Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Sports
Home / Sports / Olympic Games

The girl with the world at her feet

For eight years Wen Xiaoyan has dominated T37 sprinting and long jump

By LI YINGXUE | China Daily | Updated: 2024-09-18 08:51
Share
Share - WeChat
Wen Xiaoyan (left) celebrates with her teammates after winning gold and posting a new world record in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games mixed 4x100m universal relay. [Photo/Xinhua]

If Wen Xiaoyan reflects on her journey at the Paris Paralympics, it must feel like deja vu, over and over again.

Competing in four events, Wen captured gold in each, setting new Paralympic records along the way. Amid thunderous cheers at the Stade de France, her signature crescent-shaped smile and the dimple on her cheek became familiar sights on the podium.

The first day of competition saw rain in Paris, leaving the stadium's purple track damp. But that didn't hinder Wen, who cruised to victory in the women's 200m T37 final, falling just 0.11 seconds short of her own world record.

In the following days, clear skies and sunshine returned to Paris.

However, on the morning of the women's 100m T37 final, the heavens opened once again and the temperature dropped — eerily reminiscent of the earlier conditions. Yet, once more, Wen surged ahead, crossing the finish line with a commanding lead and setting another Paralympic record.

The downpour did nothing to diminish the energy of the spectators, whose loud cheers spurred Wen on. "The atmosphere in France is incredible. I didn't want to let down a single smiling face in the crowd," she said.

Wen also praised the stadium's purple track. "It's such a soothing color — not too harsh, but soft and powerful at the same time," she said. "Running on it makes you feel relaxed, even in a high-stakes race.

"I think this purple track has a little bit of magic," she added.

Holding world records in the 100m T37, 200m T37, and long jump T37, Wen dominated all three events in Paris.

In the long jump, although her final leap was disqualified due to a foul, it unofficially surpassed her previous world record.

She also redeemed herself after her relay disqualification in Tokyo by helping the Chinese team win gold in the mixed 4x100m universal relay. And, with the team clocking in at 45.07 seconds, she added another world record to her collection — the perfect end to her stellar Paris performance.

"Tokyo's disappointment fueled my drive to keep pushing forward," she said.

"In our relay team, I had the slowest time, so my goal was to pass the baton smoothly and give my teammates as much of an advantage as possible. Running curves has never been my strength, so over the past few years, I've dedicated a lot of training to perfecting it."

For Wen, the Paralympics aren't just about gold medals. "Participating in the Paralympics is about realizing my own personal value and showcasing the progress of China's Paralympic sports," she said.

Beyond the gold medals and accolades, the Paralympics brought Wen something unexpected: a close friendship with American athlete Jaleen Roberts, her fellow competitor and fierce rival in the women's long jump T37. Wen claimed gold, Roberts took silver, and the two became unlikely friends.

"We're only a year apart in age, and compete in the same category. We first met at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London," Wen recalled.

The pair reunited at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, where Roberts struggled during the long jump final. Wen, ever the motivator, approached her and said: "Relax, reset, give it another go!" Roberts rallied, securing the silver medal. Since then, every time they meet, Roberts greets her with a warm embrace.

Three years later, at the Paris Paralympics, their friendship has deepened.

1 2 Next   >>|

Most Popular

Highlights

What's Hot
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 久久不见久久见免费影院www日本| 国产精品久久久久久久久| 久久香蕉国产线看精品| 里番acg全彩本子同人视频| 嫩草影院精品视频在线观看| 亚洲福利一区二区| 国产一区二区三区乱码网站| 无码人妻精品丰满熟妇区| 人欧美一区二区三区视频xxx| 在线天堂av影院| 日本免费人成视频播放| 亚洲欧美日韩一区在线观看| 成人浮力影院免费看| 成人黄页网站免费观看大全| 亚洲精品成人区在线观看| 欧美成视频无需播放器| 成年片人免费www| 亚洲精品www| 美女把腿扒开让男人桶免费| 国模杨依粉嫩蝴蝶150P| 九色综合九色综合色鬼| 精品国产日韩亚洲一区91| 国产日韩欧美不卡在线二区| 东京热加勒比无码少妇| 日韩精品第1页| 免费在线视频你懂的| 亚洲精品aaa| 大片毛片女女女女女女女| 久久精品国产亚洲精品| 看免费毛片天天看| 国产真实乱在线更新| 两个人www免费高清视频| 日韩精品免费一区二区三区| 亚洲欧美另类自拍| 韩国xxxx69| 在线观看视频日韩| 久久成人免费大片| 狠狠爱无码一区二区三区 | 亚洲日本一区二区三区在线不卡| 韩国高清在线观看| 天天干天天射综合网|