BUDAPEST, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — China’s Olympic champion Gong Lijiao says she goes all out for her third ladies’s shot put world title within the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which opens on August 19.
The 34-year-old did not defend her title final yr in Oregon as Chase Ealey threw 20.49 meters to safe gold for the United States, leaving Gong to accept a silver with a throw of 20.39 meters.
“I want to take back what I lost last year,” mentioned Gong earlier than coming to Budapest, including that her purpose is to surpass 20.50 meters.
Gong is essentially the most adorned athlete within the line-up, based on World Athletics. In 2017, she took her first world title in London on her sixth World Championships look, and retained the title two years later in Doha. She additionally delivered China’s first Olympic gold in area occasions at Tokyo 2020 with a private better of 20.58 meters, and has a complete of 12 world medals to her identify.
This yr, Gong made the world’s second-best mark of 20.06 meters after recovering from a tricky time throughout the winter coaching session.
“My waist injuries had been bothering me. My daily life was affected, as well as training,” mentioned Gong. “Injuries and age are the greatest challenges to me. When I was young, I could come back to good form quickly after high-intensity training. But now, I have to answer the questions that my body poses me.”
Gong’s performances within the area, nevertheless, proved that she continues to be one of many favorites on the World Championships. She opened her season with a world-leading mark of 19.30 meters to take victory within the first leg of the Chinese Throws Meeting, and swept 5 extra golds within the following home competitions.
In Budapest, she is going to face the U.S. duo Ealey and Maggie Ewen. Ealey tied with Gong within the season’s finest with 20.06 meters, whereas Ewen is the present world chief as she threw 20.45 meters in May. The trio will meet one another within the ladies’s shot put qualifiers on August 26.
Despite the challenges, Gong says she has confidence in herself.
“After a period of adjustment, I’m in good condition right now,” mentioned Gong. “I haven’t reached my limit yet. To throw over 21 meters is my ultimate dream, but maybe not this time, [at the 2024 Paris Olympics] perhaps,” she added.
Gong shall be joined by 40 teammates from China on the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the place greater than 2,100 athletes from over 200 groups will compete from August 19 to 27.