Li Yan, from Short Track Speed Skater to Head Coach 李琰：從短道速滑運動員到主教練

王越凡

Head coach Li Yan bursts into tears of joy when she sees 18 year-old Zhou Yang first cross the finish line at the women’s 1，500m short track speed skating final at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver on February 20.

[2] “It is an historical breakthrough and a great triumph，” Li spoke of Zhou’s success highly.

Li made a proactive1 and risky strategy for Zhou’s competition in the final race. “It was the last chance to go all out2 and fight. We have to take the risk. Any other way she wouldn’t have the opportunity to win.” Li explained.

[3] Zhou， silver medalist in the 2009 world championships， sped up to pass rivals Lee Eun-byul of South Korea and Lee’s compatriot Park Seung-hi with three laps left and didn’t let them skate near her until she crossed the finish line.

“She shifted her position frequently during the final competition. Few people do that because it will easily exhaust an athlete during a 1，500m speed skating race; however， she has the guts to3 do this. She is a gentle girl in daily life， but a really brave fighter during the games.” Li added.

[4] Li Yan was also excited when Turin Olympic champion Wang Meng maintained the women’s 500 meter short track speed skating title on February 17th at the Vancouver Winter Games.

[5] After winning the final race， Wang Meng gave Li a tight hug and then kneeled down to bow down two times to her leaders， coaches and teammates. “One is to thank my head coach Li Yan， who teaches me how to skate， and the other one is to thank my leaders and teammates.” said Wang Meng.

“I know it is her way to express her appreciation to me and I feel very grateful.” Li smiled， “We trust and support each other during daily training and we have a tacit4 understanding.”

[6] Li Yan was born in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province known as the home of ice and snow sports in China. She entered sports school to receive standard training at age 12 and was sent to a local professional team for her excellent performance several years later.

[7] However， an accident during a competition in 1984 almost ruined her career in sports. Her left knee was badly injured when she hit the board surrounding the rink. It was such a miracle that she recovered from the injury and returned to the skating rink a year later and in 1987 she joined the National team.

[8] At the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games when short track speed skating was still a demonstration event， 20 year-old Li Yan won a gold medal and two bronze medals in women’s 1，000m， 1，500m and 500m speed skating and refreshed the world record in women’s 1，000m and 1，500m speed skating.

[9] Short track speed skating became an official event at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics. Li claimed a silver medal at the women’s 500m short track speed skating final during that Winter Olympics. It was China’s first Olympic medal in short track speed skating.

[10] Li also made a qualified coach after her retirement. She served as the exchange coach for the Slovakian team in 2001 and the team ranked second in Europe half a year later.

[11] She began coaching the American team in 2003. In the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics， American athlete Apolo Anton Ohno beat South Korean rival Ahn Hyun-Soo， winning the men’s 500m short track speed skating gold medal， which was America’s first and only Olympic gold medal in short track speed skating.

[12] After returning to China， she became head coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team and assisted Chinese athletes in making great achievements at the Asian Winter Games and World Championships.

[13] In 2006， she signed a four-year contract to coach the Chinese national short track speed skating team. Under her supervision， the talented but temperamental Wang Meng obtained great improvement by breaking the world record of 500m repeatedly. Moreover， a young star in Zhou Yang was fostered and dominated the fields of 1，000m and 1，500m of women short track speed skating during the time of 2008 to 2010. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver， the Chinese women’s team completed an unprecedented sweep of all four short track speed skating events at the Olympics. The four gold medals her team won made Li the most decorated Chinese coach in one Olympic game.

[14] In 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic Games， her team won 6 gold， 3 silver and 1 bronze medals in total. In May 16， 2014， a press release provided by the Chinese Skating Association announced that “Li would remain as the head coach of the Chinese short track team until the Pyeongchang Games”.

[15] On June 2， 2017， Li Yan was elected chairman of the Chinese Skating Association.

