text/Xie Mengyao
When we discuss the tragedy of the Silver Cross Country Race, everyone can make a sound, but the perspective of people in the circle is important. Yang Jianguo is a famous player in the cross-country circle - he has competed in many famous domestic and foreign events and won the runner-up of the "Eight Hundred Quicksands"; he is familiar with the organization and operation of long-distance cross-country races, and has been responsible for the implementation of the "Xinxiang 100" and "Pujiang 100" and other competitions; he is also a friend of the deceased of the silver - he and Liang Jing were once teammates of the Pathfinder Flying Team. In his opinion, the public's interpretation of some information about Silver Off-Road is wrong. At the starting point of the discussion, some people were completely in the wrong position.
Silver Cross Country Race is not an unknown and low-difficulty race. In Yang Jianguo's view, any competition held in high altitude areas cannot be classified as simple, and the industry position of this event is not as low-end as the outside world understands, because it is endorsed by the Athletic Association Municipal Government and is placed in the national event coordinate system, which is extremely high configuration.
So far, the public opinion has mainly pointed to the two responsible parties who endorsed the event, and there is not much discussion.
Among the disclosed information, the information about the event director of Silver Off-Road is still vague. Yang Jianguo pointed out that as the top commander of a game, the event director has the responsibility to call for a suspension and command rescue. There is currently no industry standard for the qualifications of this position, but if you don’t have an off-road experience, it will lay the foreshadowing of safety hazards. It is an unforgivable mistake to have no information communication between sites.
is the edited conversation.
Yang Jianguo was in a cross-country running race. Photo provided by the respondent
said Liang Jing’s “bounty hunter” was unfair and did not understand the significance and value of cross-country sports
Daily characters: After the Silver Cross-Country Race, many voices appeared in the public opinion field. From the perspective of people in the circle, will your feelings be different from the feelings of ordinary public?
Yang Jianguo: Actually, there are still many differences. We are more reflecting on the industry and how to better develop benignly in the future. There may be various voices outside, some accusing the contestants of not protecting themselves, trusting too much in the organizing committee, or the bounty hunters go for the bonus, and humans die for money and birds die for food. There are also people who demonize the cross-country race, how can they run 100 kilometers? They are so inhumane. I filter out these feedbacks directly. They may feel that they are just superficial because they have not participated in this sport and will not appreciate the significance and value of this sport. For me, the attraction of off-roading lies in seeing scenery that others cannot see through my own abilities and understanding the communication between people and nature. There are some competitions that you can't usually get into, such as Shennongjia (deep). In that environment, you will have more resonance, inspiration, collision, and self-conversation.
Daily Characters: Let's try to clarify some concepts. After the incident, many people will call Liang Jing and the bounty hunters. Will you call them that in the past? Is this a fair title?
Yang Jianguo: I don’t think it’s fair, I don’t like this name. This word is actually not available in our circle, and I only heard it this time. We may call the bonus player, he went to the station (received the prize). There is no such thing as professional players in this industry, but some players run better and they do not have another full-time job. Liang Jing makes a living by running, and of course she has to make money to support her family when she works. This is his ability and capital, so it is not a bounty hunter.
Daily Characters: What other industries have different perceptions of this event?
Yang Jianguo: First of all, there is a problem with the concept. Why do you say that the track of silver is simple? I never quite agree with it. Any race at a high altitude of 100 kilometers is not as simple as a track. It is necessary to distinguish between high-altitude areas and plain areas. I climbed 100 kilometers at an altitude of 4,000 meters, (even if it is only) 500 meters. Do you still think this 100 kilometers is not difficult? Even if we are in a low altitude area, you will reach 2,000 meters, and that 2,000 meters has its own microclimate, not to mention that the entire track of Silver is at this altitude.
Daily Character: It is already the fourth session of the cross-country race in Baiyin. What kind of influence does it have in the more than 400 cross-country competitions each year in the country? Is it an unknown little game?
