STORY: Discovering Tibet with FPV drone: Tibetan ski mountaineer
DATELINE: July 11, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:54
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of ski mountaineers
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
3. various of ski mountaineers training
4. various of 2023 International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) World Championships (file)
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): TASHI DROLMA, Ski mountaineer from Tibet
7. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): RABGYE, Ski mountaineer from Tibet
8. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): NAMGYAL DORJE, Ski mountaineer coach from Tibet
9. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
10. various of ski mountaineers

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
"I haven't been training in Tibet for a long time. It is so familiar to train in snow mountains in my hometown. I am Yudron Lhamo, a ski mountaineer. I am from Nyingchi, Tibet.
There is an old saying in Tibet: If you climb step by step, then you can climb up the most challenging mountain; if you give up at the beginning, you can never cross a soil slope.
I used to be a middle-distance runner at a sports school, but it was too boring for me.
At that time, the national team was recruiting skiers, so I signed up and was selected. After two years of training in cross-country skiing, I officially transferred to ski mountaineering in 2021.
To be honest, I didn't know how ski mountaineering was. I just wanted to challenge myself.
It's probably out of my inner desire to pursue challenges and passion.
Willpower is crucial in ski mountaineering. When I first started training, I felt really exhausted. My periost and thighs ached a lot. I felt uncomfortable. I was very afraid of skiing down."
There are a lot of off-piste trails in international games. At the beginning, I was quite nervous. I was so scared of falling, unlike other athletes, who were so brave when skiing down.
There was a time when I seriously considered quitting, but then I chose to stay and overcame the fear.
Maybe it was because I fell too many times.
I only trained twice today. Light training. But the altitude is quite high, it's 5,285 meters above sea level. Skiing down here is enjoyable and exhilarating."

The 19-year-old Yudron Lhamo won the gold after dominating the U20 women's sprint category with straight wins in the qualification, semifinal, and final at the 2023 International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) World Championships.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
"I was not in ideal physical condition then and had no confidence in winning the competition. I just tried my best. But after reaching the finish line, I realized I was the champion. It was unbelievable.
Even my family didn't expect high on my performance. They didn't realize I was a world champion until the news reached them.
After competing with foreign athletes in recent years, I got to know that there's still a gap between us and the top athletes. We need to get all-round improvement to catch up with them."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): TASHI DROLMA, Ski mountaineer from Tibet
"I have learned ski mountaineering for almost one year."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): RABGYE, Ski mountaineer from Tibet
"I enjoy ski mountaineering, which makes me want to ski time and time again."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): NAMGYAL DORJE, Ski mountaineer coach from Tibet
"Now, more and more people get to know ski mountaineering and participate in the sport."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): YUDRON LHAMO, Ski mountaineer
"For me, it's kind of perseverance. I hope the athletes from Tibet can be firm in their goals, no give up, believe in themselves, and they will eventually succeed.
Discovering Tibet. This is my story."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)