03:25
One of the gymnasts who turned heads in Qatar was Lee Chih-kai of Chinese Taipei, as he claimed bronze in the pommel horse on Friday, just two-tenths of a point behind the winner, China's Xiao Ruoteng. But despite missing out on gold, the 22-year-old's performance still earned the island's second-ever medal at the World Championships. Zhu Xuesong has the story from Doha.
Lee Chih-kai was one of the last three men standing in the pommel horse final. He was the eighth and last qualifier for this event, after botching his dismount in the preliminaries, but executes a dazzling routine when it matters most. Spinning, rotating, and landing solidly, the 22-year-old does not disappoint the crowd, as his score of 14.966 is good enough to clinch the bronze medal.
LEE CHIH-KAI CHINESE TAIPEI GYMNAST "I am very happy with my result here. The bronze medal marks an important moment in my life, but my routine was not perfect, so I can learn from my mistakes at these World Championships, and make sure my next performance is better."
Lee got into gymnastics when he was just six years old, and shot to fame as a child due to his role in the 2005 documentary, "Jump! Boys", which follows a coach training seven youngsters in Taiwan's Yilan County. The only member of the group still competing in the sport eventually made it all the way to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, but was unable to reach the final. He continued to persist, however, and won gold in the pommel horse at this summer's Asian Games, before following up with bronze at the World Championships.
LEE CHIH-KAI BRONZE MEDALIST • MEN'S POMMEL HORSE "In previous years, I was not that experienced in international competition, and I had to slowly accumulate experience. This is my first time to qualify for a final at the World Championships. I think this competition is a good platform for me to see my efforts acknowledged, and I also learned how to achieve my goals, step by step."
The man behind Lee's success is his coach from the documentary, Lin Yu-hsin, and the addition of the Thomas Flair as a signature trick, arose from one of his ideas.
LEE CHIH-KAI ASIAN GAMES CHAMPION • MEN'S POMMEL HORSE "My coach has accompanied me for more than 10 years. Frankly speaking, the relationship between us is like father and son, and my achievements also stem from his diligence. I want to thank him."
Lim was once a gymnast himself, but when he could not realize his dreams of earning international glory, he dedicated his life to training younger generations. His experience is further reflected in the inspirational 2011 film, "Jump Ashin!", which tells the story of a boy whose rough-and-tumble life turns around, after he takes up gymnastics.
LIN YU-HSIN CHINESE TAIPEI COACH "It is gymnastics that brought me back to a normal life. It is gymnastics that saved me from derailing. That is why I want to give back. This is my original intention."
The movie series continued to follow Lin and Lee in the trilogy's finale, "Jump! Men", which goes behind the scenes of their quest to reach Rio 2016. And while the duo got a taste of the Olympics two years ago, they both believe the journey is not yet complete.
ZHU XUESONG DOHA "It takes more than 15 years for Lee Chih-kai to earn a medal at the Worlds. His success describes the development of Chinese Taipei's gymnastics. But for Lee, and his coach, this is just the beginning. In store for them is the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Zhu Xuesong, CGTN, Aspire Dome, Doha."