The Best Skiing Doctor in the Winter Olympics
What impressed coach Hou was that these doctors from big hospitals were not only hardworking, but also good at learning. Learn new skiing skills faster and master them better. Hard training and talent make everyone in the team a master skier.
A group photo of the Winter Olympics Ski Doctor’s Medical Security Dream Team. Photo courtesy of respondents
Wen Wei, Beijing News reporter Pu Xiao
Editor hujie
Proofread Lin Zhao.
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On February 15th, alpine skiing women’s downhill competition was held in the National Alpine Skiing Center. A French athlete accidentally fell down during the downhill and was caught by a safety net after sliding for tens of meters at high speed on the ground. "The first ski doctor arrived at the scene in less than a minute." Ski doctor Zhou Meng said, "Her knee joint was injured. We quickly fixed her and then transferred her to Yanqing District Hospital for further examination."
"The average speed of alpine skiers can reach more than 120 kilometers per hour, which is the highest speed limit of our expressway. The best professional athletes can reach 160 kilometers per hour. " Zhou Meng said, "Most people may be a little scared when driving to 160 kilometers per hour, and athletes just stand on two boards."
Alpine skiing, known as the "limit" in extreme sports, has always been famous for its difficulty and strong appreciation, and it needs highly professional medical security services. The International Skiing Federation requires that athletes fall and get injured anywhere on the track, and medical rescuers must ski to the scene within 4 minutes. However, except for the time to clear the track, the time for the doctor to rush to the scene was only over 1 minute.
"The medical security of the snow project in Beijing Winter Olympics is almost top-notch." On February 9th, Jenny Shute, vice chairman of the Medical Committee of the International Snow Federation, gave such an evaluation, "I can cope with any situation."
Alpine skiers simulate rescuing the wounded in training. Photo courtesy of respondents
According to People’s Daily Online, in the past, medical care for snow events in China was mainly provided by ski patrols, and there were few professional doctors. In order to welcome the Winter Olympics, China has selected a group of doctors who can ski to provide medical care for alpine skiing tracks. Since 2018, the Alpine Skiing Medical Team has carried out intensive training in four snow seasons, including intensive skiing skills training, rescue training and English training. They not only have rich experience in medical treatment, but also have superb skiing skills, and some even slide to the level of athletes.
Ski doctor Shi Liang said, "Everyone signed up voluntarily, and everyone is full of enthusiasm for their work. We think this is one of the most important tasks in the Winter Olympics. When you put on the rescue vest, you represent China Medical and the power of snow rescue in China. "
From Skiing White to Skiing Master
In December 2018, after learning that China was going to set up a ski medical support team, Ma Pengcheng, Shi Liang and others immediately signed up. They come from more than a dozen 3A hospitals in Beijing. Ma Pengcheng has been fond of skiing since 2008 and has been paying close attention to the development of ice and snow in China. "I was very excited that China could host the Winter Olympics, so I took the initiative to stand up."
After three trainings and examinations in skiing, English and professional knowledge, they ushered in a new identity-the first generation of alpine skiing doctors in China.
After that, this newly established team conducted the first skiing skill training at Chongli Wanlong Ski Resort. "I can only say that I am a beginner. I didn’t know what the big snow field was like until Wanlong. At that time, I was a little embarrassed." Shi Liang recalled.
Ski doctor Shi Liang is training in skiing. Photo courtesy of respondents
Every snow season, ski doctors have to train in the snow field for 20 days, 8 to 10 hours a day. Under the guidance of the coach step by step, their skiing skills have become more and more proficient, and they can gradually slide freely on various snow trails. Because of long-term training in the mountains and strong ultraviolet rays, they were all sunburned. "We are all monkeys’ faces, and both cheeks are covered with face protection. Only the eyes, nose and mouth are exposed outside, and they become red and black, with deep marks." Shi Liang said.
"This team is characterized by being very serious and hardworking." Hou Jiahuan, coach of the alpine skiing medical team, said that after seven years of skiing teaching, it is rare to see such students. "They are really full of love for skiing and the Winter Olympics."
What impressed coach Hou was that every day before the cable car opened, the ski doctors were already waiting in line and then slid to the end; Every time you teach in groups, people from other groups will come to class seriously; For some difficult skills, they will also practice over and over again.
