Wu Dajing of Team China wins the short track speed skating 2000-meter mixed relay gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Capital Indoor Stadium, in Beijing, February 6, 2022. /CFP
Wu Dajing, who won the gold medal for China in the short track speed skating 2000-meter mixed relay event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, said he will make a full plan for the next four years to avoid Olympic regrets.
In an interview with The People's Daily newspaper, Wu admitted that he had some regrets in the individual event at the Beijing 2022, but added that he is proud to contribute to winning the first gold for Team China.
"I will spend the next four years working hard to turn the regrets in this edition of the Winter Olympics into motivation, so I won't have any regrets in the next edition of the Winter Games," he said.
Four years is a long time but Wu said he will work with coaches and other experts to make a complete and detailed plan to keep injuries away while improving his skills.
Wu received a golden "Bing Dwen Dwen," the mascot for Beijing 2022, along with the gold medal he won at the Winter Olympics. This week, he decided to put the souvenir up for auction.
Wu Dajing (R) of Team China competes in the short track speed skating men's 500-meter event at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Capital Indoor Stadium, in Beijing, February 13, 2022. /CFP
"Bing Dwen Dwen is for medalists at the 2022 Winter Olympics and it means a lot to me because I got it at home," Wu said. "But to me it's nothing more than an Olympic mascot. I think it's more meaningful than that. I hope I can, together with Bing Dwen Dwen, help more people in need through the auction. I hope the funds raised can not only help those in need, but also contribute to the winter sports programs for youngsters in China."
After the 2022 Winter Olympics, Wu has worked with Chinese short video app Douyin to present a livestreaming show, "Wu Dajing's Chatroom," in which he interviews other athletes.
When asked why he decided to give show hosting a try, Wu said he wanted to show the audience different aspects of the lives of professional athletes.
L-R: Fan Kexin, Ren Ziwei, Qu Chunyu, Wu Dajing and Zhang Yuting of Team China celebrate winning the short track speed skating 2000-meter mixed relay gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Capital Indoor Stadium, in Beijing, February 6, 2022. /CFP
"Personally I think most people only see what we look like while competing at the Olympic Games," Wu said. "I want to share with my audience more stories about athletes during the Summer and Winter Olympics, like how we get ready and other interesting facts."
Wu had never worked as a host before. "In the first two episodes, I often couldn't find my camera," he told People's Daily. "When the conversations got really excited, I just threw away the prepared script. In the following episodes, I just didn't prepare any script at all."
Wu said Su Bingtian, who made history by making the men's 100-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics, was his most impressive guest. "We have a lot in common in both competitions and personal life. So we have a lot to talk about," Wu said.