Many times in gymnastics have we seen gymnasts, who, at one point, seemed to “have it all”, but never really make it far enough to chase fo...
Many times in gymnastics have we seen gymnasts, who, at one point,
seemed to “have it all”, but never really make it far enough to chase for
ultimate glory. But no matter what fate did to them, they bravely tackle
whatever challenge thrown to them. In the 2017 Chinese Nationals, Huang Huidan
did exactly that. And even if she failed to medal, and worse, failed to compete
flawlessly, she dignifiedly fought hard not to fall in what is very likely to
be her swan song.
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| The Moment of Courage: Huang Huidan Paused to Recollect Herself on the Bars (Photo captured from youtube, courtesy of CCTV) |
The down-to-earth Huang was considered a successor Jiang Yuyuan in
her provincial team. With her precise bar work and fairy-like demeanour on
beam, she quickly became China’s new hopes since the team failed to medal in
the 2012 London Olympics. In the 2013 World Championships, Huang became the
first Chinese World Champion on bars since 2009. She went on to clinch silver
in the same event in 2014. Yet injuries forced her out of top form since then.
Having regretfully missed two Olympics in a row, Huang still plays
an important part in her provincial team. Recently, in the Chinese Nationals,
despite not being at her best, Huang competed on bars and beam. It was on bars
where she struggled after a full-pirouette (a skill which is known to be best-performed
by Chinese gymnasts), paused for 10 seconds to recollect herself, and then
bravely dismounted.
It is almost certain that Huang will retire this year. Whether or
not she will compete in the National Games in September will depend on how well
her more capable younger teammates recover from their respective injuries.
Despite her current circumstances, with multiple medals in her bag and loving
fans from across the world, World Champion Huang Huidan definitely has a
fruitful career to be proud of.
For the time being, let’s take a moment to recap Huang Huidan’s
brave performances in the 2017 Chinese Nationals.
Huang Huidan’s signature beautiful arm movements on beam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M44ZPInhIeQ
Huang Huidan fought bravely not to fall on bars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Av-Z3SEZDo
Written by Valerie Theodora Ko
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