Zhang Jue later learned that the domestic trial competition this year was held relatively late. Therefore, just a few days after the trial competition ended on August 28, the first stop of the 2010 Youth Grand Prix Substation Competition officially began in Turin, Italy.
At that time, Zhang Jue was in the national team’s venue, under the watchful eyes of the national team’s jump coach, Shen Liu, Zhang Junbao, and three others, working hard to modify the posture of his triple flip (3F) jump.
In figure skating training, falling was constant, and even top-level figure skaters have fallen numerous times. This is why many athletes wear hip protection during training—not for aesthetics, as male figure skaters tend to have well-defined buttocks. When they glide across the ice during competitions, they present a field full of handsome guys with perky buttocks.
However, Zhang Jue belonged to the type that, once he wore too much protection, didn’t know how to exert force. He didn’t even like using sports bandages, let alone hip protection.
This led to him falling more solidly than others during training, and the thumping sounds were enough to make others wince on his behalf.
Shen Liu shouted from the side: “Zhang Jue, press the blade down!”
Zhang Jue, without saying a word, executed an inside-edge takeoff after a glide, jumped a triple flip (3F), and this time, the landing on the ice was a bit more stable than before.
His perseverance astonished onlookers.
Sun Qian asked Zhang Junbao: “Did your nephew really say he didn’t want to pursue the path of an athlete before? He looks quite diligent.”
Zhang Junbao proudly replied: “As long as Zhang Jue sets his mind to something, no matter what it is, he will surely do it to the best of his ability. I value this trait of his, which is why I’ve been hoping he would practice figure skating.”
Competitive sports are fierce, so talent alone is not enough; one must have an extremely resilient mentality to climb to the top on the international stage filled with geniuses.
After finishing his morning training session that day, Zhang Jue, covered in bruises from falls, especially with a scraped area on his shin bleeding, sighed as the team doctor treated him: “This is the price of being an athlete.”
His uncle handed him a box of yogurt: “Can you endure it?”
Zhang Jue raised his thumb: “I must endure it. A man can’t say he can’t.”
His uncle immediately laughed, then his expression changed, and he scolded Zhang Jue: “What are you muttering to your old uncle?”
Zhang Jue, holding the back of his head, made a whimpering sound, feeling a bit wronged.
Not to boast, but Zhang Jue, when he became an adult, could indeed be described as a rarely seen ethereal figure in the entertainment industry, with remarkable beauty visible just from his face alone. However, at the age of 13, he looked more like a fairy than ethereal beauty.
With such a pure and innocent appearance, the older boys from the provincial team didn’t dare to make colorful jokes in front of him. Correspondingly, when Zhang Jue occasionally said something he thought harmless, his uncle would scold him.
Shen Liu rubbed Zhang Jue’s head, changing the subject.
“Technical standards can help you avoid many losses on the competition stage. After all, we are not Western athletes, and judges are not biased against us. Once the blade is wrong during takeoff, the judge will say your blade is unclear, and then deduct points until it hurts.”
As Chinese athletes, they didn’t have the luxury of being exempt from judges’ leniency after making a mistake. They had to make themselves impeccable.
Zhang Jue mumbled a few words and then honestly got back on the ice to continue training.
When they went to the cafeteria for lunch, the television happened to be broadcasting the men’s singles competition at the Italian Substation of the Grand Prix. Everyone in the cafeteria was a member of the figure skating national team, sitting with their trays closest to the television.
Someone saw Zhang Jue and jokingly said: “Zhang Jue, you have to watch carefully. Those on TV are all your competitors.”
Zhang Jue, immersed in eating, lifted his head and showed a cute smile at the comment.
Whether the others were competitors or not, Zhang Jue was hungry, and now he just wanted to eat.
Unlike the broad-minded Zhang Jue, Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu exchanged a glance, staring intently at the TV screen.
The current leader in the competition was the Russian skater, Ilya Safoshenko, who achieved a jump configuration of 3A (8.5 points), 3lz (6 points), and 3F+3T (9.4 points) in the short program “One Step Beyond.”
Safoshenko was an exquisite blond beauty, inheriting the excellent ballet foundation of Russian skaters. He displayed elegant and graceful postures on the ice, with jumps that were high and far, and his spins and glides were of a high standard.
Although compared to men’s singles in the adult group, this young skater still had many flaws, but compared to the opponents Zhang Jue had seen in the domestic test competition, Safoshenko was undoubtedly in a different league.
Zhang Junbao calculated with his fingers: “Wow, this kid’s basic jump score alone is 23.9. Adding the GOE bonus, rotation, and step sequence scores, his technical score is…”
Someone continued: “His technical score is 42.7 points. As a Russian skater in the junior category, the judges give him performance scores above 30 points. With a total of 73.5, this score is already very good in the junior category.”
