Olympic medalist rededicates herself to sports mission

Attending the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has given Gong Lijiao more determination to continue her sports life.

Gong, a shot-putter from Hebei province and a delegate to the congress, said the report delivered on Sunday deepened her sense of responsibility to advance the mission of sports, Hebei Daily reported.

Gong, who has been dedicated to her athletic specialty for more than 20 years, won her first Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It was China's first Olympic gold in field events.

"The report mentioned that our country will promote all-around development of recreational and competitive sports and move faster to build China into a strong sports country. It pointed the direction for sports development," Gong was quoted as saying.

She attributes the success to her country. "Thanks to the strong support of our country, I can still maintain a high level of competitiveness in my 30s," she said.

Inspired by the report, Gong set two goals for herself.

"For one, I will stimulate students' interest in sports and promote the healthy development of youth sports in Hebei. At the same time, I will support more gifted children's participation in competitive sports," she said.

"Second, I will continue being a shot-putter as long as our country needs me."