"Grand Slam" boxer Wu Yu upgraded and won another championship: "One kilogram" is a luxury for me

China News Service, Nagoya, Japan, October 2. Title: "Grand Slam" boxer Wu Yu upgraded to win another championship: "One kilogram" is a luxury for me

China News Service reporter Li Zhiquan

"One kilogram is a luxury for me."

After standing on the highest podium in the women's 51kg boxing category at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games on the 2nd, Chinese athlete Wu Yu talked about how this competition was different from the past. The first thing that came to mind was not the gold medal, but the weight.

She has successively won gold medals in the 2023 World Women's Boxing Championship, Hangzhou Asian Games, Paris Olympics, and the 15th National Games, becoming the "Grand Slam" of Chinese women's boxing. Different from before, this time she rose from the 50kg to the 51kg category, reaching the top of Asia again.

One kilogram is just a small fluctuation on the scale, but for a small-level boxer, it can make a world of difference.

Wu Yu even cut off her hair in order to eat an extra 0.3 kilograms. "After gaining one kilogram, you can at least take in a little more nutrition every day." She said with a smile, "One kilogram, that's considered... a luxury for me."

This time Wu Yu faced opponents with superior height and wingspan in the semi-finals and finals. "I focus more on what I want to do and what I want to fight. Everyone also has two hands."

The final was against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Sin. Wu Yu found that his opponent's ability to step up was relatively weak, so he took the initiative to increase his movement and attack in an attempt to draw his opponent out. "After she came out, the loopholes came out." In the end, Wu Yu won 5:0, winning the first gold medal in boxing for the Chinese team at this Asian Games.

Compared with the Paris Olympics, this time, Wu Yu obviously felt that the coach said less. He no longer stares at her in detail during training, and no longer constantly tells her what to do next during games.

"The coach said that you are now like a boxing master. What do you want to do? Just like painting, you have to paint freely and express yourself freely." For Wu Yu, who is used to the guidance of coaches, this kind of "letting go" is not easy.

Sometimes, she even worries that if the coach talks less, it means that she is not prepared enough. But once the competition actually started, she discovered that she could make these decisions.

"Through this preparation and training, I hope I will be more confident and bold in the future." From Hangzhou to Paris, and then to Nagoya, Wu Yu became increasingly clear: when an athlete stands at a higher position, the game will not become easier. "If you want to get that gold medal, you actually have to work twice as hard because the whole world is studying you."

At the opening ceremony of this Asian Games, Wu Yu and Chinese men's basketball player Hu Mingxuan jointly served as the flag bearers of the Chinese sports delegation. "This is an affirmation and a trust for Chinese boxing." Wu Yu realizes that the responsibility on her shoulders is not just to win the game, she hopes that the young players can surpass themselves.