Lin Xiyu of the Chinese mainland earned the women's golf bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, demonstrating remarkable resilience by climbing four places over the last 18 holes in the final round on Saturday.
As the second Chinese golfer to clinch an Olympic medal following Feng Shanshan's achievement in Rio 2016, Lin expressed satisfaction with her performance in Paris.
\"I feel quite amazing. I know I had a chance today, but I know it's going to be a very tough battle,\" Lin told CGTN Sports Scene's Jiang Mengxi. \"And I didn't have the best start, I'm asking for. So I'm very proud of myself the way I fought back at the end. It's good enough to win a medal and that's even better. So I am very overwhelming right now.\"
Lin attributed her success to maintaining consistency despite a slow start. \"I was a little disappointed when I see so far back,\" she said. \"But then I said to myself, I've been playing very consistent this week and I think at the back nine, the consistency is going to be a very good weapon. So I just need to keep doing what I've been doing. And, and also I stopped looking at the scoreboard. I just wanted to play my own golf. I have a good game plan, and then I executed it really well and then it ended up good enough to give me a medal.\"
She also highlighted the influence of Feng Shanshan, recalling their inspiring conversation before her departure to Paris. \"I talked to Shanshan right before I left for Paris,\" Lin shared. \"I was explaining my anxiety and I was like, 'I don't know what to expect here.' And then she just asked me one question: if this is your third Olympic or your last Olympics, what kind of finish you think you'll be satisfied with yourself. And I thought about it and I said, 'well, medal, of course.' And then she said, well, then that's the goal. We have nothing to lose. We have to keep grinding out. Nothing's going to be in the way when I am fully focused on this target and then I think that was a really important conversation.\"
Reference(s):
Chinese golfer Lin Xiyu happy after earning bronze medal at Paris 2024
cgtn.com
