Former world Taekwondo champion and Olympic gold medalist Wu Jingyu of China finished third in the "Virtual Taekwondo" event in the Olympic Esports Series (OES) that concluded in Singapore on Sunday.

"It feels magical to compete in virtual taekwondo and I had fun doing it," Wu said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. "I hope the virtual technology can bring the fun of this sport to more people."

Though it has been nearly two years since Wu retired as an athlete, she still made excellent moves when she was competing on the stage wearing virtual reality (VR) gear.

"I have participated in four editions of Olympic Games. Though I have retired, I just love taekwondo," Wu said. "I have no pressure in esports events, so I can kick more freely. It feels really good."

Wu believes that virtual taekwondo creates an opening platform for people who want try it since there is no difference in gender, weight and age in the competitions. "People have more fun doing it. Meanwhile, virtual sports means it's not physical, so participants are a lot less likely to get hurt," Wu told Xinhua. "So, if you like taekwondo but don't get physical, it's a good option."

It took Wu some time and effort to learn how to make her moves in the VR world. "I hope they can make it simpler to learn and understand how to wear and adjust the gear," Wu said in the interview. "The system malfunctioned sometimes. I believe they will improve the sensors in the future for better experience of virtual taekwondo."

According to Wu, competing in the OES enabled her to meet a lot of old friends again and gave teenagers the chance to compete with the world's top athletes. "It may be a memorable moment in their life," she said.