A GREAT LUNGE FORWARD

Reaching the top podium seemed unrealistic for young Chinese foil fencer Huang Qianqian before the start of the 19th Asian Games. So, after pocketing both the women's individual and team gold medals in Hangzhou, the 21-year-old is daring to dream even bigger.

"I'm so happy to achieve something here in Hangzhou. I've had a really special experience and this victory gives me more confidence. It's just an unbelievable moment in my career, a dream come true," she said.

"In terms of the Olympics I just want to go as deep as I can in the draw."

Huang first shot to prominence in Hangzhou when she ousted 2018 Asiad team gold medalist Sera Azuma of Japan in a thrilling quarterfinal, 11-10. Huang immediately became a trending topic on social media, with the hashtag "Chinese fencer roars after final hit" viewed around 60 million times in a week, with many fans commenting on Huang's gutsy performance.

In the gold-medal match she defeated another Japanese star, Yuka Ueno, 15-8 to claim her first Asian Games title.

"I was nervous when the score was 10-10, but I just told myself to keep calm and think clearly about what I was going to do. So when I eventually overcame my rival and myself, I felt incredible," said Huang.

She was quick to pay tribute to her coach, Lei Sheng, a legendary Chinese foil fencer who won the men's individual foil gold at the 2012 London Olympics.

"He's a very gentle coach, and is very supportive when we encounter difficulties and always encourages us. As he's an Olympic champion, he always shares his own story to inspire us," said Huang.

"I was surprised when I was told that I would play in the individual competition. So, of course I was under pressure, but thanks to my coach, I got through it. Sometimes, I question myself too much, and it's my coach who always tells me to trust myself."

In Lei's eyes, Huang's never-say-die attitude made her a trustworthy pick for the big stage.

"Huang Qianqian is the kind of player who can always perform her best at major competitions. She has a big heart," said the coach.

"No matter how high the pressure is, she always displays her skills. The Chinese women's foil team as a whole is full of enthusiasm and positivity. The training and competition can be hard sometimes, but we always stick together."

Lei said that his team's results exceeded his expectations. China had been considered an underdog in the women's foil team competition in Hangzhou, so the gold medal came as a surprise to pretty much everyone.

"In terms of our overall strength, we could easily have left without any gold medals here. The Japanese squad is very strong in Asia," Lei added.

"The goal was to try our best to see if we could win any titles in Hangzhou. So it really is the perfect ending for us to win both the individual and team gold here in Hangzhou."

Like many other athletes at the Games, Lei has been impressed by the weight and size of the gold medals.

"Actually, it is the heaviest gold medal I have ever seen. The gold medals are of great importance to our team, and greatly boosted the confidence of the younger generation of fencers," Lei added.

"This victory shows that as long as you have enough heart and try your best, you can achieve what seemed to be impossible."

The two foil golds were the sum of China's fencing titles in Hangzhou, so the team believes there is still plenty of room for improvement.

"Actually, we should not consider ourselves to have an advantage in any discipline. We still need to catch up to the true powerhouses of the sport in Asia and the world," Wang Haibin, head coach of the Chinese fencing team, told Xinhua.

"During the Asian Games, we gave more chances to the younger generation of fencers. There were plenty of changes and new combinations. We were under pressure of course, and I hope our fencers can continue to handle the pressure and display their best on the big stage."

The biggest stage of all is the Olympics, and foil coach Lei has urged his squad to approach the Games with an "anything is possible" attitude.

"I think the most important thing for my team in Paris next year is to think less and try harder. The more mental burdens we have, the weaker we will perform," said Lei.

"We need to have a clear strategy, and our fencers need to execute it in the competitions. We need to have an underdog mentality to achieve what seems to be impossible.

"The Chinese fencing team should never be afraid of tough rivals. Our experiences here in Hangzhou have proved that. Until the last second of the competition, no one knows who will be crowned champion."