Xu Shiyan, captain of China’s judo women’s team, is rewriting her Olympic story after a heartbreaking fifth-place finish at Tokyo 2020. The 27-year-old powerhouse tearfully vowed to return stronger after her defeat—and she’s kept that promise through grit, coaching changes, and relentless self-improvement. 💪
Starting as a sparring partner, Xu rose to become a national team star. But her Tokyo setback hit hard. 'I doubted myself,' she told China Media Group, describing post-Olympic training slumps and mental battles. Yet her 'sponge-like' adaptability during coaching shifts—from Chinese to French, then Georgian trainers—helped refine her explosive stamina into sharper techniques. 🥋
Now, with Paris 2024 approaching, Xu focuses on mastering scoring strategies. Her journey from self-doubt to determination mirrors every athlete’s grind: raw emotion, reinvention, and eyes firmly on gold. 🌟 As she says: 'I will come back.' The world awaits her next throw.
