Winter Paralympics · Heart touching | He can’t see the light but lights up the night sky for everyoneFly into the homes of ordinary people
Li Duan worked hard to put on the main torch, photo by special reporter Li Mingshen
It’s still the “big snowflake” and the little fire. From the Winter Olympics to the Winter Paralympics, the form of ignition has not changed, but the igniter has become a blind athlete.
The ignition of the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics last night suddenly appeared unexpectedly. Time and time again, the main torchbearer tried hard to put the torch on the main torch stand, but it couldn’t be aligned. His persistence was moving. When the torch was finally inserted, he clenched his fist and roared. This scene made too many people break the defense. Some people said: “Although he can’t see the light, he lights up the night sky for us!”
The igniter’s name is Li Duan, and his life trajectory is also like the process of igniting – “tenacious struggle” and “constant self-improvement”.
Li Duan clenched his fist Photo by special reporter Li Mingshen
Li Duan, who was born in 1978, likes to play basketball since he was a child. He has been selected for the national youth team twice, and is also the main point guard of the Liaoning team. Wang Zhizhi’s teammate in the national youth team has won the championship of the National Youth Slam Dunk Contest. In 1996, the accidental explosion of a fire extinguisher left him blind, losing his vision and the first quarter of his right index finger. Li Duan’s fate has changed since then.
After being blind, he couldn’t play basketball. Li Duan was not discouraged, but switched from basketball to long jump. Li Duan has a very good physical fitness. He won gold medals in the triple jump at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. “When practicing long jumps, you must run straight, and your steps must be accurate. If you take a big step, it will be a foul if you step on the take-off area. If your step is small, you will not enter the take-off area, and if you are crooked, you will not be able to jump into the bunker.” Li Duan felt that this This feeling is very similar to the moment when the main torch is plugged in. It must be accurate and bold and careful.
In the 2008 Paralympic Games, Li Duan won the championship in the Bird’s Nest. Xinhua News Agency
The bird’s nest is no stranger to Li Duan.
That summer 14 years ago, it was here that he won the 2008 Beijing Paralympic men’s triple jump F11 championship, breaking the 10-year world record held by Spanish athletes – raising the national flag at the Bird’s Nest, and 90,000 yuan. The audience sang the national anthem together, which was also the proudest and most glorious moment of his career.
At that time, there were thunderous applause around him. At this moment, the ignition was very “quiet”, and the quietness reminded him of the silence before the jump on the field. “The whole court needs to be quiet during the game, so that the coach and I can hear what we need.” Li Duan won heavy honors for the motherland in the accumulation, take-off, and landing time after time: From 2000 to 2012, he participated in 4 The Paralympic Games, won a total of 4 gold medals. This time, he held the torch in his hand with pride and honor.
Li Duan touched the world Photo by special reporter Li Mingshen
Li Duan was notified only two weeks ago that he was preparing to participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics. He didn’t know that he was a torchbearer. After the previous rehearsal everyone had finished, he didn’t have any tasks. A few days later, at two or three o’clock in the morning, when all the actors had left the stage and there was no audience in the venue, he began to practice the final handover and lighting the main torch.
Blind people ignite, this is a bold attempt that has never been done in previous Paralympic Games. Why do such innovations?
From the director’s point of view, the blind torchbearers are touching the world and recognizing the world. The process itself is like igniting the scene with the flames of their hearts. A little flame illuminates the whole world, and the ignition link shows the tenacity of the Chinese people, which is also an endless inheritance. Thanks to the special installation of the snowflake table and the small fire this time, the director team’s seemingly unrealistic idea became feasible.
“I can’t see the torch, but I want to light the last torch, so that more people can see us and see our disabled people’s spirit of self-improvement and hard work.” Li Duan said, when he finally aimed at the moment, he I heard the sound of fireworks being thrown.
The shimmer in front of you warms your cheeks; the fireworks above your head light up the night sky. The Beijing Winter Paralympics also kicked off after this touching moment of ignition. (Xinmin Evening News correspondent Li Ranran, Beijing today)
