[Life] Li Chih-kai wins bronze at Asian Championships, ending medal drought despite setbacks, still pursuing dreams
bellala 央廣6h ago
Taiwan's "Pommel Horse Prince" Li Chih-kai won a bronze medal in the men's pommel horse final at the Asian Gymnastics Championships today (20th), returning to the international podium after two years. Coach Lin Yu-hsin expressed his deep emotion and relief that his beloved student continues to pursue his dreams.
Li Chih-kai, a 30-year-old renowned gymnast, won an unprecedented silver medal for Taiwan in the men's pommel horse at the Tokyo Olympics, and successively achieved three consecutive gold medals at the World University Games and two consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games, solidifying his reputation as the "Pommel Horse Prince." However, after failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Li Chih-kai faced consecutive setbacks including injuries and rule changes in the new gymnastics cycle, and had not stood on the international podium for two years.
Now, at the Asian Gymnastics Championships held in China, Li Chih-kai has ended his international "medal drought." He first qualified for the men's pommel horse final by ranking sixth in the preliminary round. Today, in the final, he delivered an excellent performance, scoring a difficulty score of 5.5, an execution score of 8.633, and a total score of 14.133 to win the bronze medal. This is also his first Asian Championships pommel horse medal, ranking behind Uzbekistan's Juraev Utkirbek and China's Zhang Bohang.
Head coach Lin Yu-hsin told CNA in a post-competition interview: "I feel very moved and somewhat relieved. Even when facing setbacks, he (Li Chih-kai) still chose to persevere these past two years, to break through for his dreams." According to the current international gymnastics scoring standards for the pommel horse, Li Chih-kai had to "seal" some of his signature moves, such as the "Thomas." Lin Yu-hsin pointed out that they have been constantly adjusting his routines and trying to reduce deductions. Although Li Chih-kai performed first today, he completed the entire routine smoothly, putting pressure on other competitors. "His mindset adjustment for this Asian Championships was very good, and he finally won a medal in an international competition."
Lin Yu-hsin believes this medal will give Li Chih-kai more confidence and serve as a much-needed boost. They will continue to increase the difficulty and work together to aim for a third consecutive gold medal in the men's pommel horse at the Nagoya Asian Games, and then gradually challenge stages like the World Championships and the Los Angeles Olympics. "I'm happy to see him break through, and we will not give up."(Editor: Shen Chen-chiang)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215692
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