20 | Monday, August 16, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS OLYMPICS Gong’s golden age only just begun After becoming an Olympic champion at 32, shot put star looking to maintain dominance for many more years to come By SHI FUTIAN too inexperienced and my goal was miss out on Olympic gold again, [email protected] just to finish in the top eight. I’m a and that it might just be my destiny. very practical person and it was But then I kept telling myself I have Gong Lijiao finally got her hands impossible for me at that time to the strength and I cannot give up. on Olympic gold in her fourth win an Olympic gold,” she said. The injuries were temporary. The Games at Tokyo 2020. However, far “At each Olympics, I have a differ- national team’s support staff helped from thinking about calling it quits, ent goal to achieve. So I have to say me a lot in my recovery at that the 32-year-old is already targeting my failure at the 2016 Rio Olympics time.” more glory at Paris 2024. was really hard for me. I had very Her quest for Olympic gold also “The Paris Olympics is not that far high expectations of myself and I meant Gong needed to sacrifice away, three years away instead of put too much pressure on myself. time with her family. And with the the normal four-year gap between “I remember friends were texting 14th National Games of China tak- the Games. I will for sure keep train- me at the time, saying they were ing place in Xi’an, Shaanxi province ing and fighting,” Gong told China confident in me winning the gold. next month, a trip back home will Daily in a Douyin livestream from When I finally competed in Rio, I have to wait. her quarantine hotel room in Bei- didn’t even win a bronze. However, I “When I have no more competi- jing on Thursday. managed to emerge from that fail- tions and no more training to do, “As I said before, as long as my ure and have now reached the peak what I want to do most is return country needs me, I will keep push- of my career. I fear nothing now, home to spend more time with my ing. I will only feel ready to retire and I have won all the medals I family,” she said. when the younger Chinese shot put- could win at major championships. Until then, Gong will have to ters grow to shoulder this responsi- So now when I keep trying, I will not count on the company of coaches, bility. And, after all, who wouldn’t compete for my personal goals, I teammates and competitors. New want to win more Olympic medals?” will fight for the honor of our Zealander Valerie Adams, who won Buoyed by her Tokyo heroics, nation.” bronze in Tokyo, is a longtime rival Gong is relishing the prospect of of Gong’s, often beating the Chinese taking on competitors almost half No pain, no gain star to gold at major champion- her age in Paris. Glory, however, has not come ships. However, the two still consid- “Just think, if I keep trying until easy for Gong. Struggling with knee er each other good friends, with the the Paris Olympics, I will probably and waist injuries, she admitted she Kiwi giving Gong a big hug after need to compete with teenagers found her extended preparations stepping off the podium in the Japa- when I become 35 or 36 years old. for Tokyo extremely wearisome at nese capital. That’s really hard. In the past, I times. “We have competed against each always thought that 28 might be the “Mentally, I felt very frustrated other since 2007. And for more than golden age of a shot putter,” she said. Gong Lijiao competes in the final of the women’s shot put at Tokyo 2020 on Aug 1. The 32-year-old won when I heard the Tokyo Olympics a decade, I had to witness her stand “But now I can still make break- her first Olympic gold medal at the Games and is already targeting more glory at the Paris Olympics in was postponed by a year. I had been on the highest podium again and throughs as a 32-year-old veteran. three years’ time. AP in great condition since early 2020, again,” said Gong. “As I improved, I So age is not a problem. Just like our throwing over 20 meters on several just wished one day she could see 100-meter sprinter Su Bingtian, he she can continue to dominate the ics on Weibo, including highlights at Rio 2016, before golds at the 2017 occasions. I felt I just need a compe- me win. is 31 and still managed to refresh his sport. Each of her five valid throws of her Tokyo 2020 final, TV inter- and 2019 world championships tition to win gold,” said Gong. “We chat every time we meet and personal best and set an Asian from six attempts in the Tokyo final views and funny moments in front established her as the sport’s domi- “The postponement of the Olym- hug each other. We have spent so record in Tokyo. was good enough for gold, with a of the cameras. nant force. pics was a huge blow to me. And much time together. Honestly, I “I will never say I’m old again. I’m personal-best 20.58m ultimately Gong competed at her first Olym- Gong told China Daily that she then after I had processed the news have spent more time with Valerie still young, and I have a heart of a earning her the title. pics at the 2008 Beijing Games. She was too young when she made her psychologically, my injuries than with my parents. I knew when young person. So now I’m changing Gong’s victory was China’s first- initially finished fifth but was later Olympic debut in Beijing, and her returned and troubled me. At the I finally won, she was truly happy my golden age from 28 to 35. And ever Olympic gold medal in a field upgraded to the bronze-medal posi- mindset has changed a lot over the worst time, my knee swelled up like for me… And if I have chance in the four years later, I will do this inter- event, propelling her to a whole tion after two athletes were disqual- years. a big steamed bun. future, I will go to New Zealand to view again. And then I will tell you new level of fame. By last Thurs- ified for anti-doping rule violations. “When I competed in 2008, I was “At that point, I thought I might visit her.” my golden age extends to 40!” day afternoon, for example, Gong After pocketing silver at London Gong has every reason to believe was the subject of 22 trending top- 2012, she could only manage fourth Hong Kong hero dreaming of Tian’anmen medal moment HONG KONG — “I want to visit Tian’anmen after the Tokyo Olym- pics”, Doo Hoi-kem said after win- ning table tennis team bronze for Hong Kong, China at the Games earlier this month. Her comments quickly went viral on social media, with the net- izens of Weibo greeting the 24-year-old with open arms — “No problem”, “Welcome to Beijing”. “When I got up the next day, my friends told me about that, and I was really surprised,” Doo told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. “The fans on Weibo are from all over the country, they welcomed me to visit their hometowns, it made me happy.” Doo said she has been to many mainland cities and has visited Tian’anmen Square several times. From left: Doo Hoi-kem, Lee Ho-ching, and Soo Wai-yam of Hong “But I still expect to visit Kong, China pose with their bronze medals from the table tennis Tian’anmen Square again, espe- team event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. AP cially to watch the flag-raising cer- emony in the morning, with my bles, and Doo admitted she was “After all, Team China is hard to medal,” she said. feeling the pressure at that point. beat,” she reasoned. Hong Kong defeated Germany “I burst into tears after the “Things went smoothly after to clinch a bronze in the women’s mixed doubles. We put a great deal that in the team event. Over the team event, with the mainland into it, but the result was a shock whole campaign, I rated myself team claiming gold ahead of to the system. My coach encour- between 80 and 90 percent. Japan. aged me, and then I adjusted my “We spent eight months training The medal was among a record state of my mind. It’s a real trea- on the mainland. It was not in total of six for Hong Kong at an sure knowing how to deal with vain. Olympics. pressure.” “The medal boosted my confi- Doo said she felt proud to stand Five years ago at the Rio Olym- dence. As for my dream, I often on the podium and sing the pics, Doo was utterly outclassed wanted to fight for an Olympic national anthem as the flags of against favorite Ding Ning, man- medal. To be honest, I didn’t China and the Hong Kong Special aging just 16 points over the believe I could make it, but it came Administrative Region were hoist- course of a four-set defeat.