
I was sitting in the Doping Control Office, as a chaperone of a 17 year-old girl weight-lifter. We’re expecting her urine. She stopped taking in anything in the last 24 hours in order to control her bodyweight. In fact, she’s been on a fierce diet plan the entire month before she came attending this Championships, she’s got to cut down 7kg within 4 weeks. All in all, that made her way too difficult to produce enough amount of sample urine required by the Anti-doping Test. “Your body is experiencing a drought, your cells are thirsty, craving for liquid compensation. We’ll have to wait longer and patiently until these cells are fed up…” said the anti-doping officer gently.
我陪同一位17歲的舉重女選手坐在「藥檢室」裡。我們在等,等她有尿意。為了控制體重,她已經24小時沒進食喝水。事實上,來參加這場錦標賽前,她整個月都被嚴密控制飲食,必須在4週內減掉7公斤。這一切使她難以排出藥檢採樣所規定的尿量。「妳的身體正在鬧飢荒,細胞都很乾渴,迫切需要補充水份。我們得有耐心,再等久一點,等妳的細胞都被餵飽了再說…」藥檢的主管語氣很溫柔。
Among all competitive sports requiring athletes participating based on bodyweight category, the weigh-in regulation in Weightlifting perhaps is the strictest one. I’ve worked in Judo Championships, an official told me, there’s a 2kg tolerance. In Judo Championships, athletes of the same category typically have to fight in more than one match within a day, repechage is included, the final medalists battle deciding the Gold and the Silver usually takes place around the evening, so a maximum of 8–9 hours staying in the arena can be expected, it’s understandable why these Judokas practically need to be allowed storing more calories during the day.
在所有規定選手依照體重量級來參賽的運動競技中,「舉重」的過磅規定是最嚴格的。我曾去柔道錦標賽上工作,有位主管告訴我,過磅時允許2公斤的誤差。在柔道錦標賽中,同一個量級的選手,通常要在一天內比好幾場,包含敗部復活戰,冠亞軍決賽通常就在當天傍晚,因此,可想見,要待在體育場內長達8到9小時,為何必須讓這些柔道家多儲存熱量,好應付一整天的比賽,還蠻合理的。
Weightlifting is different. The competition of one category usually completes no longer than 4 hours. Short and sometimes even swift. It’s not a sport of speed and endurance, but of sudden burst of power, precisely the mascular strength. There’s no tolerance for weigh-in, not even a single 0.01kg. Just to qualify themselves in accordance with the digits when stepping on the scale, lifters bake themselves in sauna to dehydrate; strip off their underwear under the survilliance of the jury; cut down their hair with the help of their coach.
舉重不一樣。一個量級的比賽通常不會超過4小時。很短,有時候甚至很快就比完了。這種運動項目,跟速度和耐力無關,而是爆發力,精確來說,就是肌力。過磅時完全不允許體重有誤差,連多個0.01公斤都不行。為了能在上磅秤時過關,不讓數字爆表,舉重選手要去SPA烤箱把體內水份都烤乾,要在裁判面前脫到連內衣都不穿,要由教練一把剪掉頭髮。
The girl and I ended up staying in the Doping Control Office for nearly 4 hours. She drank 3L of water and juice. I had nothing to do but partake the same as well, and took countless round trips back and forth between that Office and WC. “I was more than willing if an inter-body switching magic were possible.” I looked at this Category-49kg youth lifter, trying to comfort her when she started to feel upset about herself, “I simply couldn’t refuse…family and friends had taken turns inviting me to celebrating feasts after I’d won a medal in the President Cup, the event that got me picked up by the national team and eventually took me here.”
最後我跟女孩在藥檢室待了快4小時。她灌了3公升的水和果汁。我什麼事也不能做,只好跟她喝得一樣多,然後數不清在藥檢室與廁所之間來回跑了多少趟。這個49公斤級的青少年選手開始沮喪,我看著她,試著安慰:「要是有交換身體的魔法,我絕對願意跟妳換。」「我就是沒辦法拒絕啊…總統盃得牌後,親友一個個都約我去吃大餐;就是得那個牌,我才會入選國家代表隊,才會來參加這次世錦賽。」
It’s never easy for an athlete to balance her/his private life and career discipline, “…nor for family and friends to be in an athlete’s shoes.” the anti-doping officer echoed me with a tone of compassion. “Don’t worry, girl. I trust you’ll handle the capping of the test cup pretty delicately later and very soon. A weightlifter always knows how to better control her hand grips.” he smiled at her, and her face turned soft.
運動選手要在私人生活與專業紀律之間找到平衡點,從來都不容易。「…親友要能設身處地為運動員著想,也很不容易。」藥檢主管呼應我的話,語氣充滿同理心。「妳別擔心,我相信,等下馬上,妳肯定能把尿樣杯蓋好蓋滿。舉重選手總是很會控制自己的手勁。」他對她笑著說,她的表情就鬆下來了。
*Photo taking is not allowed in the Doping Control Office. This photo was taken in 2019 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships farewell party in the prestigious palace of the famous Pyongyang cold noodles, “Okryu Restaurant”.
*藥檢室不能拍照。這張照片是在「2019年亞洲青年暨青少年舉重錦標賽」的歡送晚宴上拍的,地點是以平壤冷麵聞名的富麗堂皇頂級餐廳「玉流館」。
