Shen Xue is now a mother! | Golden Skate

Shen Xue is now a mother!

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
According to several Chinese news articles, Shen Xue gave birth to a baby girl.

Congrats to the happy couple! :)
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Oh, congratulations! Time really flies, I thought they still had a while to go!
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Has the baby a name yet?

Not sure about an official name, but a poster in another forum posted these links (in Chinese):
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-25/02116740183.shtml
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-23/14196738246.shtml

I was able to decipher, in my very limited Chinese knowledge and with the (big) help of Google translate, the author writes that Yao Bin--who has been promoted to "grandpa"--recommended a name: "赵佳雪" (Zhao Jia Xue) -- 赵 is Hongbo's last name, 佳 means good or beautiful, and 雪 means snow and is also Shen Xue's first name. So literally, it would mean something like "Beautiful Snow" Zhao. So it is, in a way, a combination of Hongbo and Xue.

(No idea if they named their daughter that though.)

I think Xue also said something about playing figure skating(?) music for her daughter when Xue was pregnant, and that the baby reacted to the music when she was in Xue's belly. They also express a wish for their daughter to be involved in skating, but that it will ultimately be her decision whether or not she wants to go down that road--first and foremost, they just want her to grow up happy and healthy.

(Can someone translate these articles way better? :))
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Wonderful news! :) Congratulations Shen and Zhao!!!

I think it's great that Yao Bin is an honorary "grandpa" to the baby--he has been with Shen and Zhao all the way, so it's only appropriate that he is part of the extended family now too.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Wonderful news! Congratulations to Shen and Hongbo on the birth of their Baby Girl!
 

whitebamboo

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Congratulations!!

Not sure about an official name, but a poster in another forum posted these links (in Chinese):
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-25/02116740183.shtml
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-23/14196738246.shtml

I was able to decipher, in my very limited Chinese knowledge and with the (big) help of Google translate, the author writes that Yao Bin--who has been promoted to "grandpa"--recommended a name: "赵佳雪" (Zhao Jia Xue) -- 赵 is Hongbo's last name, 佳 means good or beautiful, and 雪 means snow and is also Shen Xue's first name. So literally, it would mean something like "Beautiful Snow" Zhao. So it is, in a way, a combination of Hongbo and Xue.

(No idea if they named their daughter that though.)

I think Xue also said something about playing figure skating(?) music for her daughter when Xue was pregnant, and that the baby reacted to the music when she was in Xue's belly. They also express a wish for their daughter to be involved in skating, but that it will ultimately be her decision whether or not she wants to go down that road--first and foremost, they just want her to grow up happy and healthy.

(Can someone translate these articles way better? :))

The first report is from Aug. 25, before the baby was born, mostly interviewing Yao Bin:

http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-25/02116740183.shtml
Shen Xue: figure skating is the best prenatal education
Head coach: Zhao Hongbo has already taken over

Currently, the Chinese figure skating team is preparing for the Sochi Olympics at the Capital Stadium, and one can imagine the pressure on Zhao Hongbo's shoulders. But with the pressure also come good news: his wife Shen Xue will soon be due to give birth. Yesterday, our reporter asked for confimation from Yao Bin, head coach of the national figure skating team. The reply was direct: "Shen Xue will give birth in September. I firmly believe that the child will be as outstanding as her parents."

Excitement: Yao Bin will finally be a grandpa

The day before yesterday, at the Chinese figure skating team's training arena, reporters saw a big-bellied Shen Xue arriving hand-in-hand with Zhao Hongbo. Each time they glanced at each other, sweet smiles would appear on their faces, just the same as before they were married. "I think figure skating is the best prenatal education," Shen Xue told the reporters. "You can hear that the music for every program is very beautiful. My daughter, inside my belly, reacts when she hears these pieces of music. I am very excited every time I feel her moving slightly."

