BEIJING, July 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chinese national
gymnastics team, one of China's
"dream teams" in the Olympic Games, unveiled the squad for the
Paris Olympics in mid-June, with 10 athletes and seven reserves
competing in artistic gymnastics.
The team finished the Tokyo Olympics with three gold, three
silver and two bronze medals, bouncing back from a lackluster
performance at the Rio de Janeiro
Games in 2016, when they earned only one silver and one bronze
medal.
Building on their performance at the Tokyo Olympics three years
ago, the team is determined to surpass their previous
achievements.
However, at the most recent World Artistic Gymnastics
Championships in 2023, the Chinese team won only two gold, three
silver and two bronze medals. But none of these gold medals came
from the event which is traditionally considered the most important
for the national team.
In this installment of the Road to Paris series, Global Times reporter Lu Wenao
offers insight into the Chinese artistic gymnastics squad that
bears China's gold medal
hopes.
As the team events in the men's and women's competition test the
full squad depth of a country's artistic gymnastics, the Chinese
team always prioritizes the team championship as their most
important goal in major competitions.
Lu Bin, a deputy team leader of the national artistic gymnastics
team, said during an opening training session on June 28 that the goal of the national team is to
perform better than at the Tokyo Olympics.
"At least we should not perform worse than then," Lu told
reporters.
Men's team aims higher
The men's team, strengthened by the emergence of all-around
gymnast Zhang Boheng, aims for gold in the team event, while the
women's team targets a podium finish, with hopes of clinching
titles in the balance beam and uneven bars.
The last time the Chinese men's team won the team gold at the
Olympics was at the 2012 London Olympics. At the Rio and Tokyo
Olympics, the team won bronze medals.
Although team captain Xiao Ruoteng remains in good form,
especially after a stellar performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games
in 2023, he has been overshadowed by younger teammate and
all-around gymnast Zhang Boheng.
Xiao, who is set for his second Olympics, has spoken about the
intense training phase in which the team is currently engaged.
"The recent training has reached a critical stage, and everyone
is pushing hard. The entire team is simulating competition
scenarios and engaging in intense routine training," Xiao told
reporters recently.
"Our goal is, of course, the gold medal. The lineup of the
Chinese men's team is not much different from the Tokyo Olympics,
and our experience is one of our advantages."
Zhang, who narrowly missed the Tokyo Olympics lineup,
demonstrated his potential and talent in the all-around events,
leading to his selection over Lin Chaopan, a two-time Olympic
bronze medalist with the men's team.
Zhang's prowess was evident when he defeated the Tokyo Olympics
all-around champion, Japan's
Daiki Hashimoto, to win the world
championship in 2021. Since then, the rivalry between Zhang and
Hashimoto has been a central theme in major competitions.
Zhang's rise has undoubtedly bolstered the overall strength of
the Chinese team in the team event. However, an injury to Zhang's
lower back during training after the Asian Games hampered his
performance in the winter training season and the 2024 national
championships.
"Zhang is still affected by his injury, but he is trying his
best to keep up with the team's pace," Lu said.
The individual all-around event is expected to see another round
of intense competition between Zhang and Hashimoto, with the former
eager to cement his role in Paris
after three years of preparation and training.
The squad depth of the men's team also indicates the athletes'
prospects in certain individual events. Parallel bars, rings and
the all-around are key areas in which they aim to win gold.
Zou Jingyuan, the reigning Olympic champion in parallel bars,
has consistently performed at a high level, with his techniques
being regarded as textbook examples. He emphasized the importance
of individual performance in the team event.
"In gymnastics, it's often about competing with yourself. The
key to winning in the team event is to perform our routines well,"
Zou said. "My goal for the parallel bars is definitely the gold
medal. It's about sticking to daily training and delivering on the
competition floor."
He also highlighted the importance of focusing on their own
performance, especially in the face of strong competition from
Japan. "The Japanese men's team
has high difficulty routines, good execution and a high success
rate. We still need to focus on ourselves, do our best, and not let
down our efforts throughout this long preparation time," Zou
said.
Liu Yang, the Olympic champion in
still rings, aims to defend his title. He is also determined to
contribute to the team's success.
"All of us are aiming for the team championship, which is the
motivation for me to keep training," Liu said. "I want to win the
team gold first and then focus on the individual events."
He acknowledged that he is not in his best form yet, but he is
confident in his preparation and hopes to peak at the right time
during the Olympics.
Women's team seeks podium finishes
Compared with the male athletes' six-medal winning performances
at the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese female artistic gymnasts won
only one gold and one silver medal in balance beam and even these
were attained by now retired Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing.
However, with the development and progress of young talents like
17-year-old Qiu Qiyuan and 19-year-old Zhou Yaqin, the team's
overall strength has improved, bringing strong gold medal prospects
in the uneven bars and balance beam.
Qiu showed her outstanding skills and mature mentality through
her performance at her maiden world championship appearance in
2023, winning the uneven bars. Her fourth-place finish in the
individual all-around at 2023's worlds also gave her a significant
confidence boost and motivation in the sport.
First-time Olympian Qiu Qiyuan is focused on perfecting her
routines.
"My goal is to stand on the highest podium, raise the national
flag, and play the national anthem in Paris," she said.
"The Olympics come once every four years, so the opportunity is
precious. The key is to stay calm and perform steadily."
Qiu's main competitor in uneven bars at the Paris Olympics is
likely to be Algeria's
Kaylia Nemour, who boasts multiple
titles in this year's gymnastics World Cup series.
"I think she [Nemour] is a respectable opponent with impressive
and challenging routines, but I am confident that I can beat her
again," Qiu said.
Zhou is another key contender for gold in the women's balance
beam. She won the silver medal in the balance beam at the 2023
worlds, coming in second to 23-time world champion Simone Biles of the US. However, Zhou is
optimistic about her chances this time.
"Biles' balance beam routine is very clean, but I believe I have
a chance to beat her. I need to improve the stability and quality
of my routine," Zhou told reporters at the training session.
A realistic goal for the women's team in the team event is to
return to the world top tier. But this is no easy task, as the
Biles-led US team has dominated the team event in recent major
international competitions.
Zhou highlighted the women's team's primary objective of winning
a team medal.
"Our main goal is to fight for a podium finish in the women's
team event. Everyone is working hard to achieve this," Zhou told
reporters.
"Recently, I've been focusing on improving the quality of my
floor exercises, the stability and execution of my balance beam
routines, and enhancing my vault and uneven bars skills. I hope to
be ready to step up whenever the team needs me.
Chinese female gymnastics veterans such as Ou Yushan and Luo
Huan provide assurance to the team. Born in 2000 and known for her
versatility across all four events, Luo has become the eldest
member of the squad. Meanwhile, Ou, with her experiences gained
from the Tokyo Olympics, is the most seasoned competitor on the
team.
The Chinese men's team is set to leave for Paris on July
17, with the women's team following a day later, as the
artistic gymnastics competitions run from July 27 to August 5. Upon arrival, they will
undergo a brief training camp in a small town 300 kilometers from
Paris to acclimate and adjust
their routines before moving into the Olympic Village in
Paris.
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SOURCE Global Times