What impressed coach Hou was that these doctors from big hospitals were not only hardworking, but also good at learning. Learn new skiing skills faster and master them better. Hard training and talent make everyone in the team a master skier. Shi Liang later became a senior "ski instructor" in the circle of friends, and he would teach patiently whenever there were children around who wanted to learn skiing. Yang Jiaonan, a female player, also said that she has made a qualitative leap in skiing skills and loves skiing more.
In addition to improving skiing skills, ski doctors also need training such as simulated rescue. In the cold wind of the snow field, they knelt on the snow to practice cardiopulmonary resuscitation and practiced tracheal intubation on steep slopes.
The temperature in the snow field is low, so everyone uses various cold-proof artifacts such as electric socks and baby warmers. But many people, including coach Hou, still remember the coldest day last year.
On January 6, 2021, the temperature of Wanlong Snow Resort dropped to MINUS 39 degrees Celsius. Yang Jiaonan recalled, "The wind that day was particularly strong. The wind blew into the face from the gap in the helmet, and it was like a knife cutting meat. People were completely speechless with cold." Even everyone’s snow goggles was frozen and couldn’t see clearly, so everyone lined up with a hair dryer to blow hot snow glasses. "In this extreme weather, in fact, everyone can rest in the hotel, but they still insist on training spontaneously." Hou Jiahuan said.
In extremely cold weather, the snow mirror was frozen, and the ski doctor blew the heat with a hair dryer. Photo courtesy of respondents
"We need to consider all kinds of situations in the competition, including this bad weather, so we still keep training." Ma Pengcheng said.
Ma Pengcheng recalled that they insisted on skiing skills training, simulated rescue and looked at rescue equipment. When he returned to his residence after training in the evening, he found that his shoes could not be taken off. It turns out that my feet are swollen like a big steamed stuffed bun.
When you make a promise, there is no reason to back down.
In addition to extremely cold weather, ski doctors have also encountered heavy fog, heavy snow and windy weather during training, but everyone is insisting on training and does not want to delay a day. After mastering the basic skiing skills, each of them has to carry a 10 kg first aid kit when training. The medical kit contains more than 20 kinds of first aid supplies such as medical flashlight, scissors, oxygen cylinder and oxygen mask. Carrying a first-aid kit on a variety of snow trails for intensive training is even more difficult. "The medical kit is like a soldier’s gun for us, so we should carry it with us." Ski doctor Bai Peng said.
According to the regulations of the International Snow Federation, ski doctors need to have certain rope skills in alpine skiing competitions. After theoretical study, the ski doctor also learned the theoretical knowledge of ropes, knots and locks, as well as the application of fall arresters, descending devices and safety belts with the Beijing alpine rescue team.
"Training is very hard." Shi Liang said that in training, there were injuries inevitably, and he was injured once in training.
At the end of March 2021, the weather began to turn hot, and the icy snow on the ski resort began to turn into milkshake-like snow. "This kind of sticky snow and icy snow are intertwined, but the two kinds of snow slide at different speeds. At that time, I was not careful, I fell down in the soft snow, and my hand couldn’t move when I supported my arm. Going back to shoot was a humeral tubercle fracture. "
After a period of rest, Shi Liang returned to the snow field. "Even after psychological and physical torture, I feel that life needs to do something. Since you want to do something, you can’t stop doing it because of a little injury. As long as you make a promise, there is no reason to retreat. "
In addition to practicing excellent skiing skills, ski doctors have also conducted ITLS (International Traumatic Life Support) intensive training during the non-snow season for two consecutive years.
Alpine skiers knelt on the snow to simulate the rescue of the wounded. Photo courtesy of respondents
During the day, they strengthen the concept and skills of life support for basic trauma outside the hospital, and learn skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, tracheal intubation, fracture fixation, hemostasis and dressing. At night, rescue plans are often written late. Shi Liang said that this plan has been revised many times. "For example, a standardized process will refer to foreign countries and then be optimized according to the requirements of our country. We will use this optimized version to practice and continue to optimize after encountering problems." There will also be discussions on new schemes within the team, sometimes for a long time.
"China has never hosted such a large-scale international competition before. While learning from foreign experience, we are crossing the river by feeling the stones. Foreign public videos, as well as international skiers, will impart some experience, but it is not comprehensive. " Shi Liang said that foreign countries have a lot of actual combat experience, and China’s medical level is certainly not worse than his, and skiing skills are not necessarily worse than his, but the field rescue and field rescue are really not as experienced as them. "How to deal with it quickly in a safe situation, how to judge it, and then let the game resume, this really needs more running-in."
