China's champion Olympians – and their Italian guru – chase more gold

Name: China's champion Olympians – and their Italian guru – chase more gold
Uploaded: 2024-08-06T17:45:15+00:00
Duration: 2 min 48 s
Channel: CGTN Europe
Description: Sandro Damilano has led Chinese walkers to glory at three Olympics and six World Championships.<br /><br />#Paris2024 #ParisOlympics #Olympics2024

CGTN Europe

Sandro Damilano has led Chinese walkers to glory at three Olympics and six World Championships.

#Paris2024 #ParisOlympics #Olympics2024

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00:00With its green fields and fresh mountain air, Italy's Piedmont region offers an Olympic

00:08training ground that's hard to beat, and it's where two of China's Olympic racewalkers

00:13are stepping up their pace in preparations, among them national champion Zhou Yangxu.

00:20Each Olympic Games is different. The first time feels like a trial, then the second time

00:25is about setting goals, the third time is about striving, and of course the fourth time,

00:31I still hope to have that mentality and attitude to strive for medals.

00:35Her career highlight was winning gold in the 20km race at the London Games in 2012. This

00:41year will be the 33-year-old's last Olympics, and she'll be competing alongside He Shenghong.

00:48This is my first time participating in the Olympics and this is a new event. My partner,

00:53Qi Yangxu Jie, is a London Olympics gold medalist and has numerous international accolades.

00:59Partnering with her boosts my confidence significantly.

01:03They're under the guidance of Italian athletics legend, Sandro Damilano, who is one of the

01:08best racewalking trainers in the world.

01:11I was recruited by China in 2010, and at the London Olympics we had incredible success

01:21with five medals. And then my contract was extended to the Olympics in Rio, Tokyo and

01:27now Paris. So it's been 15 years that I've been working with the Chinese team.

01:32The 74-year-old says his collaboration with China has exceeded his expectations, both

01:37on and off the track.

01:39From an athletics perspective and in terms of results, it's been an exceptional experience.

01:44From a cultural point of view, it enriched me a lot because I discovered another world.

01:49As for Sandro, we've been working together for 10 years, and in that time my performance

01:54has been quite stable. So it's been a very rewarding experience for me.

02:00The duo will compete in the Mixed Men's Women's Marathon Racewalk Relay, scheduled for August

02:057. Their grueling daily training schedule involves a 30-minute walk, gym and track work.

02:12This is the first time the mixed team walking relay is an Olympic event. The marathon distance

02:17will be raced in four different stages, and 25 teams from around the world will participate.

02:24It's the first time trying this mixed-gender event, which is a challenge for me. I also

02:29hope to have better understanding with my team-mate and be able to cooperate well in

02:34the competition.

02:36So the team is ready and set to go for Paris.

02:39Zhongguo jiayou, which means, come on China.

02:46来来来,来来来,来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来来,来来来

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China's champion Olympians – and their Italian guru – chase more gold

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