Yang Jianguo: I don’t know much about its influence, but at least its endorsement in all aspects is already very complete in the cross-country races. The Athletic Association has awarded the award and sponsored by the municipal government. Both of these are very rigid standards and conditions. So from the perspective of formality, this competition gives people a very high sense of trust.
Now everyone knows that Beijing "TNF100" is the best in the circle. Whether it does not have anything to do with Beijing Municipal Government . Like "Chongli 100", Chongli belongs to Zhangjiakou City , which is the county-level tourism or sports people. Nowadays, many cross-country races are run by themselves, and the government may not necessarily support them, let alone the Athletics Association. How many competitions in the country can receive support from the Athletics Association? 10% won't get it.
Daily Character: In the Silver Cross Country Race, the finisher will receive a prize of 1,600 yuan. Is this the arrangement of a common event?
Yang Jianguo: This is quite rare, and the proportion in the industry should not exceed 5%.
Daily Character: If the organizer of the event terminates the competition due to weather reasons, will the prize be given to the contestants as usual?
Yang Jianguo: Under normal circumstances, it should be given. Another way is to refund the registration fee.
Daily Character: So is there a possibility that the organizer will deliberately not announce the suspension of the competition, allowing the contestants to voluntarily withdraw from the competition?
Yang Jianguo: Generally, the competition will not deliberately prevent players from completing the competition, because the completion rate of an event will be recruited by the next (player) or the difficulty coefficient of the next session, which is a reference value. For example, the completion rate of the UTMB 168 km group is basically 80% per year.
When setting standards for cross-country races, you should distinguish between extreme and non-extreme
Daily characters: If cross-country running is a combination of extreme sports and marathon, then the challenges to physiological limits, or some sense of danger and irritation, is this a watershed between it and general long-distance running or mountaineering?
Yang Jianguo: In fact, the word "extreme" is not used in all trail running. We went to Xiangshan for ten kilometers, which was also a cross-country running. But it is not the limit, it is a very relaxed and mature track. First of all, it has a dimension. I think that those below 100 kilometers cannot be called the limit, and those with low altitude cannot be called the limit. The word limit may be more appropriate for high altitudes or above 100 kilometers.
"Everest 135" and "Eight Hundred Quicksands" can definitely be called typical extreme cross-country races. The contestants themselves have to bear certain risks, and you already know it when you sign up. The insurance of "Eight Hundred Quicksand" will contain corpse remittance fees. Now which (usually) 100 kilometers of race insurance includes corpse remittance fees? No.
Daily Character: Putting aside this incident, if cross-country races require zero risk, will the aesthetic value, imagination, and rewards for human courage be lost as extreme sports?
Yang Jianguo: When we talk about strictness, it should be reflected in the event rescue and support, rather than (negating) the event itself.
In fact, human exploration of unknown fields is a kind of spirit. But the field of exploration is different. This spirit of exploration requires a top group of people to realize, sacrifice, and keep rolling forward. This is why some people go hiking the North and South Poles and climbing Mount Everest . If humans lack the spirit of exploring the unknown and exploring the limits, society will stop moving forward. This is a spiritual matter. These are those who are at ease with their wealth or have not been exposed to these levels and cannot understand them.
Daily Character: Now everyone is discussing the safety standards in cross-country events. What do you think this standard should be?
Yang Jianguo: In this standard (should) be an adjustable dimension.According to different tracks and different routes, such as those with high altitude and low altitude - based on the starting altitude of 1,500 meters or more, it should be considered high altitude - summarize and classify it, formulate different standards, and have different arrangements and plans. There is no need to affect the progress of the entire event due to individual reasons, such as sudden death.
Daily Character: Can you tell me in detail what are the extremely difficult competitions you participated in that are basically only open to elite players, and what are the guarantee measures?
Yang Jianguo said: The distance of "Eight Hundred Quicksand" is relatively long, and the track is relatively complex. More than half of the tracks can be inspected by car. The "Eight Hundred Quicksand" has been held for 6 years and there has been no safety accident. One year, we encountered a blizzard in such a hot Gobi Desert, a very sudden extreme weather. When the organizing committee learned about this news, it immediately informed the inspectors of the station that the contestants were suspended for two hours without exposing the contestants to the blizzard.