2010年2月20日，溫哥華冬季奧運會短道速滑女子1500米決賽，主教練李琰見證18歲的周洋率先沖過終點線，不禁喜極而泣。

[2]“這是一次歷史性的突破，也是一場偉大的勝利?！崩铉叨荣潛P了周洋的奪冠。

李琰為周洋的決賽制訂了一種主動而冒險的戰術?！斑@是最后一次全力沖擊的機會。我們必須冒險。采取任何其他方式，她都不可能有機會取勝?！崩铉忉屨f。

[3]周洋，2009年世界錦標賽亞軍，在最后三圈加速，超過韓國對手李恩星和樸升智，并將她們遠遠甩在身后，直到滑過終點線。

“她在決賽中頻繁改變位置。幾乎沒有人會這么做，因為在1500米的速滑比賽中，這很容易讓運動員精疲力竭;但她有勇氣這么做。在生活中，她是一個溫和的女孩，但在賽場上，她是一名真正的勇士?！崩钛a充道。

[4]同樣使李琰激動萬分的是，2月17日，都靈冬奧會冠軍王濛蟬聯了溫哥華冬奧會短道速滑女子500米的冠軍。

[5] 決賽奪冠后，王濛緊緊擁抱了李琰，繼而向領導、教練和隊友跪地叩首兩次?！耙淮问歉兄x我的主教練李琰，是她讓我知道了該怎么滑冰;另一次是感謝我的領導和隊友?！蓖鯘髡f。

“我知道這是她向我表達感謝的方式，我感到非常榮幸?！崩铉⑿Φ?，“我們在日常訓練中彼此信任，相互支持，有著心照不宣的默契?！?/p>

[6]李琰出生于中國東北部的黑龍江省，這座城市以中國的冰雪運動之鄉而著稱。她12歲進入體校接受正規訓練，幾年后因表現出色入選當地的專業隊。

[7]然而，1984年一場比賽中的意外差點斷送了她的體育生涯。她的左膝撞到冰場周圍的擋板而嚴重受損?？梢哉f這是一個奇跡——她從傷病中恢復，一年后重返滑冰場，并于1987年加入國家隊。

[8] 1988年卡爾加里冬奧會上，短道速滑還只是一個表演項目，20歲的李琰在女子短道速滑1000米比賽中摘取了金牌，在1500米和500米比賽中獲得銅牌，并刷新了女子1000米和1500米的世界紀錄。

[9] 1992年阿爾貝維爾冬奧會上，短道速滑成為了正式比賽項目。李琰在這屆冬奧會女子短道速滑500米決賽中斬獲一枚銀牌。這是中國短道速滑項目的第一枚奧運獎牌。

[10]退役后，李琰成為了一名優秀的教練。2001年，她以交換教練的身份訓練斯洛伐克隊，使這支隊伍在半年后位列歐洲第二。

[11] 2003年，她開始訓練美國隊。2006年的都靈冬奧會，美國選手阿波羅·安東·奧赫諾戰勝韓國對手安賢洙，拿下了男子短道速滑500米的金牌，這是美國在短道速滑項目中取得的第一枚也是迄今唯一一枚奧運金牌。

[12]回到中國后，她成為了中國短道速滑隊的主教練，幫助中國運動員在亞洲冬季運動會和世界錦標賽上取得了巨大成就。

[13] 2006年，她簽下了一份為期四年的合同，訓練中國國家短道速滑隊。在她的指導下，天賦異稟但性格沖動的王濛進步飛速，屢次打破500米世界紀錄。此外，2008年至2010年間，新秀周洋日漸崛起，在女子短道速滑1000米和1500米競技中獨領風騷。2010年的溫哥華冬奧會，中國女隊在奧運會上史無前例地包攬了短道速滑全部四項的冠軍。李琰的隊伍斬獲的四枚金牌使她成為了一屆奧運會收獲獎牌最多的中國教練。

[14]在2010年和2014年兩屆冬奧會上，她的隊伍共獲得6金、3銀、1銅。2014年5月16日，中國滑冰協會在新聞發布會上宣布，“李琰將繼續擔任中國短道速滑隊主教練，帶隊參加平昌冬奧會”。

[15] 2017年6月2日，李琰當選為中國滑冰協會主席。

（譯者單位：復旦大學奇境譯坊）