Figure Skating: At Twenty-Four, Can I Still Make the Grade?

"This is my last season. I want to see it through properly."

In other fields, twenty-four is a fresh new age. In figure skating, at twenty-four, you're already considered old, and no one would be surprised if you retired at any moment.

Zheng Xi still considers herself young, but years of competitions have left both her legs injured. Her parents and coach have all urged her to retire. No matter how much longer she skates, she'll never make it to the Winter Olympics anyway.

The boyfriend she'd been secretly dating for years eventually fell in love with his ice dance partner. Amid their fans' well wishes, they became a couple, retired, and had a child. If Zheng Xi kept going, all she'd do was demonstrate what happens when stubbornness and foolishness combine.

But no one said an injured veteran couldn't work a miracle in her final season, right?

She still wanted to give it one more shot. So she teamed up with another veteran and paid to rent the rink for late-night training. At the grand old age of twenty-four, she refined her jumps, adjusted her programs, and showed off her strengths in skating and spins. They say it's not about winning the steamed bun, but about standing up for yourself. She absolutely refused to leave figure skating as a failure!

After placing sixth at the Grand Prix, Zheng Xi declared with tragic resolve: "This is my final dance."

After placing tenth at the World Championships and earning her country two spots at the Winter Olympics, Zheng Xi said, deeply moved: "I can hold on for another season. I earned both of those spots, so I might as well use one of them."

As she stepped onto the Olympic podium, Zheng Xi declared with confidence: "A fan once asked me if I could still compete at twenty-four. Now I can answer that question: twenty-five is an age for striving, too! I'm not retiring!"

Theme: No matter how many difficulties we face, we can still pursue our dreams with passion and set our sights on the Olympics.