Figure skating is Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo's beloved career. It is a big and pleasant surprise to the expectant mother that their daughter senses the music for skating even before she is born. But she still said that whatever career choices her daughter chooses in the future, she would not interfere, and nor would she force her daughter onto this road just because she and Hongbo are world champions. Yesterday, our reporter called Yao Bin, head coach of the national figure skating team, for confirmation. Yao replied with a laugh: "I will soon be a grandfather. Not long ago, Shen Xue was asking me what would be a good name for the child. I told them, it would be best if yours and Hongbo's names are incorporated into the child's name. Later, they took my advice and named the child "Zhao Jiaxue". I am happy about the birth of the next generation, and I firmly believe the child will be as outstanding as her parents. (Note: the word for "grandfather" that Yao Bin uses here is "laoye", meaning maternal grandfather. :) )

Directness: Zhao Hongbo has taken over after me, responsible for figure skating

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo's success would not be possible without the help of their coach Yao Bin, and they respect him as their own father. But as time passes, Yao Bin's age is growing, and Chinese figure skating needs someone to take over, someone to carry on the burden and lead the young skaters to good results. For this, Yao Bin has already chosen someone, and that person is Zhao Hongbo.

Yao Bin told our reporter: "I started to skate when I was 8, already more than 50 years ago. My age is growing, and there are somethings I can no longer do as well as I want. I've just had an operation, and am still recovering. During this time, I hope there would be someone who can step up, and lead Chinese figure skating to better results. Currently, the skaters chosen from regional teams still have no experience with major competitions. The year before the last, I brought in a group of second-line skaters into the national team, they can still fight for several more years. After that, I am worried of having a gap in our talent. It's good that currently, Zhao Hongbo has already taken over the burden, I gave figure skating over to him. I believe that he will do well as a coach, and I believe that he can bring up more good athletes.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Splendid news! Congratulations to the parents, and best wishes to the baby. And great news that Zhao is going to be coaching skaters.
 

whitebamboo

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2012
Not sure about an official name, but a poster in another forum posted these links (in Chinese):
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-25/02116740183.shtml
http://sports.sina.com.cn/o/2013-08-23/14196738246.shtml

...

The second report (dated Aug. 23) is mostly a longer version of the first one. The main extra piece of information is that although close to due, Shen Xue still has been coming to the rink to watch Hongbo coach the skaters, who would come to the side at times to ask for her advice. The article especially mentions Peng Cheng, Zhang Hao's partner, as someone whom Shen Xue has been helping a lot. Having such a "big sister" has been a really good thing psychologically for Peng Cheng, who is still very young, and mostly surronded by male coaches so far.

Xue's parents were also there when the reporters went to the arena. They said that at first they were worried that she's been continuing to do this while pregnant, but going to the arena has been great for her physically and mentally. They told the reporter that "When we first sent Xue to learn skating, we told Coach Yao, she will be your daughter too from now on. We are definitely happy with the name he chose. As for ourselves, we haven't even thought about it."
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
China's figure-skating couple have baby daughter (English)

English article by ChinaDaily:
China's figure-skating couple have baby daughter
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2013-09/03/content_16941445.htm
China's Olympic and world-champion figure-skating couple, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, welcomed their baby girl on Sept 3, as Shen, 34, announced on her Sina Weibo micro blog that she gave birth to the baby at 5:05 am that day.

After performing together for 20 years, Shen and Zhao, multiple world and Olympic champions, decided last year to take a break from their busy careers to extend their family.

Zhao, 40, is now the head coach of China's figure skating pairs team. He will lead the team to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Shen and Zhao claimed the gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics four years ago.

Wow! Hongbo is now the head coach of the pairs' teams? Congrats to them for their continued successes and joys!
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Re the name Zhao Jia Xue, Jia has the same pronunciation as "plus" so Zhao Jia Xue also sounds the same as Zhao plus Xue.

Congratulations to the new parents! May their daughter be a greater prize than the OGM.
 
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