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In 2016, the village celebrated the return of an Olympic champion and the sound of firecrackers sounded in the sky, but compared with this grand event, Shi Zhiyong's family situation was extremely poor and emotional. Back in August 2016, Shi Zhiyong ushered in the peak moment of his life. He walked out of the arena with his flag raised, his forehead raised and full of confidence. For the young champion in his twenties, "confidence" is one of his most distinctive labels. He exudes an indomitable temperament.
However, when the champion returned to his hometown, the village had already prepared a grand celebration ceremony, but the plight of Shi Zhiyong's family made many people regret. His journey must have been full of ups and downs. Shi Zhiyong was born in 1993 in Wutong Town, Lingui District, Guilin City. Although the town is not well known in other ways, it has a strong heritage in weightlifting. Over the past six decades, weightlifters from the Lingui region have won more than 50 gold medals for the country, including three Olympic gold medals.
However, to say that this small place has a strong weightlifting atmosphere is not true. The strength of sports is often related to the level of economic development of the region, and Lingui has not developed too well for a long time, and it is surrounded by rugged mountain roads. For local young people, choosing sports seems to be the quickest way to get ahead.
In his youth, Shi Zhiyong, like many young people in Lingui, embarked on the road of weightlifting. Weightlifting is a very "cost-effective" project because it does not require specialized venues and expensive equipment, and training can even be started in the field. As long as the method is right, practice from a young age, even if the level is limited, you can achieve some results. Growing up in such a difficult environment, Shi Zhiyong's luck was relatively good.
When he was 11 years old, he met his benefactor, Li Dongyu, the coach of Zhejiang Ningbo Sports School. The coach was the apprentice of Olympic champion Tang Lingsheng, who accidentally discovered Shi Zhiyong's talent when he returned to his hometown to visit his relatives, and took him as an apprentice. This also means that Shi Zhiyong will be trained in a more professional environment.
Originally named Shi Lei, when he participated in the competition, it happened that another Shi Zhiyong from Longyan, Fujian Province, won the Olympic championship. To motivate himself, the young Shi Lei changed his name to Shi Zhiyong, and although the name caused him some trouble, he persevered because he believed that as long as he could get ahead, the discussion would gradually dissipate.
Diligent training has shaped Shi Zhiyong's self-confidence. In his daily training, he always pushes his limits, forming a calm and confident competitive state. At the end of 2015, at the World Weightlifting Championships in Houston, USA, Shi Zhiyong won the 69kg championship. The victory attracted an audience focused on his potential.
On August 10, 2016, Shi Zhiyong finally got his chance to perform, winning the 69kg final and winning the Olympic gold medal with a total of 325kg. Standing at the top of the Olympic podium, he fulfilled his dream. However, the road has not been easy. In his past life, he seemed to have no other life than training. But from then on, his life will change dramatically.
After returning to China, the media poured in, almost blocking Shi Zhiyong's life. However, although the post-90s generation is often considered a generation that pursues individuality, Shi Zhiyong has maintained his simplicity. The reporter recalled: "When interviewing Shi Zhiyong, the scene of him at the Rio Olympics resurfaced. In that race, the Turkish lifted 163 kilograms and narrowly ahead of Shi Zhiyong. At a critical juncture in the game, everyone held their breath, and the camera focused on a calm face, that is, Shi Zhiyong, who was only in his twenties. Apart from "calm," there are few other words to describe him. He lived up to expectations.
His coach and teammates also explained his secrets. In the past, many athletes would go outside to relax or taste good food after training, but Shi Zhiyong is different. He seems to have dedicated his life entirely to weightlifting, and he relentlessly pushes his limits whenever he has time.
