20 | Monday, July 26, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | DAILY SPORTS shooting

Student Yang makes the grade

China’s Yang Qian takes aim during the women’s 10-meter air rifle competition at Asaka Shooting Range at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan on Saturday. XinHua

Prestigious Tsinghua University adds “Shooting works well as a supple- ment to classroom teaching in help- another Olympic champion to its ing hone young people’s mental growing list of gold-medal winners I think over the years toughness, concentration and resil- of keeping up with ience … virtues that may play a big role in their future careers of what- By SUN XIAOCHEN “The competition was really tight the rigorous ever jobs they choose,” said Dong. [email protected] today, but I’m so happy that I could academic study in win,” she added. Cradles of success Tsinghua University’s production Gao Jing, an air rifle coach at Tsinghua while As the action continues in Tokyo, line of shooting champions hit the Tsinghua, said Yang’s mental managing to train and Team China is expected to enjoy target once again after junior stu- strength is a combination of her more success from its ranks of uni- dent Yang Qian won the first gold of own innate talent and her on-cam- compete consistently versity talent. the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. pus training. on my team, Yang has Higher-education institutes, such Yang, 21, belied her young age to “My first impression of Yang was as Chongqing-based Southwest Uni- hold her nerve in Saturday’s wom- that this is a quiet little girl, but she grown much stronger versity and Sport University, en’s 10-meter air rifle final and claim could shoot quite stably with calm inside.” have been cooperating with provin- the title with a total of 251.8 points beyond her years,” Gao said of Yang’s cial sports training centers to jointly in her Olympic debut. performance during a trial for Gao Jing, develop promising talents. an air rifle coach at Tsinghua Trailing Russia’s Anastasiia admission to the shooting program The two universities have provid- Galashina by 0.2 points after 23 at the end of 2015. ed tailor-made education programs shots, Yang’s final effort scored 9.8 “I think over the years of keeping Olympic glory for Tsinghua’s pro- for 53 athletes in China’s Tokyo 2020 points, which proved enough to up with the rigorous academic study gram, with the 23-year-old Henan delegation, including women’s 3m fend off Galashina, who crumbled in Tsinghua while managing to train native locked and loaded for the synchro diving champion Shi Ting- under pressure to register only 8.9 and compete consistently on my 50m three position competition on mao, women’s epee gold medalist points with her last pellet. Switzer- team, Yang has grown much strong- Saturday at Asaka Shooting Range fencer Sun Yiwen and men’s tae- land’s Nina Christen took bronze. er inside,” added Gao, who won in Tokyo. kwondo star Zhao Shuai. The morale-boosting perform- bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle In addition to the development of As the country continues to reform ance made Yang a darling of social at the 2000 Games. top-level athletes, Tsinghua’s shoot- its sports talent cultivation system, media back home, with her personal A product of the State-run pro- ing program also offers a 16-week the teamwork between the General Weibo account attracting roughly gram herself, Gao reckons Tsing- entry-level course for students with Administration of Sport of China and 650,000 new followers over the hua’s route to athletic excellence is more modest skills. the education department is expect- course of a few hours since her win. particularly advantageous in the Since opening in 2002, the course ed to help diversify the talent supply The triumph earned yet more sport of shooting. has become highly coveted on cam- from grassroots to elite level. kudos for Tsinghua’s collegiate China traditionally drafted poten- pus with about 1,000 seats for each “We’ve realized that it’s equally sports program, which combines tial Olympians to the State-run sys- semester usually being snapped up important to provide enough educa- higher education and athletic train- tem, where they would train full- Yang Qian poses with her Olympic gold medal after winning the within hours of the selection opening. tion to athletes while providing ing to develop student athletes in time, isolated from ordinary women’s 10m air rifle competition on Saturday. XinHua “There is a saying in Tsinghua for ordinary students with more oppor- the likes of track and field, shooting, schools. freshmen that you have to be lucky tunities to exercise and learn sports and basketball, outside the “It’s critical for a shooting athlete enough to succeed in signing up for skills,” Wang Dengfeng, director of country’s traditional State-run to be able to stay at ease under what- Shooting roots nary schools and sports academies, this course once before your gradua- physical education, health and arts sports system. ever circumstances and to regroup Tsinghua’s roots in the sport date the program has consistently tion,” said Dong Zhi, who manages at the Ministry of Education, said “We trained how to perform under quickly,” said Gao. back to the 1950s when the universi- churned out sharpshooters for the the program. during a meeting earlier this month. pressure,” Yang, a junior who majors “Being able to strike that delicate ty first formed a shooting team. Aft- national team, including Yi Siling, To better promote the sport, Tsing- “By promoting sports participa- in business administration at Bei- balance between study and athletic er a long hiatus, shooting was who delivered China’s opening gold hua built a new shooting range at the tion and expanding beginner-level jing-based Tsinghua, told reporters. pursuits helps a lot in self-manage- reestablished on campus in 1999 of the 2012 London Olympics, also basement of the university’s sports training programs, we can grow a “The coaches would actually create a ment mentally and psychologically, and has since flourished. in the women’s 10m air rifle. hall in 2009 with funding raised by stronger and deeper talent pool in nerve-wracking atmosphere in order which keeps a shooter calm when With student athletes recruited A senior schoolmate of Yang’s, Shi its alumni, and is taking pride in the ordinary schools for more success at to simulate the pressure.” needed.” from its affiliated high school, ordi- Mengyao, is tipped to earn more program’s broad educational value. the elite level.”

