By Sportswriter Lu Yuchen, Wang Hengzhi
NANJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- For Olympic champion Zhu Xueying, two "curses" had long haunted her career.
The first was that she had never won an individual gold medal at the World Championships. The second was that whenever she competed with an injury at a major international event, she failed to reach the podium.
Both curses were finally broken in the women's individual trampoline final at the Trampoline World Championships in Nanjing on Sunday.
Competing despite injuries to her feet, Zhu delivered a flawless routine to claim a long-awaited victory, putting nearly a decade of frustration behind her and completing a career Grand Slam of individual titles at the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games and World Championships.
Usually calm and reserved, Zhu broke down in tears. She threw herself into the arms of her coach and team doctor, releasing years of frustration, disappointment, pain and pressure.
"It felt so surreal for me. I believe that it's the backbone of the Chinese helped me break the 'curse' and finally won this gold medal," she said.
"MY COUNTRY GAVE ME STRENGTH"
Zhu rose to prominence at a young age. Twelve years ago, she won the Youth Olympic title in Nanjing.
A year later, she earned her first call-up to the World Championships in 2015. Although she was named to the squad, she ultimately did not compete. From then on, she longed for the day she could claim an individual world title.
Yet even after winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, the individual world title continued to elude her.
Over the past decade, Zhu competed at six World Championships, from Bulgaria and Russia to Japan, Britain and Spain. She collected titles in women's synchronized trampoline, women's team and mixed team events, winning almost every major honor available. But one crucial piece of her gold-medal collection remained missing.
"To be able to make up for that regret at home means a great deal to me. This gold medal is not just about me. Without my coaches and team doctor, I really might not have done it," Zhu said after the competition, her eyes filling with tears.
Her coaches describe Zhu as an elite athlete who "trains with her brain". Zhu explained that she "cannot endure heavy training and is prone to injury", meaning she has to compensate for her physical limitations through careful thinking and preparation.
Zhu also helped the Chinese women's team secure its fourth consecutive title at this year's World Championships.
"My strongest feeling is that my country gave me strength."
This was the first time China had hosted the Trampoline World Championships. Zhu said she had seen how much effort everyone had put into making the event a success and, as a member of the host team, wanted to give everything she had.
"To be the best I can be," she said.
"AM I REALLY GETTING OLD?"
At 28, Zhu is still young by most standards, but she is already a veteran in the physically demanding world of elite trampoline competition.
At the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Zhu suffered another setback. As the defending champion, she qualified for the women's trampoline final in first place, only to make a mistake that ended her medal hopes.
"I believe that every elite athlete would feel a blow when making a mistake. I then started doubting myself: Can I do it?" Zhu said.
After returning home, Zhu increased her training volume. But the day before leaving for the World Championships, her physical condition deteriorated again. Just before her menstrual period, she found herself unable to perform flips, and her whole body trembled.
Facing an empty judges' table in the training hall, she raised her hand as if signaling the start of an official competition. She attempted two routines but failed both times.
"I fell apart mentally at that point. I cried after failing. Why I can't flip anymore? Am I really getting old?"
Yet Zhu refused to give up. She allowed herself one final attempt, and this time she succeeded.
At that moment, a thought crossed her mind: "No matter how tough things get, if you believe in yourself, you can pull through."
"WE CHINESE WILL NEVER BE KNOCKED DOWN"
At the Nanjing World Championships, Zhu suffered another setback in her very first appearance. In qualification, each athlete was required to perform two routines, but Zhu failed to complete her first.
Worse was to come when she injured her ankles during the competition.
While landing on the trampoline bed, her ankle became caught on its edge. The pain was so severe that she was unable to move for some time.
"At that moment it really hurt. I was afraid of affecting the athletes competing after me, and also worried about whether I could continue or not."
As she received emergency treatment from the team doctor, her mind raced with uncertainty. At that critical moment, her coach Hu Junxiong offered reassurance.
"It's okay. You still have one more chance."
Zhu immediately thought: "Yes, I still have one more chance, and I can show what I can do."
Throughout the remaining competition, Zhu endured both physical pain and mounting psychological pressure.
Before every event, her feet were wrapped tightly in bandages, making even walking difficult. After each routine, she would sit on the floor as the team doctor hurried over with two large bags of ice to treat her injuries.
"It was incredibly tough. But another thought kept running through my mind: 'We Chinese will never be knocked down.' And I truly believe that," Zhu said.
Next year's Trampoline World Cup and World Championships will serve as qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Zhu said her immediate priority was to recover from her foot injuries and get ready for the Olympic qualifiers.
"I still want to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics, and I want to win a second Olympic title," Zhu said. "For me, this World Championship title is a very good starting point." ■
