Dilnigar Ilhamjan Explained

Dilnigar Ilhamjan
Native Name:دىلنىگار ئىلھامجان (Dilnigar Ilhamjan)
Native Name 2:迪尼格尔·依拉木江
Birth Date:3 May 2001[1]
Birth Place:Altay City, Xinjiang, China
Sport:Cross-country skiing
Turnedpro:2017

Dilnigar Ilhamjan (Uighur; Uyghur: دىلنىگار ئىلھامجان), also known as Dinigeer Yilamujiang (Chinese: 迪妮格尔·衣拉木江; born May 3, 2001), is a Chinese cross-country skier of Uyghur ethnicity, born in Altay, Xinjiang.[2] She is the first Chinese cross-country skier to win a medal in an ISF event.[3] She made her maiden Olympic appearance during the 2022 Winter Olympics,[4] where she was one of the two last torch bearers.

Early life

Her father, who taught her to ski, received a bronze medal in the 1993 national cross-country skiing competition.[5]

Sports career

Originally competing as a track and field athlete, she started learning to ski when she was 12.[6] She primarily pursued cross-country skiing initially as a hobby before transforming herself into an elite-level competitor. She took part in local events in 2012 and later engaged in competitive skiing events. She first started skiing competitively in 2017. Norwegian coach Kristian Bjune Sveen travelled to Xinjiang to give her training, while Dilnigar also spent 3 years training in Norway herself, alongside Bayani Jialin, a Chinese skier of Kazakh ethnicity.[7] [8] [9] She placed 2nd at the FIS China City Sprint Beijing 2019,[10] as well as 2nd at the Norwegian Norgescup at Konnerud.[11]

In 2019, she won a silver medal at the FIS Beijing Cross Country Skiing Points Grand Prix.[12]

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

See main article: Concerns and controversies at the 2022 Winter Olympics. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremony, she was one of the two last torch bearers, lighting the Olympic cauldron alongside Zhao Jiawen.[13] [14] She became the first Uyghur and the first from Altay, the likely origin of skiing, to light the cauldron.[15] Due to earlier backlash surrounding the Xinjiang internment camps and persecution of Uyghurs in China, there was some speculation about the message China was intending to send with Dinigeer's selection.[16] Her selection sparked condemnation from human rights groups accusing China of politicizing the Olympics.[17] [18]

However, the International Olympic Committee welcomed and defended the decision of China to select her as one of the torchbearers of the opening ceremony and insisted that since she was one of the participants, she had the right to compete and take part in any ceremony.[19] [20]

