On August 12, 2024, Beijing Time, the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded at the Stade de France. Throughout the event, athletes and representatives from Wuhan Sports University (WHSU) contributed to the Chinese delegation, embodying the Olympic spirit and demonstrating the values of Chinese sportsmanship. They demonstrated remarkable dedication, skill, and responsibility. Today, let’s look back at the past two weeks and relive the extraordinary moments when the WHSU community left their mark on the Paris Olympics!
WHSU Athletes Compete on the World Stage
Wang Zongyuan
On August 2, Beijing Time, in the men’s synchronized 3m springboard diving final at the Paris Olympics, Wang Zongyuan, a 2024 graduate student from WHSU’s School of Sports Training, partnered with teammate Long Daoyi to win the gold with a total score of 446.10. Later, on August 8, Wang secured a silver medal in the men’s 3m springboard individual final with a score of 530.20. Wang’s outstanding performance earned China a gold and a silver medal, marking a successful conclusion to his journey in Paris.
Cao Liguo
On August 7, Beijing Time, Cao Liguo, one of WHSU’s homegrown athletes, competed in the men’s Greco-Roman 60kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics. Facing Japan’s Kenichiro Fumita, Cao fought valiantly and secured a silver medal with a score of 1-4. His achievement is the best result for China’s men’s wrestling team in the Olympics since Chang Yongxiang’s silver in the 74kg category at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Pang Qianyu
On August 9, Beijing Time, in the women’s freestyle 52kg wrestling bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics, Pang Qianyu, a 2020 alumna of WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports, defeated Mongolia’s Batkhuyag with a score of 6-2. With a swift and dominant performance, Pang secured the bronze in just 1 minute and 5 seconds, contributing the fourth medal for the Chinese wrestling team at the Games.
Sun Yuewen
On August 8, Beijing Time, during the women’s 500m kayak four final at the Paris Olympics, Sun Yuewen, a high-level athlete and young faculty member from the School of Competitive Sports, teamed up with Li Dongyin, Yin Mengdie, and Wang Nan. The group finished fifth with a time of 1 minute 33.57 seconds, improving upon their sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics.
Wang Zifeng
On August 1, Beijing Time, during the women’s coxless four rowing final at the Paris Olympics, Wang Zifeng, a 2020 graduate student from WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports, together with her teammates Zhang Shuxian, Liu Xiaoxin, and Xu Xingye, finished sixth with a time of 6 minutes 36.18 seconds.
Luo Huan
On July 31, Beijing Time, at the Paris Olympics, Luo Huan, a gymnast and 2018 undergraduate from WHSU’s School of Sports Training, competed in the women’s gymnastics team final at Bercy Arena. Luo, along with her teammates Qiu Qiyuan, Zhou Yaqin, Ou Yushan, and Zhang Yihan, finished sixth with a team score of 162.131. Luo scored 13.933 on the uneven bars, 13.900 on the balance beam, and 13.166 on the vault.
Adilijiang Sulitan
On August 1, during the B final of the men’s double sculls rowing event at the Paris Olympics, Adilijiang Sulitan, a 2024 undergraduate from WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports, paired with Liu Zhiyu to finish 11th with a time of 6 minutes 21.98 seconds at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
Li Meng
On August 3, Beijing Time, during the final group stage match of the Chinese women’s basketball team at the Paris Olympics, Li Meng, a 2021 undergraduate from WHSU’s School of Sports Training, scored 18 points and tallied 7 assists despite playing with an injury. The team defeated Puerto Rico 80-58, securing third place in Group A.
Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan
On July 30, Beijing Time, during the men’s 80kg boxing preliminary round at the Paris Olympics, Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan, a 2021 undergraduate from WHSU’s School of Sports Training, faced Dominican boxer Pinales. Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan adjusted his tactics after an early setback and delivered several mid- to long-range strikes to Pinales’ head in the following round, briefly knocking his opponent to the ground. Despite this strong effort, he narrowly missed victory, showcasing a fighting spirit throughout the match.
Qiu Xiuping & Zou Jiaqi
On July 31, Beijing Time, at the Paris Olympics, in the C final of the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing event, Zou Jiaqi (2018 undergraduate) and Qiu Xiuping (2024 undergraduate) finished first in their group, ultimately placing 13th overall with a time of 7 minutes 7.55 seconds.
Lyu Huihui
On August 7, Beijing Time, in the women’s javelin qualification round at the Paris Olympics, Lyu Huihui, a lecturer at WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports, threw 59.37 meters. A veteran of four Olympic Games, Lyu set the Asian record in women’s javelin in 2019, embodying perseverance and resilience.
Chen Linlin
On August 6, Beijing Time, in her Olympic debut at the Paris Olympics, Chen Linlin, a 2022 undergraduate from WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports, competed in the mixed Nacra 17 sailing event and finished 14th. Competing on the Olympic stage for the first time, she showcased determination and the spirit of WHSU athletes, exemplifying the strength of WHSU in striving for national glory.
Coaches Uphold Dedication to Athlete Development
Zhang Hongwei (Coach from the School of Competitive Sports)
On August 8, Beijing Time, during the men’s double canoe 500m final at the Paris Olympics, Liu Hao and his teammate Ji Bowen won the gold medal with a time of 1 minute 39.48 seconds. In the preliminary round, the pair finished with a time of 1 minute 37.40 seconds, setting a new Olympic best time for the event. From 2008 to 2011, Liu Hao received professional and systematic canoe training at Wuhan Sports University. Under the careful guidance of Zhang Hongwei, a canoe coach at the university, Liu not only grew rapidly but also achieved excellent results in multiple competitions. In 2011, he successfully joined the Yunnan Provincial Canoe Team, marking the start of a new chapter in his professional career.
