00:00Joined by a true global sporting superstar right now, Ninggu, how are you? How are you doing?
00:06I'm incredible. So happy to be here in Paris.
00:08You have been everywhere at these games. Absolutely everywhere I turn. Every time I turn on the TV, you're there.
00:14Those pictures of you and Chan Hongchan, the diver, they're wonderful, fantastic images.
00:20But amongst all the things you've seen so far from Team China, what's been the standout for you so far?
00:25And what are you looking forward to seeing?
00:27I have seen so many incredible events. The women's diving synchronized was incredible.
00:33Last night we also went and watched the Asia record-breaking performance by the medley team, the relay team.
00:40And my friend Zhang Yifei was competing and I got to see her and meet her and that was really exciting.
00:46Honestly, there have been so many incredible performances by the Chinese team and all the athletes here in Paris.
00:53Coming up, what are you looking forward to? Still a long way to go in these games.
00:56It's true. One thing that I'm really excited about is the public marathon.
01:00So that's going to be happening on the same day and the same course as the actual Olympic marathon.
01:05I got lucky enough to get an invite a little over a week ago.
01:09So I'm going to be training for this marathon in three weeks.
01:13I've never run a marathon before. I'm looking at your face.
01:17You're doing a marathon. You're doing it after three weeks notice.
01:20Yes. So this is kind of the reaction I've been getting.
01:24Good luck.
01:25I looked online for three-week marathon program and the only thing I saw was don't.
01:30I think it'll be okay.
01:33You'll be fine. I mean, come on, somebody who's fit as yourself, I'm sure you'll be fine.
01:36But how has the training gone? What have you been taught through your training regime?
01:39Okay, happily. First of all, I'm a very amateur runner. I would like to preface with that.
01:44So I did grow up running cross-country and track. And so that was my primary sport for a long time.
01:49And so I feel confident in just running generally, but I've never run that distance.
01:53I used to run 5Ks. So it's definitely been a big uptick in the mileage.
01:58I really went from running, you know, 15, 20 miles a week to 60.
02:02Just think of it as lots and lots of little 5Ks.
02:05Many of them. Quite a few of them.
02:08There's a small chance that I might be running around that track a little bit as well.
02:11I hope you are.
02:12We're going to have to try and spot you. You'll spot me.
02:14I'll be bright red, sweating and breathing far too heavily.
02:17Well, so will I. The elevation is going to be immense. 600 meters.
02:22Okay. Well, best of luck to you. We'll see how we get on with that.
02:26But you're here at the Summer Games.
02:29Does this light that fire inside of you looking ahead two years to Milan and thinking,
02:35I want to get back out there on the slopes. I want to get back out there and winning more golds.
02:39Absolutely. I think watching as a spectator has really made me take note of how much the competition is mental.
02:47So I've always said since I was 14, 15 and started competing professionally or on the professional tour,
02:53that anyone who makes finals has the capacity to win.
02:56But why are the ones who continue to win the stars per se?
03:03What makes them different?
03:04And I think that now I have a better understanding that it really is performing when it counts.
03:09Under pressure on that day. Not the day before. Not the day after.
03:12But really on the day that it counts. Peaking at the right time.
03:16So it's definitely been giving me insight into that.
03:19Of course, celebrating my friends, checking out the Olympic village,
03:23and cheering so loudly from the stands have all been incredible highlights as well.
03:28The mental side. Final bit on that.
03:30Is there something like a switch in your head that you have to switch over from?
03:34This is training day to this is game day. This is race day.
03:37How does that function in your mind with that?
03:40I have a saying for myself that I train like I've never won and I compete like I've never lost.
03:45So when it's competition day, I definitely have a switch in my head.
03:49I would like to think of myself as a pretty amicable, nice person.
03:53But you have to be a killer when it's competition day.
03:57And so I think, yeah, making a switch because I would love to be pleasant and fun with my friends.
04:01I'm not trying to be a murderer in my daily life.
04:05But yeah, there's time and place.
04:08Good stuff. Wonderful. Thank you so much for talking to us.
04:11Best of luck in two years time.
04:13Before we go, one final. Where are you off to next?
04:16And what is the big thing that you're looking forward to for the rest of the games?
04:21Tonight, I'm going to be going to swimming and try to make it to track and field as well.
04:26And then the rest of the games, I have friends competing in skateboarding.
04:29And I'm also really excited to be watching the breakdancing finals with President Thomas Bach on the 9th.
04:35Do you know they don't get to pick their music?
04:37What? That's what I've heard. They don't get to pick the music.
04:40You find out the music.
04:41And you like freestyle to the music.
04:43Exactly.
04:44That's so cool. I think that makes sense in terms of creating judging criteria,
04:48because otherwise everyone's performance is so good. How do you compare?
04:52Wow.
04:53I'm glad. That's the reaction I was looking for, because everybody else I say that to, they go,
04:56No, imagine you've just prepared.
04:59Sure.
05:00And you get something you've never heard before.
05:01Extemporaneous dancing. Wow. Incredible. I'm excited.
05:05We could talk to you all day, but I'm not allowed to because your time's precious.
05:09We've got to go, Elaine. Thanks very much for your time.
05:11Thank you. Really appreciate it. It was great talking to you.
Comments