Quick rise of artistic gymnast Zhou Yaqin comes from solid work

Chinese artistic gymnast Zhou Yaqin was basically nobody until she won the balance beam gold medal at the country's National Games in northwest China's Shaanxi Province in September 2021.

Six of the eight athletes in the event's final in the Chinese National Games in 2021 were national team members. Zhou, 15, was not one of them, but she was the champion in the end. Some thought she won it because of good luck because even the best may fall off the beam. However, Zhou continued to defy doubters with her performance in the following years.

"I knew I was competing with national champions, world champions and Olympic gold medalists. I knew I have to work hard because National Games championship is not a big deal in the national team.””

Having been recruited by the Chinese national team, Zhou reached the finals of both the balance beam and floor at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2023. She secured the balance beam silver medal.

In order to perform at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Zhou participated in the Chinese National Artistic Championships in Zhaoqing, south China's Guangdong Province, in April. Not only did she win the balance beam gold medal, she also upgraded her difficulty-score to 7.2, the most difficult balance beam routine in the world during the 2024 Olympiad and finished with 15.466 points.

"Zhou is a typical Hunan girl who's always demanding of herself," Zhou's coach Wang Liming said. "She's hungry for success. That's a key part of her career."

Not many knew how much Zhou had to overcome to become who she is today. For example, a week before the National Games balance beam final, she was still struggling with injuries and came close to retiring. However, she didn't quit and won the title to secure her qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympics in the end.

"I like my current form," Zhou said. "I'm in good form and all I need is a bit of adjustment. So, I hope that I can maintain this mindset when I perform at the Olympic Games."