TAEKWONDO Olympic hero Wu leaves the mat with no regrets

By CHEN XIANGFENG Wu, an Olympic champion in gold in her category at the 2008 Bei- “I think I will be very, very happy [email protected] 2008 and 2012, was ready to retire jing Games. together with my family after this after the 2016 Rio Games. However, “I’m not the smartest woman in Olympics. My personality means I With two Olympic gold medals after giving birth to her daughter in life, but I have no regrets at all after will never say die as long as I’m an and numerous world titles under 2017, she made a strong return to giving everything in my career with athlete. So it’s impossible for an ath- her belt, Chinese taekwondo great international competition, deciding my persistence and belief. lete like me to totally enjoy a match. Wu Jingyu could call time on her to go for glory once more at her “Everything is good now. I’m very Every time you stand on the mat, it’s career with an immense sense of fourth Olympics. proud of myself for what I have done like a live-or-die fight. pride and satisfaction — and above “I made that decision not to prove over the past two decades.” “So now that it’s all over, I can say I all, no regrets. anything. I just still felt like being an Wu admitted that giving birth did will be very happy, and now I can Now, the focus will be family for athlete, purely out of love for the have an effect on her performance, relax and enjoy myself.” the 34-year-old mother-of-one from sport. Now, it’s finally finished. I’m with fatigue often setting in during Even though her competitive Jiangxi province. feeling good. In many ways, I have bouts. career has concluded, it seems cer- “It’s time to say goodbye. I gave all been waiting for this moment. It’s a “I have no specific physical issues tain that Wu will continue to engage my love and passion to the sport feeling of relief and peace.” and I fear no one on the mat. Tacti- with the sport. over the past 22 years. I have no Wu is renowned for her persever- cally speaking, I know what I need She is vice-president of the Chi- regrets anymore,” said Wu after ance, braveness and tenacity, inspir- to do in the next move and can also nese Taekwondo Association (CTA), being knocked out of the 49kg class ing a new generation of young predict how my opponent will as well as a national team coach, but at the quarterfinal stage on Satur- athletes to follow in her footsteps. attack. But sometimes I just can’t has yet to confirm what area she day at the Tokyo Olympics. As something of a trailblazer in get my body to respond exactly how intends to focus her energies. “I want to thank all the people taekwondo for China, she has ele- I want it to,” she said. “I have not made up my mind on who supported me, encouraged me vated the nation’s global standing in “I’m 34 and sometimes you have whether to serve in the CTA or coach and helped me. I will carry all this the sport. Wu has achieved many to admit that age simply shows you the national team,” Wu said last with me into the next phase of life. I milestones along the way, including no mercy.” year. “But I will stay in the sport, China’s Wu Jingyu defends a kick from ’s Adriana Cerezo Igle- will keep going, and I still have claiming China’s first Wu said she will spend more time that is beyond doubt. I think it’s sias during their women’s taekwondo 49kg quarterfinal bout at the dreams in my life. See you next time, title in taekwondo in Doha in 2006, with her daughter and family first wonderful if a person can do one Tokyo on Saturday. After losing 33-2, the 34-year- some place else.” and winning China’s first Olympic before deciding her next steps in life. thing for his or her whole life.” old Wu announced her retirement from competition. AFP