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Chinese aerials skier Xu Mengtao, who won the women's gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, joined CGTN Sports Scene's Shen Xiang to share her feelings on her career achievements and future aspirations.
It has been less than a year since Xu returned to the Chinese national team in April 2024. She has been performing well since that time, earning four gold medals with her teammates at the National Championships and National Cup, while also claiming gold at the Asian Cup.
"These achievements have helped me regain confidence in aerials, the event I am both skilled at and passionate about," Xu said.
She will participate in the upcoming ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, not only make the host country proud, but also as part of her preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
"The Harbin Asian Winter Games is an important part of our preparation for the Milan Winter Olympics," Xu added. "I will give it my all, and I am preparing for it step by step."
When Xu finished the final at the 2022 Winter Olympics and learned that she was headed to the top of the podium, she got very emotional and asked the crowd: "Am I the first? Am I No. 1?" That moment went hand-in-hand with the biggest achievement of her career.
"That moment was from the heart, spontaneous and uncontrollable," Xu said. "After 28 years, from my first encounter with sports at age 4 to winning gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics, my Olympic dream had been deeply embedded in my heart. That moment was an eruption, a release. It felt like all the hard work had finally paid off. Don't give up on your efforts. You never know when your hard work will pay off, but it will certainly come at the most critical moment. The success at the Beijing Olympics was fulfilling, a perfect conclusion, but it was also about making a choice – should we consider it the perfect ending, or should we set sail again?"
Despite being an Olympic gold medalist and a world champion, Xu is not necessarily the most confident athlete in her sport. But as time has passed, she has come to have more faith in herself.
"Xu Mengtao, you've worked hard, but it's all worth it," she said she would tell herself. "Where there's a will, there's a way. Sometimes, when I talk to myself, I feel a bit of pity for myself. I want to tell myself: You're truly amazing. You're excellent, hardworking, bright and tough. You've done great – achieving more with your limited life. The future will be even more wonderful and you will provide even greater value to society. This journey has been worth it and the best is yet to come. A happy life awaits you – take care of your health, maintain a positive mindset, love yourself, love your family, love society and love everyone who has supported, helped and encouraged you, especially your fans and friends."