude, saying he made a rookie mistake and “my mistake is my mistake.”
After Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu failed on the quad Axel, or “4A,” a highly difficult jump, during his performance, countless Chinese netizens still feel touched and applaud him for his spirit of pushing his limits.
In competitive sports, there are always winners and losers, and there are always cheers and disappointments. This is human nature.
For example, the South Korean team has always been very strong in short track speed skating. The Korean public generally has high hopes to see them win medals. When South Korean short track speed skaters were disqualified in the semifinals of the men’s 1,000 meters, strong disappointments emerged. This is understandable.
But respecting the judges’ decision itself is respecting the rules, the competitions and the opponents. If one believes only victory means justice yet losing a game must be because of a plot, this is not real sportsmanship.
There have been reports that Chinese students were being beaten in South Korea in the past two days. If this is related to the Olympic Winter Games, it is a grave desecration of the Olympic spirit. -The Daily Mail-Global Times News Exchange Item
