by sportswriters Yao Youming and Wei Jingyu
HANGZHOU, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — Standing on prime of the rostrum on the Hangzhou Asian Games, China’s Olympic gold-winning canoeists Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya have set their sights on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Xu and Sun, gold medalists on the Tokyo Olympic Games, clocked two minutes and 1.409 seconds to bag a gold within the girls’s C2 500 of canoe dash on the Hangzhou Asiad right here on Monday.
After triumphing on the Olympic Games, Asian Games and China’s National Games, the duo seems to be ahead to dealing with the challenges forward at Paris 2024.
Since the 2019 World Championships, they’ve received each main race, together with their third straight victory within the C2 500 occasion within the 2023 version of the worlds. The duo additionally competed in a World Cup sport on September 1 within the venue of Paris 2024 and powered their method to the highest of the rostrum.
“Achieving these positive outcomes we have today, it requires several generations’ of work. Salutations to my coaches and every member on my team,” Xu stated.
The Chinese canoe group began utilizing a extra superior particular bodily coaching system in 2006, which not solely served to boost the bodily situation of the athletes, but in addition can successfully assist them cut back their accidents.
Many athletes, together with Xu, Sun, and others, are benefiting from the system.
Xu as soon as retired in 2013. The 31-year-old made a rapid comeback after the ladies’s canoe returns to the Olympic program earlier than Tokyo 2020.
“Xu needed to make more sacrifices as a female veteran in order to maintain her world-class level,” Li Xin, deputy supervisor of the Chinese canoe group, informed Xinhua.
Since the pair was established, they’ve change into nice pals.
“I have an outstanding partner. We complement each other not only in ages, but also in personalities. I think that’s our advantages,” Xu stated.
In her opinion, defending the title is tougher than successful it.
“Our main purpose of this competition is to conclude this year on a high note and lay a solid foundation for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. To defend our Olympic title, we have to keep improving,” stated Xu.
Despite reaching a grand slam, the duo has left their glories behind to look into the long run.
“We will face a tough competition in Paris, but we are afraid of no one,” Xu added.