Some of the coolest veteran para athletes just lit up the track and field at the National Paralympic Games in Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland this week 🎉.
Leading the pack was 41-year-old world record holder Yao Juan from Jiangsu. In the womens javelin F44 final (for athletes with leg impairments competing without prosthesis), she launched a 32.00m throw on her first attempt, then powered it to 35.26m to snag her second gold of the meet. Shed already conquered the womens shot put F44 earlier in the day. But as Yao says, its all about chasing the joy of participation, not just the medals: "I just felt satisfied as long as I could participate." 💪
Guangxis speed queen Liu Cuiqing also doubled down on gold. The Tokyo Paralympics T11 champion (for runners with visual impairment) and her guide, Chen Shengming, blitzed the 200m in 25.12s, adding to Lius earlier 100m T11 victory. Talk about teamwork goals! 🏃♀️🤝🏅
Over in the men's shot put F57, Guangxi's Wu Guoshan (domestic record holder) crushed the competition with an opening throw of 13.32m, locking up gold from the start. His performance shows veteran power and precision still rule the day. 🎯
These veteran stars remind us that age is just a number and passion never fades. In a world of side hustles, startup dreams, or even climbing ranks in Mobile Legends, persistence wins. Stay tuned for more highlights from Guangzhou, and keep smashing your own personal bests! 🚀
Reference(s):
Veteran athletes shine with golds at China's National Paralympic Games
cgtn.com
