Gong Li (left) against Azerbaijani Irina Zaretska. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
On the evening of August 7, the Tokyo Olympics ended the karate women's 61 kg or higher competition, and China's Gong Li won a bronze medal in the semifinals. A bronze medal is not what Gong Li wants, she said she was too excited to play fully, and there was a chance to go up.
On the field
The semi-finals were too desperate to win and only played 60%
In this afternoon's karate women's 61 kg or more competition, Gong Li started with a loss, but finally completed the reversal in the situation of points and situation behind to advance to the semi-finals with Group B second, locking up a medal for the Chinese team.
In 2016, Gong Li came to Beijing from Fujian, when she already had a good karate foundation. In the view of Zhang Yongchun, the leader of the Beijing team, Gong Li's 4 group games today are getting better and better, "The first game against Egypt's Abdul Aziz, you can see that Gong Li is still a little nervous about participating in the Olympic Games for the first time." Zhang Yongchun said that Gong Li slowly adapted to the rhythm of the game in the next two games, and in the fourth game against iran players, she fully played her characteristics.
In tonight's semi-finals, Gong Li played against The first in Group A, Azerbaijan's Irina Zaretska, and finally stopped in the semi-finals 2-7. "There was a big problem in today's game, I wanted to win too much, I didn't play it, I only played almost 60%."
Gong Li revealed that the two have played each other 4 times before, winning two games each, and she also has a chance in this game, but she is too excited, "Today is not the state I want, in fact, I can go up a step." ”
Due to the problem of the competition, the women's karate team of the Tokyo Olympic Games only set up 3 sub-events, and the players over 61 kg concentrated on playing one level. Before this, Gong Li participated in the -68 kg class, and the Egyptian, Iranian and other players in her group were all +68 kg class, and their height, arm span and weight had a greater advantage.
Gong Li also said after the game that there is indeed a certain pressure to compete with big-level players, "Height is higher than me, weight is bigger than me, and the distance is not easy to control." Sometimes the moment I want to enter is too long for me to reach. ”
Gong Li (left) attacks during the game. Photo: Xinhua News Agency
Off-site
I don't know Rimi Ishihara, it's good to be myself
Karate is one of the four new events at the Tokyo Olympics, and Gong Li also has the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games. In 2018, Gong Li began to participate in the Olympic points competition under the leadership of guan Jianmin, the head coach of the national team. In just one and a half years, Gong Li rose from 0 Olympic points to third in the world. After winning the Lisbon Olympic points race at the beginning of the year, Gong Li rose to second place in the world and also locked up a ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
"This is the first time karate has entered the Olympic Games, and I only started playing the points race in 2018, there are definitely difficulties, and I want to thank our team in particular." Gong Li said that a bronze medal is not particularly satisfactory, but it is still very happy to participate in the Olympic Games.
Three years later, at the Paris Olympics, karate is no longer an official sport, and Tokyo is likely to be the only Olympic Games that Gong Li participates in, "(Karate) If you can still enter the Olympic Games in the future, it will definitely be the best." But in any case, being on the stage of the Olympic Games is already the biggest affirmation for me, I enjoy every game, and this Olympic trip has also drawn a perfect end to myself. In the future, I will continue to work hard to serve my country. ”
A defeat did not affect Gong Li's mood much, and she still smiled cheerfully in an interview after the game, "My personality is the same as on the field, not shy, it can also be said that it is a little publicity." ”
In fact, before the start of the karate event, Gong Li was already well known to the outside world for her beautiful face, cheerful personality and domineering style of play, and many netizens called it "The Chinese version of Ishihara Rimi". When asked this question after the game, Gong Li smiled and said that the mobile phone team had been in the team for several days, and she had no idea what had happened recently, "Ishihara Rimi I don't know very well, I still do myself, it's very good." ”
The Beijing News sent a special Tokyo reporter Sun Haiguang
Edited by Han Shuangming Proofreader Liu Yue