HANGZHOU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — China’s canoeist Xie Maosan claimed the primary gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games on Monday when she received the ladies’s KL1 canoe closing in 55.478 seconds.
Monika Seryu from Japan secured the silver in 1 minute 7.802 seconds and Iran’s Sara Abdolmaleki took the bronze in 1 minute 13.594 seconds.
“I’m extremely thrilled to have won this gold medal. It’s an honor to bring glory to my homeland,” mentioned the 37-year-old Xie.
When Xie Maosan was admitted to the nationwide canoeing crew, she was 29 years outdated. With an unyielding spirit and willingness to endure hardships, she lastly stood on the highest podium.
“As for me, canoeing is a rebirth, it gave me confidence and a new life,” mentioned Xie.
Xie’s coach Li Daiyuan mentioned, “Xie is very determined and isn’t afraid of hardships or exhaustion. Even when she feels discomfort in her back during training, she insists on completing the training tasks.”
Xie, who completed fifth within the girls’s KL1 canoe closing on the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, revealed her plans to win a medal at subsequent yr’s Paris Paralympics.
“I will try my best to raise our national flag on the international stage,” she mentioned.
In immediately’s different canoe finals, Chinese paddlers Yu Xiaowei and Zhong Yongyuan received the silver medals within the Men’s KL1 and Women’s VL3 respectively.
KL1 is for paddlers with extremely affected motion within the trunk and legs. VL3 is for paddlers with full operate of their arms and trunk, and partial operate within the legs.