TEENAGE star skiers Gu Ailing and Su Yiming once again amazed the public after both notched their second Olympic medals Tuesday, triggering online discussions on the personalities, family upbringing and education of the rising GenZ. Chen Hong, a commentator for a Shanghai-based newspaper, underlined the strong passions behind their professional success as well as their wide recognition at home and abroad. “Gu and Su are loved by millions as they represent the characteristics of a new generation of athletes. Apart from performing well in competitions, they really love their sport,” Chen wrote. It’s hard to ignore how closely the life paths and confidence of the newborn generation came along with China’s economic boom over the recent decades and active collaboration with the rest of the world. In contrast to his forerunners, who mostly grew up in material inadequacy last century and trained in a comparatively underdeveloped environment in terms of equipment, techniques and even concepts of sports, Su started the winter sport during China’s prosperous era in both economics and sports. Wu Dajing, 27, the first Chinese male skater to win an Olympic gold medal in short-track speed skating, started his career on an outdoor rink with an amateur team in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province in 2004. Back then, the 10-year-old boy could not find a standard rink at his hometown Jiamusi, nor could his family afford a pair of new skates. In comparison, Su has trained overseas with world-class talents since they were teenagers, joining competitions and making friends from all over the world. “He is very smart. He’s well-educated and he knows what’s going on, how to deal with people, and how to grow up by himself,” Su’s Japanese coach Yasuhiro Sato said. “He’s only 17 years old. Sometimes I feel I’m talking to a 35-year-old man,” he said. The frequent exposure to a multicultural environment has reinforced their belief that sport is not just about winning medals, but more about enjoying the sport and transcending themselves to connect to the world. “Gu also represents the relaxing attitude of young people, daring to challenge their limits,” commentator Chen wrote, adding that “in an era of prosperity,” the young athletes received more tolerance from society to just simply be themselves. “Enjoy the game and have fun,” Su told his childhood friend Gu a day before the final slopestyle event, while Gu told Xinhua what she loves most about freeski is the “freedom” she feels when jumping high in the sky. “My mission is to use sport as a force for unity, to use it to foster interconnection between countries and not use it as a device of force. That benefits everyone,” Gu said. The gold medal winner at the big air final immediately went to hug fellow competitor Tess Ledeux of France, who fell on her last jump to settle for silver in the event Feb. 8. “I wanted to tell her that a part of my gold medal belongs to her,” Gu said. Her candid way to hit back at critics also impressed a lot of people. “I’m not trying to keep everyone happy. I’m an 18-year-old girl out here living my best life and having a great time,” she told a post-match press conference. Her composure in difficult situations has won her a flood of compliments from many netizens. “Can’t help noticing how wise and well-spoken she is!” a YouTube user with the nickname Haji commented on Gu’s response. “This is a lot of pressure for an 18-year old girl,” wrote another netizen, self-identifying as Alex Lazar. “But she shrugs it off like nothing. This is a true power of 18-year old boys and girls.” (Xinhua) | 