Of course, during the competition, players who want to get a ranking may sleep very little. The choice depends on the player's personal performance according to their respective physical conditions and actual abilities. There will be doctors along the way. If you think your condition is wrong, you will be forced to rest. There was a foreign player in a certain competition. He seemed to have been forced to rest for two hours at the site by the organizing committee because of diarrhea.
The check-in point set for "Eight Hundred Quicksand" cross-country running also provides supplies to the players.
"Summit Everest 135" is located in three relatively dangerous passes, with an altitude of about 5,400 meters. As long as you pass this pass after 4 pm, you will be accompanied by a local Sherpa , and you will have to accompany you for seven or eight hours.
Daily Character: In this incident report, I saw a survivor saying that his previous experience in running cross-country running means that he will retreat whenever the rain is raining. But it is also a common phenomenon to encounter rain in the wild. Is his approach suitable for elite runners?
Yang Jianguo: Every player has different purpose in running cross-country. I personally think that (that) this player is the kind of finishing player, or enjoying player. He came to this competition to enjoy life and to feel nature. If freezing rain in high altitude areas does not have corresponding resistance equipment, elite players will also withdraw.
The qualification of the event director does not have an industry standard, which may lay the groundwork for safety
Daily characters: Generally speaking, who can call for a suspension in the cross-country race?
Yang Jianguo: We are called the event director. He considers the entire track, supply and rescue in full, and controls the entire event. For regular cross-country running competitions, this person usually calls to stop. Recently, another position has appeared called track director, communication media director, etc., but these directors should be under the event director.
Small-scale events do not require high requirements for the event director, but large-scale events require very high requirements for the overall coordination ability of the event director. The most important thing for the event director is to be aware of the track’s road conditions, the distance between each site and the risks, and he can mobilize basic rescue. All rescue teams, site volunteers, supplies, check-in personnel, including those who went up to rescue later, were under the control of the event director.
For a qualified event director, this track was planned by him and he has walked it countless times. The track is a line, and the event director you should understand the entire environment. Let’s plan a 100-kilometer track, it’s impossible for you to walk 100 kilometers to get out. At least you have to walk 200 kilometers or even 300 kilometers to connect a 100 kilometers track. Otherwise, various problems arise, how do you support, schedule and command these people?
Daily Character: Can you do the job of the event director without any experience in cross-country running?
Yang Jianguo: A qualified event director must be a qualified cross-country runner, so that he can provide corresponding rescue and guidance plans for cross-country runners and some possible situations on the track. If the event director has not been on the track, it will lay the groundwork for the risks of the event.
Daily Character: Cross-country race is not a standardized event. Who should the event director be the one? Is there any specific official guidance plan, or industry norms?
Yang Jianguo: There is no industry norms. When there is no problem, all the event directors are good. Some people would say that the event director is not good? No. Nowadays, the position of event director often depends on one's conscience to do things. People do not realize the risks and it is a lucky thing if there is no problem. Once a problem occurs, it can be a fatal problem.
Daily Character: How many check-in points should be set up in a 100-kilometer cross-country race? What is the basic understanding of the industry?
Yang Jianguo: There are 10 check-in points, basically one check-in timing point about 8 to 12 kilometers, and there is not much deviation from up and down. For ultra-long-distance competitions like "Eight Hundred Quicksand", there will be four to five small stations between 40 and 50 kilometers, and the average requirement of one ration point of 8 to 12 kilometers is achieved. It’s just that small stations can only replenish water, and large stations can rest.
Daily Character: What about the configuration of rescue personnel?
Yang Jianguo: According to the situation of the track, rescue support and rescue points are also different, and there is no unified conclusion. At high altitude, you must have more rescue guarantee points. It’s not that my entire track is full of rescuers, so the cost of cross-country racing is too high. But at least these rescuers can guarantee the people at two ration points or three ration points at the same time. After (the contestant) passes the first ration point, this group of people will then go to the later (ration point). The turnover rate depends on how the event director arranges it.