Zhang Jue turned around and found that the person speaking was Jiang Chaosheng, the national team’s skating coach.
Jiang Chaosheng sat beside them, explaining: “Safoshenko is currently the most promising skater in the junior category. He is mentored by Boris, the Russian godfather of men’s singles in St. Petersburg. He has comprehensive skills and especially impressive jumping abilities. He can already do a 3A+3T combination jump, and I heard he is practicing a 4T.”
“Safoshenko is 15 years old this year, which means he will be 19 in four years. Unless there are unexpected changes, the Russian Skating Federation is probably hoping he will participate in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. He and Vasily will become Russia’s double insurance for winning the gold in men’s singles.”
The Vancouver Winter Olympics had passed, and the next Winter Olympics would be held in Sochi, Russia. As the host country, the Russian Skating Federation would undoubtedly spare no effort to promote their own skaters.
Zhang Junbao frowned: “Why does this kid get such good treatment in GOE bonus and performance scores? Are the Russian judges already preparing for four years later?”
Shen Liu, with a look of understanding, said: “As long as it’s related to sports, who doesn’t value the Olympics? Xiao Yu is 13 this year, and at 17 in four years, he’ll be eligible for the Winter Olympics. By then, he and Safoshenko will be competitors.”
“No, in their generation of athletes, if Zhang Jue wants to reach the top of the world, Safoshenko is his biggest competitor. Vasily is nine years older than Zhang Jue, and by the time Zhang Jue enters the senior division, Vasily should already been retired.”
Zhang Jue choked on a mouthful of rice, quickly starting to pat his chest. Zhang Junbao immediately poured him some water, and once he caught his breath, Zhang Jue showed a wry smile.
He said to Shen Liu: “Coach, you overestimate me. How can I participate in the Olympics with my current level? It’s too distant for someone like me, who used to be an idol. I never even thought about it.”
As soon as these words fell, the three other adults at the table looked at him with a strange expression.
This silly kid probably still hasn’t realized his identity as the top men’s singles skater in the domestic junior division. With no competition in the senior division and being the most outstanding in the junior division, if China sends men’s singles to the Winter Olympics in four years, won’t it be Zhang Jue leading the charge?
Zhang Junbao patted his big nephew’s head: “Alright, just keep eating.”
Shen Liu smiled without saying a word.
Jiang Chaosheng changed the topic: “Zhang Jue, the leaders have decided to let you participate in the second stage of the Grand Prix in the United States and the fifth stage in China.”
“The second stage?” Shen Liu furrowed his brow: “I remember it’s on September 4th. Isn’t that too tight of a schedule?”
Jiang Chaosheng showed a shrewd expression: “No, the competition at this stage is not as fierce, so there’s a better chance for Zhang Jue to stand on the podium.”
He counted with his fingers: “Look, in the junior division now, the strongest are Safoshenko, Hayato Teraoka from Japan, and Angus Joe from the United States. Safoshenko and Teraoka both have a 3A. In the first stage, they fiercely competed with each other, leaving the other athletes in the dust.”
According to the rules of the Grand Prix, athletes earn points based on their competition rankings, and the higher the ranking, the more points they get. The top six in total points advance to the Grand Prix Final.
Safoshenko will participate in the third stage in Russia, and Teraoka will be in the sixth stage in Japan. The leaders deliberately arranged for Zhang Jue to avoid the stages where these two skaters will be, all for the sake of giving him a better chance to reach the final. It can be described as a lot of effort.
In other words, in a week, Zhang Jue will have his first international competition.
Thinking about this, Zhang Jue’s chewing slowed down, and after taking a sip of water, he asked Jiang Chaosheng: “So, my biggest opponent in the United States stage is Angus Joe, right?”
In his previous life, Angus Joe was a Chinese-American skater who gained popularity among Chinese figure skating fans due to his handsome appearance as a mixed-race skater. However, his father’s controversial remarks on Twitter and Angus Joe’s own issues soon made him the most disliked foreign figure skater among Chinese fans.
Jiang Chaosheng affirmed: “Yes, his highest-level jump is the 3Lz+3T, the same level as yours.”
“Zhang Jue, you have to work hard.”
As an unswerving Chinese, Zhang Jue, who harbored an inner disdain for guys like Angus Joe, suddenly ignited a strong fighting spirit, surprising even his experienced uncle.
With a determined tone, Zhang Jue replied: “I will definitely beat him!”
In early September, Zhang Jue hastily reported to school, then carried his luggage and, under the guidance of Zhang Junbao, Shen Liu, and Song Cheng, joined Huang Ying and Guan Lin, who were also participating in the U.S. stage, to board a plane bound for Lake Placid.

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