Zheng Qinwen of China competes during the women’s singles semifinal of tennis against Iga Swiatek of Poland at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)
Chinese tennis players have already made history in the women’s singles and mixed doubles to reach the Olympic finals, while U.S. gymnast Simone Biles crowned in the women’s all-around at Paris 2024.
PARIS, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) — Chinese tennis favorite Zheng Qinwen upset the world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland to reach the women’s singles final, while her compatriots Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen also made history by sailing into the Paris Olympics tennis mixed doubles final here on Thursday.
The victories marked China’s best result in both of the events at the Olympics, after two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na finished fourth in the women’s singles at Beijing 2008.
After a three-set tough win over German veteran Angelique Kerber in quarterfinal on Wednesday, Australian Open finalist Zheng fought even harder to defeat Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 at Roland Garros, ending her six straight losses to the four-time French Open winner.
“I finally showed I could beat the world No.1 on her best surface. I always knew I could do it, but there is a difference between knowing you can and showing it. Now, I feel my mental strength is at another level, and I am just going to give everything I have in the final,” said Zheng, who will face the 13th seed Donna Vekic of Croatia on Saturday.
The 21-year-old added, “I am so happy that I can make this history for Chinese tennis. I always wanted to be one of the athletes who can get a medal for China, for our country, and right now I’m one of them.”
Wang Xinyu (L)/Zhang Zhizhen of China react during a break of the tennis mixed doubles semifinal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)
Chinese pair Wang and Zhang rallied past Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands 2-6, 6-4, 10-4 in the mixed doubles semifinal. The 27-year-old Zhang said, “We just tired to fight every single match, down in the first set, coming back in the second, and winning the super tiebreak. That was amazing. I am super happy about this.”
Wang/Zhang will confront Czech’s pair Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac in the final on Friday.
Early on Thursday, world record holder Yang Jiayu claimed China’s first athletics gold at the Paris Olympics, winning the women’s 20km race walk in one hour, 25 minutes and 54 seconds. Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado finished first in the men’s 20km race walk in one hour, 18 minutes and 55 seconds.
“I started my Olympic journey as a substitute in 2016. At that moment, I started to dream of being a regular athlete to compete at the Olympics even to fight for the gold. So, this is an exciting moment for me. I have been waiting for this gold medal for eight years,” said the 28-year-old Yang, who set the world record in 2021 with 1:23:49 and led the Paris Olympics race almost from the start.
At the Chateauroux Shooting Center, China’s Liu Yukun bagged a gold medal in his Olympic debut after winning the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions with 463.6 points, followed by Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine and India’s Swapnil Kusale in the second and third place, respectively.
“I am very lucky because the Olympics happened at a time when I was in a good form,” said a modest Liu, who has the word “LUCKY” emblazoned on the right leg of his shooting outfit.
Simone Biles of the United States competes during the balance beam of women’s all-around final of gymnastics at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)
Elsewhere, the reigning world champion Biles, 27, who won the all-round gold at Rio 2016 but pulled out of the event in Tokyo three years ago, reclaimed the title at Paris 2024 with 59.131 points, 1.199 ahead of the silver medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, while the bronze went to another American gymnast Sunisa Lee.
“I’m super proud of my performance and the fight I have had for the last three years, mentally and physically, to get back competing on a world stage. The Olympic Games is an amazing experience, so I couldn’t be prouder,” Biles noted.
The United States also seized a gold in the swimming pool, as Kate Douglass won her first Olympic gold medal by winning the women’s 200m breaststroke final in two minutes, 19.24 seconds.
The Australian team of Mollie O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell and Ariarne Titmus finished in an Olympic record time of seven minutes, 38.08 seconds to clinch the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay title.
Hubert Kos clinched Hungary’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics by winning the men’s 200m backstroke final, while Canada’s Summer McIntosh won her second gold medal of the Games in the women’s 200m butterfly.
Another three swimming golds will be produced at La Defense Arena on Friday.