Daily characters: The venues are ever-changing. Since this is a non-standard competition, how to configure personnel comes entirely from the competition director’s own judgment?
Yang Jianguo: Actually, what you said is right, but in fact it is his prediction of the weather and the prediction of emergencies on the track. These combined together are a more feasible way to minimize this risk. For example, there is strong wind before the start of the Silver Cross-Country Race, or there is a weather forecast that there is strong convective weather in this county, you must increase your investment at this time.
Daily Character: In a competition you participated in before, the headlights in the forced equipment were broken, and it was dangerous in the face of rain and fog. Other contestants borrowed backup headlights for you for two hours, which resulted in the cancellation of your scores. At least in this game, it seems that from the organizing committee level, mutual assistance between the players is not encouraged when danger occurs?
Yang Jianguo: We have also spoken out in various ways. What is mandatory equipment used for? It is used to save people or save themselves. The difference between off-road events and other events is that the organizing committee’s rescue, even if it uses helicopters, it requires a time difference to arrive. The players are different, they are by your side. It is a consensus and a virtue to save others while ensuring one's own safety. Therefore, in terms of determining the cancellation of the results, the organizing committee can only say that its understanding of the cross-country running culture is not deep enough or thorough enough. Anyway, this game was gone later.
Daily Character: This also shows a chaos in the organizing committee. If there is a unified norm, this matter should not have happened.
Yang Jianguo: Whether it is lack of funds or lack of such relationships with local governments, many people in the circle are suffering from the lack of resources to do this, while people outside the circle have some connections and funds, and according to their own wishes, but he is not so familiar with the process, rules and common understanding of the event, which makes a mess.
Daily Character: What should I do if the contestant is dissatisfied with the punishment of the organizing committee?
Yang Jianguo: It is mainly to appeal to the organizing committee. If the complaint is not possible, you can sue it.
Daily Character: No superior agency appeals? There is no unified competent department for cross-country running now, such as the mountaineering association or the track and field association?
Yang Jianguo: None of them are. In other words, without the participation of the Athletic Association and the Mountaineering Association, cross-country races can be held.
There is no information communication between sites, which is an unforgivable error
Daily Character: If there is a danger in the off-road competition, how is the rescue started?
Yang Jianguo: The webmaster of every site has the responsibility to go to rescue, and there are also special rescue teams, so the rescue does not occur if someone decides to start or not. If there is any sudden situation, the rescue will be carried out at any time. If a problem is found, it will be feedback to someone and another person will issue a rescue order. This is obviously unreasonable. Whether it is the personnel at the site or the rescue team on the road, they may launch a rescue, which is a local rescue. If there is a large-scale rescue, it must be the event director or a higher-level person who speaks.
Daily Character: Since 2009, you have been involved in cross-country running and participated in so many competitions. Have you ever heard of a player who died of temperature loss?
Yang Jianguo: It seems that there is no cross-country running. However, for death caused by temperature loss, it is still available at the knowledge level or cognitive level.
Daily Character: For elite players who are looking for the ranking, they basically only do it according to the mandatory equipment requirements of the organizing committee, and will not exceed this range. Is that true?
Yang Jianguo: Generally speaking, that's the case. If I do as you ask, I can ensure the safety of the contestants. I go around and go back to this level of the organizing committee. As for myself, I may not bring jacket because jacket is heavier, but I may bring disposable raincoat , which is relatively light and thin. At critical moments, it can protect against rain and keep warm.
Daily Character: What is the biggest problem with this Silver Cross-Country Race accident? In fact, Liang Jing also wore a windbreaker, and Wenjing wore long clothes and trousers, so is the omission of the organizing committee's requirements for compulsory equipment not that critical to the final outcome?
