By sportswriter Li Jia
HAIKOU, China, March 23 (Xinhua) -- In the mountains of Southwest China, where the sea was just a distant concept, 15-year-old Yang Siqi grew up far from the ocean waves. Yet, this young athlete is set to make history as China's first female surfer at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
At the recent World Surfing Games (WSG) in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Yang secured her Olympic spot, topping repechage round 6 with 11.83 points. This achievement ensures her place among the 24 women who will compete in the Paris Games.
Reflecting on her performance at the WSG, Yang shared her emotions: "I remember how my hands trembled when I knew I won the Olympic berth."
"I still remember the wave of that day. It was really hard, and I was very tired after that round. I was about to leave, and the staff asked me to stay. I was not aware that I would earn the Olympic berth," she said at a surfing training base in Lingshui Li Autonomous County in southern China's Hainan Island.
"I thought I still needed one more round."
She had also thought about what she would do if she failed to qualify this time. "I will not give up surfing. I will prepare for the National Games in 2025, and I will try my best to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games."
Surfing, a relatively new sport in China, was included in the Olympic Games in 2016, sparking the formation of the Chinese surfing team in 2018. Yang, who was introduced to surfing at age nine, initially considered other sports but was drawn to surfing's excitement and complexity.
Born in the Yi autonomous prefecture of Liangshan in southwest Sichuan Province, Yang wanted to learn a sport. Her first idea was taekwondo, but her uncle sent her to learn sailing. "I lived in a mountainous area and I was afraid of water before I could swim. I learned to sail in a lake called Qionghai. It was the largest lake I had seen before I met the sea," Yang recalled.
After a few months, Yang decided to learn to surf instead, and she got the chance to see the real sea on Hainan Island: "When I first met the sea, I was shocked," said the girl.
It didn't take long for her to fall for surfing. "Surfing is an exciting sport and I like adventures," she said. "Surfing is also complicated. I need to learn so many things to be a surfer.
Her transition from sailing to surfing marked the beginning of a promising career. In 2019, she made her international debut at the World Junior Surfing Championships, and then showed significant progress at the 2022 WSG.
A year later, she took part in the 2023 WSG, ranking 31st out of over 130 female surfers, but she still failed to get a ticket for Paris 2024. The ISA found the youngster's potential and praised her on its website.
"One of the standout performances of the day came from China's Siqi Yang. Having competed in her first WSG in Huntington Beach in September 2022, the improvement of Yang's surfing in just eight months is impressive," read an article released on the ISA website.
For Yang, it was far from enough, as she had made a wish to go to the Paris Olympic Games.
"I never gave up," said Yang. "I knew it was very difficult, but I had confidence in myself."
Her hard work paid off. By winning the Olympic berth, she made history for China. And at only 15, she has plenty more to give.
"She is only 15, and she competed with most adult surfers at the World Surfing Games," said Luo Yang, Yang's coach. "Her golden time as a surfer will be 2028 or 2032. Now she is about 160cm in height. I think she will be stronger as she gets taller and stronger."
After the WSG, Yang returned to China to train with Team Sichuan for three weeks before preparing for the Paris Games abroad.
"We will train in Los Angeles for the wave condition," said Luo. "We will also take part in the World Junior Championships (WJC) in May at El Salvador. I hope Yang can finish in top 9 at the WJC."
The young surfer often imagines what the waves will be like at the Olympic Games. The surfing competition in Paris 2024 will be held at Teahupo'o, Tahiti, known for its large waves and potential for barrels.
"I saw some videos, and the wave there is very big, and there may be barrels," said Yang, who had special training for holding her breath longer to deal with barrels. "If you roll into the barrels, it will be hard to get out, and you can't breathe."
"Paris 2024 will be my first Olympic Games, and I am very excited about it," she added.
"I want to participate in more major competitions and meet more stronger surfers. There's a lot to improve." ■
