In the early morning of August 9, Beijing time, in the men's weightlifting 73 kg final of the Paris Olympics, Shi Zhiyong, the 31-year-old two-time Olympic champion, failed to lift 191 kg three times while snatching 165 kg and 10 kg ahead of his opponent, and finally missed the Olympic triple championship. But he has done his best with the injury, and he deserves respect.
From Rio to Tokyo and then to Paris, Shi Zhiyong has experienced three Olympic Games in eight years, in which his competitive state is different, and his feelings are completely different: before the Rio Olympics, when the Chinese weightlifting team team was in the team selection competition, Shi Zhiyong competed in the 69kg class, and he ranked second at that time, and he felt that he had little hope of participating in the Olympics. However, before the Rio Olympics, Liao Hui, the number one player in the division, suffered a serious injury before the competition, so Shi Zhiyong qualified for the competition and eventually managed to win gold.
Five years later, at the Tokyo Olympics, Shi Zhiyong experienced many changes, the biggest change was that he was upgraded to the 73kg class, which made the competition in this class more intense. But Shi Zhiyong is in a stronger state when he is strong. That stage was also the stage when Shi Zhiyong was in the best state and strongest in his athletic career. As he said before the race, "I feel like a tiger who has been trapped in a cage for a long time, and now I can finally open the cage and go back to nature and let myself go." ”
In 2021, Shi Zhiyong won the championship in Tokyo
Sure enough, Shi Zhiyong conquered everyone with his superior strength and shocking performance. What is still fresh is that after winning the championship with a world record breaking overall score (364kg), Shi Zhiyong once again performed his signature move, sitting on the barbell that he had conquered, and making the gesture of "first". Then, Shi Zhiyong stood up and shouted: "Who else?!" ”
But after the end of the Tokyo Olympics and the National Games that year, Shi Zhiyong "disappeared" from people's vision for a long time. This is mainly due to the fact that his back injury is getting worse, which prevents him from training systematically, let alone competing internationally.
Shi Zhiyong has been doing electroacupuncture to treat his back injuries
"Shi Zhiyong's back injury, among all the athletes in the entire General Administration of Sports, is the most seriously injured, and there is no one." This is the reality of the medical rehabilitation expert group organized by the Department of Science and Education of the General Administration after the inspection. "From 2021 to 2023, as long as I started intensive training, I had to rest for two to three days after that, and it was really uncomfortable at that time. It was a big blow to me during that time. Shi Zhiyong recalled.
Electroacupuncture is a common treatment for low back and back injuries. Because there were too many needles, Shi Zhiyong deliberately saved the acupuncture needles that had been pierced for the treatment of his back injury, and a 5-liter drink bucket had been inserted. At the same time, it is precisely because there are too many times of electroacupuncture that he can already operate the relevant instruments without the team doctor and complete it skillfully.
Shi Zhiyong's used electric needle has been inserted into the drink barrel
Shi Zhiyong's return to the international arena is in the major championship at the end of 2023. He returned after 862 days and lifted a total of only 340 kilograms due to a lack of systematic training. In the winter training of that year, Shi Zhiyong has been testing the degree of physical endurance and where his limits are.
"Fight to the last moment" is Shi Zhiyong's belief that he can persevere.
In the Weightlifting World Cup in April this year, Shi Zhiyong made a last effort for his Olympic dream, and only by showing excellent results in this competition can he enter the Paris Olympics. At that time, Shi Zhiyong's success rate in six attempts was not high, and he finally won the runner-up overall. At that time, Shi Zhiyong lifted a score of 356 kilograms, which was 9 kilograms away from the champion. This is not a small gap in the eyes of the outside world, but for Shi Zhiyong, he has surpassed himself and rekindled his Olympic hopes.
Shi Zhiyong said: "The doctor told me that it was a miracle that I could continue to practice weightlifting, and now I can still compete, so I have been creating miracles." Even though I finished second, I think I won over myself, and that's probably the biggest attraction of competitive sports. ”
In the 73kg final at the Paris Olympics, the first snatch competition gave hope of Shi Zhiyong's comeback, and he lifted 165kg to rank first, 10kg ahead of second place. However, Shi Zhiyong asked for 191 kilograms in the clean and jerk, but failed in all three attempts, and unfortunately could not achieve three consecutive Olympic championships in his weightlifting career. Only he knows best how much effort he has put into this process, and he should have no regrets. From Shi Zhiyong's body, you can feel a veteran's love and dedication to his career, his tenacity and the courage to constantly challenge himself, all of which are subtly influencing young athletes and inspiring them to become better.
Text/Beiqing Sports Paris Special Reporter Song Xiang