Curling（冰壶）is a winter sport that goes by two nicknames: “chess on ice” and “the roaring game”. It is called “chess on ice” because it requires strategy（策略）and patience to play well. On a strip of ice that is about 44.5 m long, two teams of four players slide（滑动）heavy stones on the ice towards a target. Brooms are used to sweep the ice and guide the stone. When the stone slides across the ice, it makes a rumbling（隆隆声）sound. This is why curling is also called “the roaring game”.

Curling is a new sport in China. Although it looks simple at first, the sport depends greatly on teamwork, critical thinking（思辨性思维）and self-control.

The cold northeastern city of Harbin is a center for winter sports, and some of China’s top curlers call Harbin home. One of these famous curlers is Wang Bingyu. Her team won the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. This was the first Olympic medal that China won in curling and the first team medal that China had ever won in the Winter Olympics.

Wang has retired from curling and now helps to promote the sport. “I believe that I have a duty to make a contribution to the development of curling,” Wang told the World Curling Federation. Wang is the Curling Program Director for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The Chinese Curling Association（中国冰壶协会）has also worked hard to promote curling and introduce the sport to more people. With events and training programs, the organization is helping the country reach its goal of encouraging 300 million people to take part in winter sports.

She is 1.84 meters tall. She plays so fiercely that people have nicknamed her “Iron Hammer (铁榔头)”. In China, she is to volleyball what Yao Ming is to basketball. Her name is Lang Ping.

Lang, 60 years old in 2020, is the head coach of the Chinese women’s volleyball team. In 2016, she led the team to win a gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games.

Back when she was playing the sport in the 1980s, she was the symbol of Chinese volleyball. Much more than an athlete (运动员), she is the face of a generation of players.

Before the 1980s, there were three world powers in volleyball: the former Soviet Union (前苏联), Japan and Cuba. However, at the 1981 World Cup in Japan, a surprise team took home the title (冠军；头衔): China. The Chinese team did not play with speed, but they proved they had the best skills. The then 21-year-old Lang was the best player on the team.

While playing on the team, Lang led the Chinese women’s volleyball team to two World Cups, two World Championships and a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. The Chinese team became the first team in volleyball history to win five world titles in a row.

After that, Lang and her teammates became big names in China. It happened at a time when China was beginning to open up to the world. People knew little about China. The country’s success in sports opened a window for the country. Volleyball became a symbol of the country’s national pride, Xinhua noted. Lang is not just a “sport hero”, but a “historical figure (人物)”, as US volleyball player Nicole Davis said.

为了迎接今年在汕头举行的“亚青会”，某英文校刊发起了一次“To help with AYG, to be a better person”（助力亚青会，做更好的自己）专栏征文活动，请你给该专栏投稿。

The Asian Youth Games (AYG) will be held in Shantou this year. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope the 3rd AYG will be a great success and my resolutions will come true.