She competed in the women's 15km skiathlon event and placed 43rd.[21] After the match, she exited through a separate aisle, without passing through the mixed zone where she could be interviewed by the press.[22] She was scheduled to race in the women's 4 x 5 km relay on 12 February, but never showed up. Unnamed sources claimed that she was physically and mentally exhausted from "having the eyes of the world on her".[23] She participated in the women's 30km freestyle event on the last day of competition.[24]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 迪妮格尔·衣拉木江 - Dinigeer YILAMUJIANG 越野滑雪 - 2022年北京冬奥会 . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205092031/https://results.beijing2022.cn/beijing-2022/olympic-games/zh/results/cross-country-skiing/athlete-profile-n1058586-dinigeer-yilamujiang.htm . dead .
  2. News: Who is Dinigeer Yilamujiang, the lighter of the Olympic cauldron? . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-02-04 . 0190-8286 . 2022-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220206052440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/04/dinigeer-yilamujiang-olympic-flame-lighting/ . live .
  3. Web site: 4 February 2022 . Uyghur athlete lights Olympic Cauldron as Beijing 2022 officially opens . 4 February 2022 . Inside the Games . 4 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204195632/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1118798/beijing-2022-opening-ceremony . live.
  4. Web site: Dinigeer Yilamujiang . 7 February 2022 . Olympics Beijing 2022 . 4 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204152410/https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/cross-country-skiing/athlete-profile-n1058586-dinigeer-yilamujiang.htm . dead .
  5. News: 5 February 2022 . Dinigeer Yilamujiang, a Uyghur who helped light the cauldron, made her Olympic skiing debut . Washington Post . 5 February 2022 . 5 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205194537/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/05/dinigeer-yilamujiang-cauldron-olympic-skiing/ . live .
  6. Web site: Seow . Beiyi . 5 February 2022 . Beijing Olympics puts young Uyghur athlete at centre of controversy . 2022-02-05 . news.yahoo.com . en-US . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205080428/https://news.yahoo.com/beijing-olympics-puts-young-uyghur-072655427.html . live .
  7. Web site: Budalen . Andreas . 2022-01-27 . OL-treneren er en av få som ble igjen: – Håper Kina knuser Norge langt ned i støvlene . 2022-02-05 . NRK . nb-NO . 2022-01-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220130094039/https://www.nrk.no/nordland/ol-treneren-er-en-av-fa-som-ble-igjen___-haper-kina-knuser-norge-langt-ned-i-stovlene-1.15827979 . live .
  8. Web site: Hun er uigur og har trent i Norge i tre år. Fredag tente hun OL-ilden. . 2022-02-05 . www.aftenposten.no . 4 February 2022 . nb . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205034010/https://www.aftenposten.no/sport/i/Or13b3/hun-er-uigur-og-har-trent-i-norge-i-tre-aar-fredag-tente-hun-ol-ilden . live .
  9. Web site: Idrettsavtalen med Kina er en skamplett for norsk idrett, skriver Andreas Selliaas. . 2022-02-05 . Morgenbladet . no.
  10. Web site: FIS China City Sprint Beijing 2019 . 2022-02-04 . www.fis-ski.com . en . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204193604/https://www.fis-ski.com/en/cross-country/cross-country-news-multimedia/news/2018-19/fis-china-city-sprint-beijing-2019 . live .
  11. Web site: Auklend . Erik Sergio . 2019-01-11 . Fossesholm raskest av alle - inkludert Skistad . 2022-02-05 . Drammens Tidende . no . 2024-08-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240806140401/https://www.dt.no/fossesholm-raskest-av-alle-inkludert-skistad/s/5-57-1067833 . live .
  12. Web site: 新京报 - 好新闻，无止境 . 2022-02-04 . www.bjnews.com.cn . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204193607/https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/155144415614535.html . live .
  13. Web site: Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony - Olympic cauldron lighting ends spectacular show . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205231031/https://olympics.com/en/news/beijing-2022-opening-ceremony-dinigeer-zhao-jiawen-light-cauldron . live .
  14. Web site: China chooses Uyghur athlete to help deliver Olympic flame amid human rights scrutiny . 4 February 2022 . The Hill . 4 February 2022 . 4 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204155043/https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/592813-china-chooses-uyghur-athlete-to-deliver-olympic-flame-amid-human . live .
  15. News: Golden . Andrew . Who is Dinigeer Yilamujiang, the lighter of the Olympic cauldron? . 5 February 2022 . The Washington Post . 6 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220206052440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/02/04/dinigeer-yilamujiang-olympic-flame-lighting/ . live.
  16. News: 2022-02-05 . What message did China send by choosing Uyghur torchbearer? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205133816/https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-uyghur-torchbearer-1f30da11687c7ff25ceedf651e5618a1 . 5 February 2022 . 2022-02-05 . . en.
  17. Web site: Winter Olympics: China stirs controversy with Uighur torchbearer . 2022-02-07 . . en . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205105243/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/5/beijing-winter-olympics-china-uighur-torchbearer . live .
  18. News: Ingle . Sean . 2022-02-05 . China bags Winter Games gold and a rap for 'cynical ploy' of Uyghur torchbearer . 2024-07-27 . . en-GB . 0029-7712 . 2022-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205214127/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/05/china-bags-winter-games-gold-and-a-rap-for-cynical-ploy-of-uyghur-torchbearer . live .
  19. Web site: IOC defends torch bearer choice amid concerns over China's treatment of Uyghurs . 5 February 2022 . 7news.com.au . 9 February 2022.
  20. Web site: 2022-02-06 . IOC says torch-bearer Dinigeer Yilamujiang's ethnicity not a factor . 2022-02-07 . . en . 2024-08-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240806140358/https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166004/winter-olympics-ioc-says-dinigeer-yilamujiang-ethnicity-not-factor-her . live .
  21. Web site: women's 15km skiathlon event . 7 February 2022 . Olympics Beijing 2022 . 7 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220207170725/https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/cross-country-skiing/event-schedule-women-s-7-5km-plus-7-5km-skiathlon.htm . dead .
  22. Web site: A Uyghur Skier Became the Face of China's Winter Olympics. The Next Day, She Vanished From the Spotlight. . The Wall Street Journal . 2022-02-06 . https://archive.today/20220207102404/https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-uyghur-skier-became-the-face-of-chinas-winter-olympics-the-next-day-she-vanished-from-the-spotlight-11644157693 . 2022-02-07.
  23. Web site: Uyghur torch bearer dropped from China's relay team . SupChina . 2022-02-14 . 2022-02-15 . 2022-02-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220215081842/https://supchina.com/2022/02/14/uyghur-torch-bearer-dropped-from-chinas-relay-team/ . live .
  24. https://medias2.fis-ski.com/pdf/2022/CC/2706/2022CC2706RL.pdf

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