Gong Lijiao, the reigning Olympic women's shot put gold medalist, is gearing up for her fifth Olympic appearance in Paris at the age of 35.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Gong not only achieved her personal best throw of 20.58 meters but also secured her first Olympic gold, a milestone she had pursued for years.
Reflecting on her journey, Gong shared with CGTN Sports Scene's Zhu Mandan, \"I think it only gets harder each time I compete. After winning in Tokyo, I had high expectations for this Olympics. But as I grew older, my physical strength inevitably became weaker. However, I also matured as an athlete. Through deeper training, I gradually improved and am really looking forward to the Paris Olympics.\"
Recognizing that Paris will mark her final Olympic Games, Gong feels no pressure. Instead, she aims to savor every moment on the world's premier athletic stage.
\"Paris will be my fifth Olympic Games. Life doesn't have enough years for me to continue competing,\" Gong stated. \"People expect me to feel pressured, but I've won all the titles that need to be won. What I care about most is enjoying every match and finding myself during these games. So, the Paris Olympics are more of a personal challenge for me. I don't feel nervous anymore.\"
Adapting to change is never easy for veteran athletes, but Gong has successfully made adjustments with the support of her coach, Dieter Kollark. Gong explained, \"I'm relatively short for this sport, and I have a shorter length when I slide at the start of my throw. Coach Kollark made some changes to the start of my throw to create more space, which helped me a lot. Initially, I struggled because I had been using the same technique for over twenty years. But once I embraced his method, I realized it improved my speed and performance.\"
Despite releasing any pressure, Gong remains determined to win gold once again. \"My goal is definitely to win gold. I feel that I have the ability to do that. If I can cooperate well with my coach and perform my best on the field, I'm confident that I can win the gold medal again for China,\" she concluded.
Reference(s):
Chinese shot-putter Gong Lijiao wants to defend her title in Paris
cgtn.com