On October 12, 2016, Wutong Town boiled again because Shi Zhiyong returned to his hometown. The villagers had already learned the news and were waiting for Shi Zhiyong's return. When Shi Zhiyong appeared, the sound of firecrackers barely stopped, and the people of his hometown were proud of him. Everyone rushed to take photos with him, and Shi Zhiyong also enjoyed this warm cheer. This is the result of his years of hard training, he is worthy of the name "Shi Zhiyong", and at this moment, he wants to tell his predecessors: "I did it." "
After returning to his hometown, the first thing Shi Zhiyong did was to find his grandfather. The old man sat at home, so excited that he couldn't speak, and Shi Zhiyong hung his Olympic gold medal around his grandfather's neck. Later, the reporter learned that his grandfather, who was in his nineties, got up at five o'clock in the morning and walked to the entrance of the village to welcome his grandson's return. When the gold medal hung around his neck, Grandpa repeatedly said, "Happy", he had not seen his grandson for more than three years.
For the "land of weightlifting", this is a blessing. Everyone had been busy since the afternoon before, slaughtering more than 20 pigs, preparing nearly 200 tables of banquets, and specially entertaining the guests who came to congratulate them. Such a grand scene is really emotional. From the photos later disclosed by the reporter, you can also see the situation of Shi Zhiyong's hometown. All the furniture is twenty or thirty years old, the wallpaper on the walls has fallen off somewhat, and Shi Zhiyong's bright red sportswear contrasts with the environment at home. Grandpa was wearing an old sweater, and everything was poignant. It is not difficult to imagine that choosing the road of weightlifting, Shi Zhiyong has had to make a desperate bet.
However, he never forgot his original self. Because of his youth, Shi Zhiyong saw the gold medal at the Rio Olympics as a new start in his life. He never lost sight of his original intention because of his momentary success, on the contrary, he positioned himself to a higher standard, constantly surpassed himself, and strived to achieve more in the field he loved.
After a brief appearance, Shi Zhiyong chose to "bring goods". On June 20, 2020, he appeared in JD.com's live broadcast room and introduced the audience to the specialties of his hometown, such as Guilin rice noodles and Lipu taro. Unlike advertising, he chose to promote products from his hometown. In just two hours of the live broadcast, his live broadcast room was as popular as 700,000, and the transaction amount exceeded 1.3 million. This not only allowed him to contribute to his hometown, but also reminded him of his childhood.
On July 28, 2021, Shi Zhiyong successfully defended his title in the 69kg final of the Tokyo Olympics, adding another gold medal to the Chinese Legion. The gold medal brought him three Olympic records and an overall world record. Spectators saw his confidence firsthand, saying: "As soon as I came to the game, I felt like a crazy person, they said I was a bison, a tiger. Although Shi's victory is widely believed to be "certain," he admits he feels more pressure than he did five years ago. However, in the match, he almost crushed his opponent. In a post-match interview, he shyly revealed his goal: "The first thing after winning the championship is to start a family. "
Sure enough, after the game, Shi Zhiyong confessed to his girlfriend for the first time, planning to complete his lifelong event after returning to China. On September 23, he successfully proposed to Chen Xiaodan, and two months later, they held a wedding in Xikou Township. After entering a new stage of life, Shi Zhiyong still forges ahead. Years of accumulation have made him like a fierce tiger, and people expect him to win glory for the country again in the next Olympic Games. Not only that, but he also continued to enrich himself, becoming the first doctoral student in the national weight team. At the graduate level, his subject was himself, and he even wrote a paper entitled "Biomechanical Analysis of Olympic Champion Shi Zhiyong's Classic Squat Jerk". During his doctoral career, he plans to combine technical means such as video and motion analysis to build models of individual jerks to provide theoretical support for subsequent technical improvement and training. Today, Shi Zhiyong is already a well-deserved "Dr. Shi".
He said: "I am by no means alone in the fight, many people are accompanying me, and I will definitely prepare for the Paris Olympics with firm conviction. "Even in the face of injuries, he did not give up and continued to work hard for the Olympics and the national team. His tenacity and self-confidence are the keys to his success. Now he also has more time to live, he loves to eat good food and loves fishing. Although he has achieved great things in the Olympic Games, he has not stopped, he continues to move forward and continue to strive for his dreams. This is Shi Zhiyong, a tenacious and confident weightlifting champion, a young man who constantly strives for excellence.
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