Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (front) of Norway competes during the cross-country skiing men's team sprint classic final of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at National Cross-Country Skiing Center in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
LHASA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Although Ragya will not be able to join his family to celebrate the Tibetan New Year this year, meeting his idol at the Beijing Winter Olympics came in as the best festive "gift" ever for the 20-year-old Tibetan.
Ragya hails from the city of Xigaze in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region and had served as a national technical officer for the cross-country ski competitions at the Winter Olympic Games that concluded on Feb. 20.
As a forerunner, his job required him to work at minus 25 degrees Celsius, checking trails and clearing frozen or extra snow before each competition. Athletes will struggle to maintain their physical balance on some frozen snow surface of the trail, while trails with excessive snow will make it hard for them to slide.
"I had to clear the ice and snow trails up to eight times a day," Ragya said, adding that he would put on his overcoat after winding up his task and return near the trail to watch the game.
It was during one such workday when a fortunate stroke of serendipity touched Ragya's life. He met his idol Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, a cross-country ski champion from Norway, on the slope. It was an indelible moment for Ragya, as he conducted a check of the trail where the champion was scheduled to compete.
"Being a forerunner for my idol is the best Tibetan New Year gift for me," Ragya said, vowing to practice harder to follow his idol and contribute to the ice and snow sports in China and globally.
Ragya used to be a medium and long-distance runner and is now a skier himself. He was selected in the regional cross-country ski training team in June 2019 and the national training team a year later.
During the most challenging phase of training, Ragya skied about 60 km a day and practiced for more than six hours at a time.
In less than three years, Ragya won the sixth spot in the men's 50 km race and the eighth rank in the super long distance all-round race in the national cross-country ski championship.
Kelzang Trile, Ragya's father, said his son used to train and compete at different places all year round and they usually stayed in touch via video call.
Ragya is not able to join his family for the Tibetan New Year on March 3, as he has to prepare for a series of ski competitions this year. Though his father misses him, he understands that Ragya has more important things to do.
For Tenzin Wangdu, another national technical officer from Tibet, the Beijing Winter Olympics brought him his special gift as well. He saw his idol Alexander Bolshunov of the Russian Olympic Committee reap three gold, one silver and one bronze to become the first cross-country skier to grab five medals in an Olympics.
Tenzin Wangdu was once a mountaineering guide. He has conquered many peaks in Tibet that are more than 6,000 meters above sea level, including Mount Qomolangma.
"Being the oldest athlete in Tibet's cross-country skiing training team, I'm excited and proud to participate in the Winter Olympics as a national technical officer for the first time," he said.
Tenzin Wangdu cannot return to his hometown in the regional capital Lhasa for the Tibetan New Year either, as he has to serve as a ski tester in the Winter Paralympics, which will open on March 4.
Aided by China's other provincial-level areas, Tibet Autonomous Region has trained many athletes. So far, the regional ski team has sent more than 10 athletes to the national team. ■