Spring Festival in the Closed Loop
On January 22, 2022, alpine skiers officially entered the closed loop of the Winter Olympics. Before the start of the Winter Olympics, they conducted various drills in the Alpine Ski Center. "We have a lot to be familiar with and run in, such as the icy snow track that meets the competition standards, the snow rescue drill, the cooperation and communication with international ski doctors and international patrols, and the docking with helicopter rescue." Bai Peng said.
Located in the northwest of Yanqing District, Beijing, the National Alpine Ski Center has built seven tracks, with a total length of 9.2 kilometers and a maximum vertical drop of 900 meters. It is the first alpine ski track in China that meets the Olympic standards, and the difficulty of the track ranks in the top three in the world.
The steepest training track of the National Alpine Ski Center has a slope of 64%. Photo courtesy of respondents
Ski doctors get up at 5: 30 in the morning, arrive at their posts at 8: 30 and return to the hotel at 16: 30 in the afternoon, rain or shine. They often have meetings until 21 o’clock in the evening. In this way, without a day’s rest, they spent a Spring Festival in a closed loop.
On New Year’s Eve, ski doctors held a small Spring Festival Gala, and everyone sat together for the holiday. Each group had a program, and Zhou Meng and his colleagues danced aerobics together. "I still feel homesick, but it is also a kind of warmth to be surrounded by comrades-in-arms. I have a task to be busy the next day, and I have no time to be sentimental."
Just these days, Zhou Meng’s daughter was just born, and he only has half an hour to video with his family every night. Seeing her daughter’s little face through the video, Zhou Meng likes it more and more. He named his daughter Dafu, "I hope she will spend her life happily." He felt sorry that he could not witness the birth of his daughter. But he also knows that there are not many ski doctors in the team, and each person has a position. If he doesn’t go, it is unlikely that someone will replace him. "The alpine ski track is 2,198 meters long, but during the competition, a ski doctor is needed every three or four hundred meters. This will ensure that we will arrive at the scene within 4 minutes after the wounded fall to the ground. " He used to be a volunteer in the 2008 Olympic Games, and now he serves the Winter Olympics. He feels that this is also a kind of fate.
The National Alpine Skiing Center has set up medical stations for athletes, spectators and apron in the alpine skiing competition area and the racing area respectively. Each medical station for athletes is equipped with four doctors and four nurses, the spectator medical station is equipped with three doctors and three nurses, and the apron medical station is equipped with one doctor and one nurse. During the games, eight ambulances are equipped, with one doctor, one nurse and one driver on each ambulance. On competitive and racing tracks, a track medical station (FOP) is set up every three or four hundred meters, and each track medical station is equipped with two skiers and four rescuers.
Ski doctors are on duty in front of the station. Photo courtesy of respondents
After the opening of the Winter Olympics, Chinese and foreign skiers also had a lot of cooperation. "China has a relatively weak foundation in the field of snow sports and a shorter history of rescue. When we came into contact with internationally experienced ski doctors in the early days, they would have some questions about our skiing skills. " Bai Peng, a skier, said that China skiers showed their strength to international skiers through practical actions. The international ski doctor looked at it and said, "You are great." Now, through a period of running-in, Chinese and foreign skiers have established trust with each other.
"A few days ago, we experienced a helicopter rescue. An international doctor named Hans made a summary in the medical diary of that day and wrote a perfect one." Zhou Meng said.
The results of hard training in these years have been well reflected in these days. It is understood that many alpine skiers have been treated.
On February 7th, in the alpine skiing women’s slalom event, American athlete Nina O ‘Brien accidentally fell and rolled near the finish line, and the medical staff in China rushed to the injured side through the finish line in only one minute for treatment. Recently, she posted a message on her personal social platform thanking the medical staff in China, saying, "Because of an open leg fracture, I underwent surgery last night and will go home to recover. I want to say thank you to all the people who took care of me, especially those who rushed to me at the finish line, as well as the doctors and nurses in Yanqing. "
"Our treatment of the wounded was very smooth, which gave us great confidence." Shi Liang said, but they still have a tight string. "Medical care is no small matter, and we can’t have any flaws in our work. We represent not only individuals and teams, but also China Medical. "
Shi Liang said, next, they will provide medical care for the Paralympic Winter Games, and they can go home in early April at the earliest. "I hope to catch up with my child’s birthday and want to take him out to play and make up for the regret of not being around for a few months."
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