Tokyo (Japan), September 1: One gold, one silver and a new world record. That's the performance Zhu Dening managed to deliver at his Paralympic debut in Tokyo.
"I want to become a teacher after graduation. I want to share my experience as a Paralympian with more people and pass on the values of sportsmanship," said Zhu, a student athlete majoring in physical education at Jimei University in Xiamen.
Born in 1999 in southeast China's Fujian Province, Zhu, who has suffered from mild ataxia since childhood, moved to Xiamen with his parents at a young age.
In 2015, with the support of the Xiamen Disabled Persons' Federation, Zhu began to train in track and field with coach Yang Xiaoping. Since making his debut for China in 2018, Zhu has won championships at many levels.
At the 2018 Asian Games, Zhu notched three gold medals in the men's 100m T38, men's 200m T38 and men's long jump T37/38.
One year later at the World Championships in Dubai, Zhu pocketed two gold medals in the men's 100m T38 and men's long jump.
With the previous honor and glory, the 22-year-old, who ranks first in the world in the men's 100m and men's long jump, came to the Tokyo Paralympics with the ambition of winning two gold medals.
"He's in good shape," Yang said after their arrival in Tokyo. "We are expecting him to win gold or silver."
On August 28, Zhu claimed a silver medal in the men's 100m T38 after advancing to the final as the fastest in the heats. Despite not winning gold, his time of 11.00 seconds equaled his personal best.
Three days later, Zhu dominated the men's long jump T38 with 7.31 meters and broke the world record set by his compatriot Hu Jianwen in 2015.
"I am very excited to win a gold because this is a very big platform to stand on," Zhu said. "I was thinking of my country when standing on the podium. Without China's influence, I wouldn't have been standing there at all."
"I also want to thank my family and my coach Yang for all the support and inspiration through these years," he added.
Source: Xinhua