Gong Lijiao

(Redirected from Lijiao Gong)

Gong Lijiao (Chinese: 巩立姣; pinyin: Gǒng Lìjiāo; born 24 January 1989) is a Chinese Olympic shot putter and the 2020 Olympic champion in that event. A five-time Olympic player and a three-time Olympic medalist, she holds a record eight medals at the World Athletics Championships, including two World titles.[1]

Gong Lijiao
Personal information
NationalityChinese
Born (1989-01-24) 24 January 1989 (age 35)
Luquan, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight108 kg (238 lb)
Sport
CountryChina China
SportAthletics
EventShot put
Coached byLi Meisu

Career

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She finished seventh at the 2007 World Championships, her international debut. At the 2008 Summer Olympics she finished fifth but received the bronze medal later after two competitors were stripped of their medals because of doping violations.

She set a personal best throw of 19.46 metres in the qualifying round of the 2008 Olympics; this was the furthest mark for a female Chinese shot putter for over a decade. At the 2009 National Games of China, Gong further improved her personal best to 19.82 m, taking her to tenth place on the all-time Chinese shot putter's list.[2]

She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin with a personal best of 19.89 metres.[3]

She won the gold medal at the 2009 National Games of China in Jinan with a personal best of 20.35 metres.[4]

She won the gold medal at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships in Guangzhou with a personal best of 19.04 metres.

Gong initially finished fourth in the London 2012 Summer Olympics, but was retroactively awarded the bronze medal after the winner, Nadzeya Astapchuk, was disqualified for failing a drug test.[5] On 20 August 2016, the IOC announced that Yevgeniya Kolodko, the Russian silver medalist, failed an anti-doping test and Gong was therefore upgraded to the silver.[6]

In 2018, Gong won the gold medal in women's shot put during the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.[7]

In 2021, she won the gold medal in women's shot put at the 2020 Summer Olympics In Tokyo with her personal best of 20.58 m,[8] thereby becoming the first Chinese athlete to be crowned the Olympic champion in any field event and the first athlete from Asia to win an Olympic gold medal in women's shot put.[9]

At the 2023 World Athletic Championships, Gong won the bronze medal after tying Portuguese thrower Auriol Dongmo's best throw of 19.69 metres and prevailing on countback. This was her eighth World medal, breaking Ezekiel Kemboi's record for the most medals by an athlete at the championships.[1]

In 2024, Gong participated the women's shot put event in the 2024 Summer Olympics, and became a fifth-time Olympic player. She finished the fifth in the final with a distance of 19.27m. In her five-time Olympic Games, she won a gold, a silver, a bronze medal, a fourth place, and a fifth place.

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing   China
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 6th 18.66 m
2008 Asian Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 18.12 m
Olympic Games Beijing, China 3rd 19.20 m
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 3rd 19.89 m
Asian Championships Guangzhou, China 1st 19.04 m
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar 6th 18.64 m
Continental Cup Split, Croatia 2nd 20.13 m
Asian Games Guangzhou, China 2nd 19.67 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 3rd 19.97 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 2nd 20.22 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 3rd 19.95 m
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 3rd 19.24 m
Continental Cup Marrakesh, Morocco 1st 19.23 m
Asian Games Incheon, South Korea 1st 19.06 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 2nd 20.30 m
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4th 19.39 m
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 1st 19.94 m
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 19.08 m
Asian Games Jakarta, Indonesia 1st 19.66 m
Continental Cup Ostrava, Czech Republic 1st 19.63 m
2019 Asian Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 19.18 m
World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 19.55 m
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 1st 20.58 m PB
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 2nd 20.39 m
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 3rd 19.69 m
Asian Games Hangzhou, China 1st 19.58 m
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 5th 19.27 m

References

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  1. ^ a b "American Ealey wins shot put gold again, Gong claims eighth successive medal". Reuters. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ Jalava, Mirko (13 April 2009). "Gong Lijiao improves to 19.82m in Shot Put – Chinese outdoor season begins". IAAF. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. ^ "12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics - Berlin 2009 - Timetable/Results - 08-16-2009". berlin.iaaf.org. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Tilastopaja Oy Result Service". www.tilastopaja.org. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  5. ^ "IOC withdraws gold medal from shot put athlete Nadzeya Ostapchuk". Olympic News. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. ^ "IOC sanctions Evgeniia Kolodko for failing anti-doping test at London 2012". Olympic News. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Gong Lijiao wins women's shot put final at Asian Games". Xinhua. 27 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  8. ^ May, Tiffany; Chen, Elsie (5 August 2021). "A Chinese gold medalist was asked about her "masculine" appearance, prompting outrage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Athletics - Final Results". Tokyo Olympics Official Website. 1 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
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