The statue is located under the southwest stairs on the first floor of the venue. It depicts the image of an oriental warrior, covered in red, who is looking forward with his head raised. It displays the courage for continuous breakthroughs and self-challenges. The continuous ribbons behind the warrior symbolize the burning passion and the inheritance of the spirit of the Olympic Games.
Fitting the inspiration and structure of the interior space design of the National Speed Skating Oval, it took nearly a year and a half for the sculptor Ren Zhe to carefully craft this work. Made of stainless steel, it measures 4,070 x 8,840 x 3,850 mm (height x depth x width).
The statue is composed of two parts:
The first part is the warrior standing in front, called the backbone. Hiding in deep water, the dragon will fly in the highest of heavens when its time comes. Standing upright, the warrior nodes his head slightly and assumes a ready-to-go posture. Behind him, there are shadows of many dragons that face challenges. It tells the story of bearing disgrace and a heavy burden in the past and the awakening of a spirit. All rivers run into sea, and all the people of the world share the brotherhood. Those who constantly strive to become stronger will become the backbone of the country and the world.
The second part is the ribbons behind the warrior. The red color symbolizes the flame-like enthusiasm, while the ribbons reflect the continuous inheritance of the enterprising spirit of the Olympic Games. Integrating the inner tenacity and the sweat behind the back, the "Ice Ribbon" features both softness and fortitude, showing the wisdom of China's combination of softness and hardness and the speed and passion of winter sports through visual language to the world.
The bearing capacity of the sculpture was carefully calculated. The whole weight lies in the contact point between the warrior's foot and the ground. Extending from the warrior's back and running through the top of the space, the ribbons integrate the inner tenacity and the sweat into a shape combining both softness and firmness. The ribbons accommodate a total of 25,000 light points, which will be lit up during games.
