China News Service, Tokyo, Japan, October 3rd. Title: Chen Yuxi’s renewed dialogue with diving: The water surface is a mirror, and it is easy to ponder from now on.
China News Service reporter Zhu Chenxi
On September 29, in the women's 10-meter platform final of the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, Chen Yuxi won the championship with a clear advantage. Returning to the singles event after nearly a year, she once again stood on the top podium.
One day later, Chen Yuxi wrote on her personal social media: "Step off the podium and continue to be a 'mirror grinder': the water surface is the mirror surface, and it is easy to ponder from now on."
In an exclusive interview with reporters, Chen Yuxi told the story of how he went from being confused and trapped to being able to stand on the diving platform more calmly now. Behind the gold medal is a new dialogue between herself and diving.
From Tokyo to Tokyo: Going back in time, still diving
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 15-year-old Chen Yuxi won her first Olympic gold medal and a silver medal in the women's 10-meter platform event at the Tokyo Aquatic Center. The diving competition of this Asian Games is still held in this familiar venue.
Returning to the same pool, facing this long-lost single event final, Chen Yuxi gave her performance a 90 points. The 10 points deducted are from the preliminaries.
"The state I entered in the morning was generally slower, but in the afternoon finals I was able to adjust myself in time and then perform to my own level. This is an experience for me, and it also needs to be summed up after I go back." In her opinion, this experience is even more important than the gold medal.
The secret to adjustment is not complicated to say: be confident, let go, and be decisive. "All movements must be done cleanly, and there is really no hesitation." Chen Yuxi said that this Asian Games is equivalent to a "mid-term exam" of the Olympic Games. Next, we must still be down-to-earth and take every step steadily.
Chen Yuxi always seems stable and calm in front of the camera. However, in the mixed interview area after the game, when she talked about her experience along the way, her eyes suddenly turned red.
"Without everyone's support and encouragement, I would not have been able to walk back to Tokyo." She smiled through tears, thanking the coach, team leader and the entire team, and also thanked "myself who is unwilling to give up."
From becoming famous at a young age to competing in the Olympics, Chen Yuxi, who is regarded as a "genius girl", has not had an easy journey. After the Paris Olympics, she was confused and trapped, and even thought about quitting several times.
After the 15th National Games, Chen Yuxi decided to take a vacation for herself. "I also told myself very clearly at the time that I might need some time to buffer, adjust, and think things through mentally or physically."
She got on a plane alone and headed to the other side of the world. Without a familiar team to travel with, you have to try to solve all the problems on your own, big and small during the journey.
Chen Yuxi had mixed emotions when she saw the aurora for the first time in Iceland. "How could I see things on the other side of the earth..." At that moment, she felt as if she had received a gift from God.
Away from the familiar pools and diving platforms, she finally had the opportunity to re-examine her relationship with diving.
Interestingly, when she actually tried to dive, anxiety came back quietly. She began to miss the swimming pool, worried that she would fall behind in training, and even eagerly wanted to return to the diving platform.
"Such a contradiction made me realize that I really do love diving, and I really don't want to give up."
If you could go back in time, would you make the same choice? Chen Yuxi's answer is yes. Even if she goes back more than ten years ago, to the intersection where she first chose diving at the age of six, even if she knows in advance that the road will not be smooth, she is still willing to walk on it firmly.
"After I passed this stage, I am now more calm, calm and passionate."
Re-understand the diving platform: from pursuing perfection to enjoying love
Chen Yuxi, who started again, still had almost harsh requirements for herself.
Talking about this, she laughed and said that she may indeed have some Virgo personality that pursues perfection. “I either don’t do it, or I try to be perfect when I do it.”
Now that you have chosen to come back and stand on the platform again, you must go all out and do the things you love well. This is Chen Yuxi's request for herself. But what is different from the past is that what supports her forward now is not only the pursuit of results, but also the enjoyment from the heart.
She felt that her relationship with the platform was undergoing subtle changes.
