Guangdong in Winter Olympics | Guangdong figure skating talents take on the world

Editor's note:

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are coming soon. The vibe of ice and snow sports in China is getting stronger. Even though there is almost no snow in Guangdong, the province is participating in the Winter Olympics in different forms. In this series, we will explore Guangdong's participation in the Winter Olympics, and share with you the passion for ice and snow in southern China!

Peng Zhiming, an 18-year-old figure skater from Guangdong, is practicing a four-way half-jump at the Kunlun Hongxing Ice Hockey Balloon Hall in Longgang District, Shenzhen. After a year of training with the national team, Peng returned to Guangdong to prepare for the National Winter Games.

"After competing with the highest level players in China, I have seen my shortcomings, but also improved," Peng said. Now he is targeting the upcoming 14th National Winter Games and the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzodon Winter Olympics. "I hope to achieve good results in the subsequent National Games and the next Olympic Games."

Peng in training(Photo: Alice)

Roller skating and skating have many similarities in technology, and many skaters start their careers with roller skating. Peng Zhiming is one of them. He started roller skating and ice hockey at 7 and figure skating at 10. These experiences gave him superb skating skills as well as excellent coordination and explosiveness. He also made great progress when he practiced figure skating and made a name for himself in China.

In 2019, Peng Zhiming won the second stop of the China Figure Skating Club League and performed a triple axle jump during the competition. At that time, only three people in China could stably complete this move. Peng also entered the Chinese national team after that.

Peng is practicing the triple Axel jump.

Peng Zhiming is the first athlete to enter the national figure skating team directly from a non-professional club. Liao Zhijuan, the leader of the Guangdong figure skating team, believes that Peng is the epitome of the development of Guangdong figure skating. She thinks that in the future, more children who love roller skating will become professional figure skaters through training, just like Peng.

Children who train in figure skating in the ice arena. (Photo: Alice)

Since 2019, Guangdong has held the Guangdong Provincial Figure Skating Championships for three consecutive years, and the number of participants is increasing year by year. After Beijing obtained the qualification to host the Winter Olympics, various ice and snow sports clubs have also been established in Guangdong. The venues of some clubs have even become provincial figure skating training bases. This year, the Guangdong Provincial Games will list figure skating and ice hockey as competitive events for the first time.