Kiteboarding is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, and 24-year-old Chen Jingyue is at the forefront of this exciting new event. As a dedicated member of the Chinese national team, Chen has navigated numerous challenges to reach this prestigious stage.
Although she only switched to professional kiteboarding in 2021, Chen has quickly established herself as the top kiteboarder on the national team. Her journey began at the age of 12 when she first picked up the sport, eventually making history as the first Chinese athlete to win an international kiteboarding championship.
In 2018, when the Chinese Yachting Association formed the national kiteboarding team, Chen was eagerly recruited and became an integral part of the squad. Her impressive eighth-place finish in the women's kiteboarding medal series at the Sailing World Championships in The Hague in August 2023 secured Olympic qualification for China in the event.
Chen's dominance continued through the 2024 Olympic trials, where she triumphed in all three events, outperforming her teammates and solidifying her spot in the Paris Games. What began as a hobby over a decade ago has transformed into a career where Chen is poised to bring pride to her country as a professional athlete.
\"I think I have grown much more mature,\" Chen told China Media Group. \"I did it only for my own happiness in the past. But when I won the gold medal at the Asian Games and watched the Chinese national flag fly, I felt the load on my shoulders.\"
The path to professionalism was not easy for Chen. She admitted to overcoming significant emotional and physical hurdles, often crying due to the increased training sessions and higher demands. \"I couldn't stand it all at the beginning,\" she said. \"I felt so much pain every day. I was like 'Why do I have to do this?' But now that I look at that experience, I think it's all worth it.\"
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Chen Jingyue overcomes various challenges for her Olympic dream
cgtn.com
