China's rowing team, one of the most formidable in Asia, is rigorously preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympics in the northeast region of China. Training on the Hunhe River in Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province, the team is putting in relentless effort to ensure they are at peak performance.
Among the athletes, former Asian Games gold medalist Liu Zhiyu is set to partner with Adilijiang Sulitan from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the men's double sculls event. This marks the first Olympic appearance for the 24-year-old Adilijiang.
"I would say to myself that this is a very good opportunity. I just turned 24 and I want to give it my best shot," Adilijiang expressed with enthusiasm in an interview.
The pair aims to surpass the previous best of a bronze medal achieved in the men's double sculls at the Tokyo Olympics. Liu Zhiyu shared his optimism, stating, "We prepared quite well in Shenyang, and I recovered quite well from my back injuries and both of us practiced very hard. In a fortnight's time, if we can make it to the final, I think we have a good chance of standing on the awards podium."
In the women's quadruple sculls event, four female athletes are strong contenders for medals. This team, which has been rowing together for six years, set a new world record and won gold at the Tokyo Olympics with a time of 6 minutes and 5.13 seconds. Their goal in Paris is to defend their championship, despite facing new challenges.
Lv Yang, a member of the women's team, highlighted the difficulties they now face, "From Tokyo to Paris, the four of us now actually face more difficulties. First, we are getting older and we have to cope more with injuries. But on the other hand, we are also more calm and stable."
Zhang Ling added, "We'll be able to resist pressure better. After all, we've been working together for so long. Whether it's racing or training, as long as we're on the same boat, we'll trust each other."
Despite being a rising star, China's rowing team is aware of the traditional strength of European teams. The UK and Holland are seen as their biggest rivals.
Chen Yunxia commented on their strategy, "We will put more focus on our opponents. That's because now a lot of international teams are watching us and trying to figure out how to surpass us. And the opponents are also getting stronger."
Cui Xiaotong emphasized the uncertainty and determination that comes with competition, "The chances of winning or losing are 50-50. We don't know the result until the last minute. So, all we can do is try to do our best every day and give our best shot at the Games."
The team plans to arrive in Paris about a week before the Olympics to adjust to the local conditions and continue their training.