Yang Jianguo: This is a superposition effect. The first is the uncertainty of the weather. The rain wet the contestant's clothes, and his naked skin, and the strong wind would quickly take away people's body temperature. Second, on the critical and most difficult track, the rescue power is insufficient. Third, judging from the current information, there seems to be no connection to on the information between the site, and the command center has not established its own communication channel for each site. No matter it is a mobile phone, walkie-talkie, or satellite phone, it does not have it, which makes it unable to make any decisions in a timely manner. This is very fatal, equivalent to leading troops to fight, and the general is blind.
Yang Jianguo judged based on years of cross-country running experience that there is a lack of information communication between sites, which is very fatal. Photo provided by the interviewee
Daily Character: If information is not connected, will it appear in other cross-country races? Or is this an extremely unforgivable mistake?
Yang Jianguo: I think this is an extremely unforgivable mistake. This microclimate in the mountains is very difficult to distinguish, and meteorological forecasts cannot be reported very accurately and in a timely manner. Only the information of the site personnel is the most important and accurate. In the events I organize or participate in, each site must communicate with the organizing committee. There are many ways to connect, such as building base stations and communication vehicles, and the second is satellite phone .
Daily Character: If you set up an base station , the bid for this event will be only 1.5 million yuan. Is the cost not covered?
Yang Jianguo: I am talking about the mobile station base station. If it is set up, the cost is only about 10,000 yuan, I have used it personally. I think it is very necessary to build it on a commanding height and relay the middle frame. This radiation surface is about 30 kilometers to 50 kilometers.
Daily Character: At that time, the gps signal of these players had not moved for so long, but the event did not have any emergency measures. Is this also a fatal mistake?
Yang Jianguo: It is doubtful whether the organizer has tracked the players’ GPS positioning. If they have a plan, the GPS can start the rescue if it doesn't move at the same point for more than 15 minutes. As the first group players, this time may be shorter because they are all competing for speed. The event director should contact the contestants, if you cannot contact them, you will let the rescue team go to the scene.
Daily Character: How many people do the organizers usually see this GPS signal?
Yang Jianguo: Under normal circumstances, one to two people should be. Their location is in the command center, and this information will be given to the event director at the same time. If the contestant sends the GPS positioning link to relatives and friends, others can also see it on the mobile or computer. I participate in some super long distance competitions and will send my positioning (link) to my family. But only the organizing committee can see the overall situation.
Daily Character: The GPS remains unmoved in 15 minutes, and the organizing committee will start rescue. Is this an industry mandatory standard, or is it just a consensus?
Yang Jianguo: This is basically a consensus. Even if the family members are watching in real time, whether there are corresponding feedback channels, it is still unknown who will be responsible for this matter.
Daily Character: If a player fails to move his GPS for 3 hours, the organizer does not start rescue, but nothing happened to happen to this person. Will the contestants not be held accountable and the violations will not be punished? Everything is measured by the fact that something happened or nothing happened, right?
Yang Jianguo: Now, who is responsible for the event director? During the entire event, the event director is considered to be the commander-in-chief position, so there is no question of accountability. Only some precautions may be summarized during review. If there is no accident, we cannot know whether he has monitored and managed the contestants.
The event director will start rescue when dealing with players who are still moving in GPS for 15 minutes.
Daily Character: You have also cooperated with the government with some 100-kilometer cross-country races. As the head of security, do you also have to stare at the GPS trajectory?
Yang Jianguo: Yes, Beidou positioning. That screen is not only placed in front of me, but the leaders also care about it. When we were working on Pujiang 100 and Xinxian 100, the deputy county magistrate and the county magistrate secretary stared at me all night, because they were afraid of something wrong. Oh, why did this person go off the wrong way? Where did the first place go, and where did the last place go? I have to answer if someone asks. Don't worry, he's fine, he can close the door when he reaches the next ration point, and the people around us are accompanying him. This is a responsible government and responsible event executive.
Daily Character: Now all cross-country events are suspended across the country. What do you think?
Yang Jianguo: It is quite good to have a cooling-off period. But it should not be too long. I hope that relevant departments can introduce systems as soon as possible to allow institutions qualified to do cross-country races to move first and don’t give up because of the choke. One-size-fits-all blow to the entire industry.
