From rural China to Olympic champion - How Shi Zhiyong conquered the world

Shi Zhiyong of China competes during the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

China's weightlifting Olympic champion Shi Zhiyong: I would like to tell him that you must work hard, as I did, and I made it.

TOKYO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Shi Zhiyong is understandably proud of himself for never giving up on his sporting career after he left his hometown for weightlifting training 16 years ago.

"I would have told myself to keep working hard, because I finally succeeded," Shi told reporters Wednesday after he broke a world record to win back-to-back Olympic titles at Tokyo 2020.

The 27-year-old easily won the gold in the men's 73-kilogram category, lifting a total 364kg to eclipse his own world record by one kilogram.

But his journey towards the pinnacle of the Olympic stage was far from plain sailing, showcasing his spirit of overcoming adversity.

Shi Zhiyong of China celebrates his victory in the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Born in Wutong, Guilin, a remote town in China's mountainous south, Shi took up weightlifting at the age of nine when his talent was discovered by a coach.

While many spoke of weightlifting as a tough pursuit, Shi thinks differently. "I began to work on the farm from six years old, and I was more than capable of planting and sowing rice," he recalled.

With nothing but a crude woven bag carrying his possessions, an 11-year-old Shi headed out alone for Ningbo in eastern China, dreaming of changing his destiny.

From his first training session in Ningbo, Shi steadily improved his weightlifting and joined the provincial team after only one year.

At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Shi won gold in the men's 69kg weightlifting.

With the International Weightlifting Federation adjusting the weight categories after Rio 2016, Shi went ahead and advanced himself to the 73kg level.

Shi Zhiyong of China competes during the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

From 2018, Shi set consecutive world records and dominated his new category.

However, it was not always smooth sailing for the Chinese weightlifting star.

On July 23, just one month before the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020, he injured his left thigh while training and had to rest for 17 days.

Shi confessed that the injury was a huge blow to him and stirred up intense emotions.

"The coaching staff is still full of confidence in me. We talked about how to treat the injury together. It took around 10 days for me to recover through massage and acupuncture. And I started training just after I arrived in Tokyo. This process was very hard," Shi said.

On July 28, Shi earned gold in the men's 73kg weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.

Shi Zhiyong of China attends the awarding ceremony of the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

"The biggest challenge for me was the postponement of the Olympic Games," Shi said. "The rhythm of my preparation was disrupted, and I suffered more injuries. Everyone sees the glamorous side of me, the side I want to show most, but for all the suffering and injury, I just want to stand silently by myself."

Though he may seem passionate and boisterous on the weightlifting stage, Shi prefers quieter pursuits like fishing in his spare time.

"Fishing is more interesting than weightlifting, where I have no opponents at all," he said.

As a two-time Olympic weightlifting champion, what would Shi say to that 11-year-old boy, trying to conquer the world with his woven bag?

"I would like to tell him that you must work hard, as I did, and I made it."