Hangzhou: Champion women’s shot putter Lijiao Gong twice finished outside the medals bracket, at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and on both occasions she was upgraded to the medal bracket. That makes it three Olympic medals out of four Games. The defending champion from Tokyo, where she threw 20.58, continued her stunning domination at the Asian Games as she won a third straight gold medal.
At 34, she may not be able to throw 200 times a day during training but her focussed training and stress on technique means the star athlete, daughter of farmer parents from Luquan district in Hebei Province, will be gunning for the magical 21-metre mark at the French capital next year. In an exclusive interview with the AAA website, Lijiao, who is also the vice president of the Chinese Athletics Association, said she was happy to bag China’s 12th straight gold medal in women’s shot put at the Asian Games watched by her young nephew. One of China’s top stars, Lijiao wants to complete her dream. Excerpts from an interview.
Q. Can you tell our readers about your performance at the Asian Games, and what this gold medal means for you in front of your home fans?
The Asian Games competition was the end of my 2023 season. With a throw of 19.58 meters I was able to achieve my third Asian Games gold medal and the 12thconsecutive gold for the Chinese women’s shot put team. This competition brought me both gains and regrets. From the 2010 Guangzhou to the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, 13 years have gone by in a flash. With age catching up, training becomes more and more difficult, so I need to work harder and harder. I will stick to the end, enjoy every game, because of my shot put. Thanks to all my friends and fans for supporting and accompanying me along the way.
Q. Was there anyone from your family at the Olympic stadium to watch your performance?
In this competition, my young nephew, Zedong Gong, came to cheer me on behalf of my family. He has also become a male shot putter under my influence. I hope that he will also keep his love, keep improving and realize his dream.
Q. How was your preparation and your fight with Jiayuan Song?
We are teammates and sisters. Jiayuan and I have been preparing for the Asian Games at the Beijing Sport University. We have a common goal for the competition, which is to raise the national flag and play the national anthem in the international arena. This time we harvested the first and second place in the women’s shot put and accomplished this goal together.
In the daily training, we encourage each other, motivate each other. I am very optimistic about the future development of Jiayuan, and also hope that as an older sister, I can set a good example for her. Together we will strive to play for love and for the honor of our motherland.
Q.What is the target for the coming years? For how long,do you want to continue?
My goal is to break the 21 meters mark. For me, every throw in my career is one more point of perseverance for the love of it. I hope that I will continue to move forward towards my goal, and I also hope that my love and perseverance will motivate more young athletes to hold on to their dreams and fight relentlessly. I look forward to seeing you in Paris for the Olympics.
Q. Tell us about your hometown, family and your career path. The story of how became a World and Olympic champion.
My hometown is a beautiful village in Luquan District, Shijiazhuang City in Hebei Province. My parents are simple farmers. When I was a child, I was very strong and loved sports, because of a coincidence I was selected by the coach to join the school track and field team, and began to train for the shot put. All the way from the school team to the provincial team and then to the national team, so far I have been engaged in the shot put this sport for 22 years. 22 years through my persistence and hard work, I realized one goal after another, but also encountered a lot of difficulties and setbacks. It is the love of shot put that brings me unparalleled determination and courage.
I realized my dream of becoming an Olympic champion in Tokyo. For me, being the champion is never the end, my ultimate dream is 21 meters, so I will continue to work hard, stick to the end, and complete my dream!
