“Not because I come from a poor rural area and needed sports as a means of achieving that, but because I love sports and my parents respected and supported my choices,” Yang told China Youth Daily. Told.
“This path has definitely been difficult and tiring, but I have never thought of giving up because I love this path,” she said.
She couldn't swim and was afraid of water, so her first time in the ocean on Hainan Island was shocking.
But after learning to swim, he quickly fell in love with the thrill of surfing.
Surfing coach Luo Yang praised Yang's outstanding fitness level and courage, saying she was an outstanding competitor.
“She has excellent physical strength and outstanding strength, and is one of the brave girls who bravely takes on challenges,” Luo said.
“Surfing is an extreme sport, and surfing judges tend to favor aggressive athletes who take on challenges. Yang Shiqi is very suitable for surfing,” Luo added.
Prior to competing in the Olympics, Yang had failed in his previous two attempts at the World Surfing Games in 2022 and 2023, finishing 29th and 31st respectively.
The 2024 World Surfing Games (WSG) in Puerto Rico is Yan's last chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Coach Luo was very optimistic about her chances before the tournament.
“Among the athletes competing for an Olympic spot, Siqi just needs to perform normally,” Luo said at the time.
She did not disappoint.
In Puerto Rico, she won her heat with 11.83 points, beating British surfskating phenomenon Skye Brown and 2021 Olympian Brisa Hennessy of Costa Rica, earning her a historic Olympic berth.
“After the competition I was in first place, but I didn't think I had qualified for the Olympics. I was about to leave. When the staff told me to stay, I thought I could qualify for the Olympics. I didn’t know that,” she said.
“I was so happy when I heard that I had qualified. I could feel my hands shaking because I had achieved the goal I had set for 2022.”
Surfing has a long history and is deeply rooted in some countries, with children learning it from an early age. However, China only established a national surfing team in 2018.
On the mainland, where only Hainan's coastline is seasonally suitable for surfing, the lack of resources poses challenges for high-level surfers looking to improve their performance and for the national development of the sport.
Despite these challenges, surfing has grown in popularity among young people in China in recent years, and Yang's story inspired them to explore it further.
“She is my role model for my current surfing journey,” said one online observer.
“Sichuan is landlocked and not by the sea. But this Sichuan girl has overcome everything to qualify for the Olympics. Well done,” another wrote.
“She made history. Sister, you are so amazing, you have accomplished so much at such a young age,” said another.