"Five years ago, it seemed like it was a diving platform, and I was an athlete. I was just borrowing equipment to complete the movements." But now, she wants to get really close to it. In her eyes, the diving platform is no longer just a piece of equipment for completing movements, but a place where her passion can shine.
"It's harder for me to give up now than to persist," Chen Yuxi said.
This change is also reflected in her mentality when facing competitions and daily training. Compared with the Hangzhou Asian Games, this time she felt more excited than nervous and began to enjoy the game itself more. The training plan that once felt long and difficult is no longer just a task that needs to be completed, but something that I want to take the initiative to do every day.
Chen Yuxi, who just celebrated his 21st birthday, is already a veteran who has experienced many competitions despite his young age. She laughed and said that when she stood on the platform, she already had a "battle-hardened feeling."
As age and experience increase, not only the mentality changes, but also the responsibilities on the shoulders. "Because I may have more experience in competitions, I also need to take care of my partner's emotions and state, and shoulder more responsibilities in this regard."
In her view, this responsibility is not only a motivation, but also means that she needs to gradually take over the banner and pass on the spirit of Chinese diving.
At the same time, she also became more aware of the changes in her body and training methods. Today, her recovery ability is no longer as good as that of younger players, and she can no longer rely solely on training volume to maintain her condition. “It’s more about practicing better than practicing more.”
Rather than relying on quantity accumulation, she pays more attention to stabilizing technique with training quality. During training, she rarely spoke and remained focused, hoping that every jump and every movement would be effective.
Looking back on his growth experience, Chen Yuxi said frankly that when he was a child, his love for diving was part of it, and being pushed forward by everyone was also part of it. It was through constant supervision and growth that she gradually realized the true charm of diving.
For the future, Chen Yuxi still has a clear goal: first prepare for next year's World Championships, and then work hard to win tickets to the Los Angeles Olympics. She looks forward to becoming a calmer, calmer and more confident girl in two years' time.
Beyond diving: life has more than one experience
"Life is for experience."
Stepping off the platform, Chen Yuxi is also trying to open up more possibilities in life.
In order to broaden her horizons and improve her external communication skills, she began to study English seriously. Even on the rare rest day between the two games of the Asian Games, she did not forget to hand in her English homework to the teacher.
In addition to diving, she also found another sports hobby for herself - rock climbing. Initially, she came across a video of “deep water bouldering” online. This field, which was completely different from diving and completely unfamiliar to her, quickly aroused her interest.
Different from the spotlight when she stood on the diving platform, when she came to the rock climbing gym, she could temporarily take off her championship aura, and she didn't have to care about the eyes of others, nor did she need to demand perfection in everything.
"If I can't climb up, I just can't climb up. I'm a 'rookie'." Speaking of this new hobby, Chen Yuxi smiled easily.
However, in rock climbing, which seemed completely different from diving, she found a familiar feeling: facing one problem after another, she kept trying and groping, and finally found a way to solve the problem.
From traveling alone, learning English, to trying rock climbing, Chen Yuxi is exploring a wider world besides diving. These new experiences also gave her a deeper understanding of sports and growth.
She said that without diving, she might not be as tough as she is today. What sports bring to people is far more than just the dazzling results on the field, and more importantly, the spiritual power integrated into life.
"It's like never giving up. Or perseverance, confidence, decisiveness, bravery. This is what sports taught me."
Now, standing on the 10-meter platform again, Chen Yuxi admitted that she would still be nervous and still scared. But she has learned to live with these emotions and learn to believe in herself more firmly each time she takes off.
"Don't be afraid of being photographed on the water." This is what diving taught her, and it is also the courage she hopes to bring into life.
The water surface is the mirror surface. For Chen Yuxi, every time he takes off and enters the water, he is not only polishing his skills, but also re-understanding himself.
After stepping off the podium, gold medals were a thing of the past; when she stood on the platform again, she was still willing to be the "mirror grinder" day after day. Between the ups and downs, keep thinking and keep moving forward.
