Zhang Mingyu of the Chinese mainland has secured her spot for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games by winning the modern pentathlon women's individual gold medal at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in September 2023.
This marks Zhang's second Olympic journey in Paris, where she will be the sole representative from Team the Chinese mainland in the women's modern pentathlon event.
\"I may feel lonely because I will be the only woman for the modern pentathlon competition in Paris,\" Zhang shared with China Media Group (CMG).
Despite facing a series of injuries that hindered her performance in the first half of 2024, Zhang demonstrated resilience by competing in the Modern Pentathlon World Cup. Her efforts culminated in a strong performance at the World Championships in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, in mid-June, where she faced the world's top modern pentathletes.
\"Since I was already qualified for the Olympics, I considered the World Championships an opportunity to test myself, to see how I perform in a noisy environment in front of a crowd,\" Zhang explained. \"I also wanted to see the gap between me and the overseas top athletes so I can have more specific fronts to work on in the final month before the Olympics begins.\"
A two-time Asian Games gold medalist, Zhang attributes her success to her meticulous attention to every detail during practice and competition. \"Sprinting has been my weakness, so I have been focused on that in recent months,\" she told CMG. \"When I surpassed an opponent, I wanted to know by how much I did it and if she was close to catching up with me.\"
Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, Zhang is determined to give her best performance and, if possible, surpass her personal bests.
Reference(s):
Chinese pentathlete Zhang Mingyu wants to shine at 2024 Olympic Games
cgtn.com
