CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- “Gold medal! Gold medal!” Chongqing Municipal Fire and Rescue Bureau Special Detachment Shaiguangping Station came out bursts of cheers. On September 9, Yang Dinghao, Combat Squad Leader of the Station, won the champion in “4✕100m fire-fighting Relay Race” in the 19th World Championship among Men in Fire and Rescue Sport together teammates at a score of 55’ 62’’, which is not only the first gold medal won by the Chinese team in the World Championships, but also the first time the Chinese team won the gold medal in this event.

Initiated by the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers, the World Fire and Rescue Championship is known as the “Firefighting Olympics”. The 19th World Championship in Fire and Rescue Sport was held in Harbin in September.

As an all-round junior, the 24-year-old Yang Dinghao and his teammates participated in the World Championship in all the games, and won the gold medal in 4✕100m firefighting relay race, silver medal in hand-carried motor pump shooting target, the second place of 100m fire obstacle jumping groups, the third place in climbing hook and ladder to the fourth floor, as well as the fourth place in 100m individual’s fire obstacles jumping.

After a fierce competition, the Chinese team finally won the group championship of the World Championship, creating the best performance in history.

Standing on the highest podium, the Chinese team participants held up the trophy, raised their arms and cheered, and all of them in red and the five-star flag added radiance and beauty to each other.

Previously, because of the excellent performance in the 18th World Championship in Fire and Rescue, Yang Dinghao was awarded the individual first-class merit by the National Fire and Rescue Administration. On the morning of September 20, 2024, Chongqing Municipal Fire and Rescue Bureau came to Longtan Township, Fuling District, Chongqing Municipality, “to send awards to the home” of Yang Dinghao. Along the way, a lot of folks in the neighborhood stopped to watch, taking out their phone to record this glorious moment.

From 2019 when he joined the fire brigade, Yang Dinghao had won numerous awards. He was impressed that he was awarded the 2023 “Top Ten Figures Touched Chongqing”. On February 1, 2024, his father also came to the award ceremony, which is the first time that Yang Dinghao meets his father after four months. They met and embraced each other tightly. Upon hearing his father saying that “My son, I’m proud of you”, instantly, he was nearly made cry.

“I was originally a college student studying Physical Education.” In 2019, Yang Dinghao just started his freshman year of college, coincidentally saw Chongqing fire Brigade recruiting firefighters. In order to fulfill his “firefighter’s dream”, Yang Dinghao decided to sign up to join. This dream was sprouted by his father’s zeal to save others.

He recalled that in 2008, his father was riding his motorcycle to take him to school, and on the way they witnessed a house collapse. Ignoring the danger of the building collapsing again, his father immediately rushed into the rubble to save others. But the more he plowed in, the more the outer bricks continued to collapse. Fortunately, just as the crowd was at a loss, firefighters arrived in time and quickly rescued the trapped person.

From then on, he secretly planted a seed in his heart, and to this day, this seed has already taken root and grown into a big tree. Yang Dinghao has won numerous awards, but he was the “tail” of the team 5 years ago.

In order to make up for the shortcoming in strength and explosive force, Yang Dinghao signed up for all the items of physical skills organized by the new training brigade, and took the initiative to find the Squad Leader to increase the amount of training every night, including “three 100 items”, namely 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, then “three 150 items”, then “three 200 times” step by step, progressively, regardless of the weather.

With the tenacity that “constant effort brings success” and the determination of “being powerful as a tiger”, Yang Dinghao has constantly surpassed himself, and also forged a dazzling performance in the 17th World Championships in Fire and Rescue and the 18th World Championships in Fire and Rescue.

In September 2023, in the 18th World Championships in Fire and Rescue, Yang Dinghao and his teammates won the gold medal in the hand-carried motor pump shooting target, and his time of 15’ 76’’ in the 100m individual’s fire obstacles jumping was the best in this event since the Chinese team entered the competition. Dressed in red sportswear, holding a trophy in one hand and a certificate of recognition, he gained notoriety in this internationally acclaimed “Firefighting Olympics”.

Over the 5 years in firefighting, Yang Dinghao always appeared in the smoke, fire, flood ...in the first line to the risk, and the forefront of rescue. He said: “As a firefighter, I have always been proud.” After that, he wanted to bring the valuable experience learned and seen in these training and competitions to the team, so that more people have the opportunity to go out of the country and compete for the country. (Translated by Vichy, Fathom Language Limited)