Zheng Pan (Coach from the School of Competitive Sports)
Zheng Pan, the head coach of the Greco-Roman wrestling team at WHSU’s School of Competitive Sports and a coach for China’s national wrestling team, served as the accompanying coach for men’s Greco-Roman wrestler Cao Liguo at the Paris Olympics. He developed a scientifically sound training plan for Cao, focusing on both technical refinement and psychological conditioning. During the competition, Zheng stood on the sidelines, carefully analyzing the opponents and making timely tactical adjustments. Thanks to his meticulous guidance, Cao Liguo achieved excellent results in the competition.
Lyu Gang (Coach from the School of Competitive Sports)
Lyu Gang served as the athletics coach at the Paris Olympics, accompanying women’s javelin thrower Lyu Huihui as her dedicated coach. Throughout the competition, Lyu was fully committed, closely monitoring the dynamics of the event and offering real-time, precise tactical advice to Lyu Huihui. His professional judgment and unwavering support laid a solid foundation for Lyu Huihui’s consistent performance during the competition.
WHSU’s Scientific Research Supports Olympic Success
Li Danyang (Teacher from the School of Competitive Sports)
The application of technology to make sports training more scientific has become a global consensus. For this edition of the Olympics, Li Danyang, as a member of the expert group supporting the national team’s preparation for the Paris Olympics, served as a physical training expert. He focused on assisting the national men’s 3x3 basketball team, participating in multiple training sessions on-site. Li provided professional insights on optimizing physical conditioning, transforming specialized abilities, preventing injuries, and using advanced technologies (such as neuroscience devices) to enhance athletes’ visual performance and alleviate neural fatigue. He also offered comprehensive evaluations of the national team’s fitness coaches. At the Paris Olympics, China’s men’s 3x3 basketball team achieved a historic breakthrough, finishing in 8th place.
Gao Ping (Teacher from the School of Sports Training)
Gao Ping led his team, leveraging the university’s expertise in sports training, to support the national taekwondo team’s Olympic preparations for four consecutive Olympic Games. At this year’s Olympics, the team was primarily responsible for analyzing how rule changes in taekwondo affected athletes’ tactical applications. They built a model of the competitive ability characteristics of elite taekwondo athletes under the new rules, diagnosed the physical fitness levels of key athletes, analyzed the technical and tactical characteristics of key opponents, and proposed targeted training strategies. Their efforts contributed to the Chinese taekwondo team winning one silver and one bronze medal.
Tian Houwei (Teacher from the School of Physical Education)
Tian Houwei and his team maintained close communication with the national badminton team and completed numerous high-quality scientific research tasks, contributing to the team’s excellent performance in major competitions. At this year’s Olympics, the research team collaborated with the chairman, vice-chairman, coaches, and athletes of the China Badminton Association to conduct in-depth discussions and provide detailed data analysis. This contributed to the Chinese badminton team winning two gold and three silver medals at the Paris Olympics.
Fair Officiating Showcases WHSU’s Excellence
Ruan Zhiyang (Teacher from the School of Physical Education)
Ruan Zhiyang served as a triathlon referee at this year’s Olympics. As a technical official for the wheel station, he officiated the men’s and women’s individual triathlon events on July 31 and the mixed relay on August 5. During the competition, he officiated with seriousness, fairness, precision, and accuracy, completing his tasks excellently. He also learned and mastered advanced international officiating concepts. On the world stage of the Olympics, Ruan Zhiyang showcased the excellence of Chinese referees and Chinese sports, earning social recognition for WHSU.
Zhu Linfang (WHSU Alumna)
Zhu Linfang, an Alumna from the 2000 class of WHSU’s Department of Sports Training, served as a taekwondo referee at this year’s Olympics. A former world champion in taekwondo, Zhu was also the only active-duty Chinese military officer among the taekwondo referees at the Paris Olympics. On the taekwondo stage in Paris, Zhu made decisive judgments and demonstrated professionalism with her superb officiating skills. She showcased the positive image of WHSU alumni, the excellence of Chinese referees, and exemplified the outstanding qualities of China’s military personnel.
Rehabilitation Team Ensures Athletes’ Health
Sports Rehabilitation Team from WHSU’s Affiliated Hospital
During the Olympics, the sports rehabilitation team from the Rehabilitation Medicine Department (Acupuncture Department) of WHSU’s affiliated hospital provided preventive and rehabilitative treatment for Liu Zhiyu, an athlete from China’s national rowing team, before, during, and after training to address sports injuries. By developing rehabilitation plans, treating acute injuries, and using equipment-assisted manual rehabilitation treatments, the team ensured Liu Zhiyu’s successful journey in Paris.
WHSU Volunteers Contribute Youthful Energy
Yan Feirong (Graduate Student from the School of Arts)
On July 23, Yan Feirong, a graduate student from WHSU’s School of Arts, went to Paris to volunteer at the China House during the Olympics. She participated in coordination, communication, and data collection tasks, showcasing China’s sports achievements to visitors from around the world and promoting the spirit of Chinese sports. Yan’s work also highlighted the youthful energy of WHSU students.
The 33rd Olympic Games have come to a close. On the field, WHSU athletes fought for their dreams and their country. Off the field, WHSU members contributed in various roles, showcasing their expertise and taking on responsibilities with pride. Regardless of their roles and outcomes, WHSU members were always actively involved on the Olympic stage, contributing WHSU’s strength to China’s Olympic cause!
