Martial arts athlete Li Yi secures gold medal at Asian Games

Local martial arts athlete Li Yi yesterday secured a gold medal in the Changquan event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The medal is the first gold received by a Macau athlete in this year’s Games, and the third in Macau’s history.

In a post-match interview with local media outlet Happy Macao – Macau Sports Channel, Lei openly expressed her joy and excitement. Getting a gold medal is extraordinarily difficult, the athlete said, “because each athlete only has a chance at the final.” She suggested that complete concentration is vital to winning the match.

The preparatory period was tough, she said, adding that she has faced significant stress. “I didn’t sleep well for about half-a-year,” she told the media. “[There was a period where] whenever I imagined the match scenes, my heart would pound fast. I even went to the hospital to check that I was all right.”

She added that she became so nervous during the preparatory period but was happy that she saw it through.

Looking ahead, Lei said that although her Asian Games journey began positively, her training will be ongoing as “there are two other matches coming up.”

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng issued a statement to congratulate the athlete on her achievement, expressing his delight in Li Yi promoting Chinese sportsmanship and bringing honor to the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR).

“On behalf of the SAR government and the people in Macau, I hereby express the most resounding congratulations to Li Yi, the team of coaches and the SAR Sport Delegation,” Ho said. “I also warmly greet and encourage all members of the SAR Sport Delegation who are bravely striving for positive results at the Asian Games.”