At last year's Paris Olympics, a young Chinese girl glided through the skatepark at Place de la Concorde, performing various tricks—she was Zheng Haohao, just 11 years old and the youngest athlete at the Games. Now 13, Zheng is set to appear at the National Games in November, once again jumping, grabbing her board, and landing on the competitive stage.
When asked what wish she made on her recent birthday, Zheng said frankly, "It was to win the National Games championship and make the top eight at the Olympics. I've also been learning many new tricks and some big moves lately, and I hope to use them at the National Games." After experiencing the Olympics, Zheng, still retaining her childlike innocence, will approach the National Games with a more mature mindset in her pursuit of gold.
The Paris Olympics became Zheng's "elementary school graduation trip." She finished 18th in the preliminaries, and the young girl summarized it this way: "I had a lot of fun."
Reaching the five-ring stage at just 11 years old was no easy feat. After experiencing the Olympics, Zheng remains as innocent as ever but has gained a layer of maturity. Last year's Olympics became nourishment for her growth: "I was a bit nervous back then, but now that I've competed in such a major event, I won't feel that way in other competitions anymore."
Zheng's mother also believes her daughter has grown: "She's gained another life experience. She's been able to stay happy while participating in skateboarding, and she's also helped more people learn about this sport."
More resilient after the Olympics
Though Zheng made her Olympic debut at just 11, her mother isn't worried that this achievement will bring pressure: "For her, it was just going to a bigger venue with many spectators watching her compete. Because she's still a child, I think she'll keep her innocence."
Zheng's mother enrolled her in various interest classes, and the reason for choosing skateboarding was simple: "Because she liked it. My daughter has been very active since she was young, and I thought she'd enjoy skateboarding, so I signed her up."
Zheng added, "I originally liked roller skating more, but later I found skateboarding even more fun."
The mother believes her daughter has grown a lot since taking up skateboarding, and learning to face failure is one of those ways: "When skateboarding, you're dealing with failure 90% of the time. The question is how you learn from it to grow and persevere, so it helps build a child's resilience." She believes the lessons gained from skateboarding will also help in life later on: "Learning how to solve problems when facing difficulties and having the courage to persevere."
The skateboarding event of the 15th National Games will be held on November 10–11 at the skatepark of Huizhou City Sports School. Zheng is already preparing actively: "I train about five hours every day, starting with warm-ups, followed by trick practice. The coach decides the specific tricks." She also joked that she's secretly honing her skills: "I've also been learning many new tricks and some big moves lately, and I hope to use them at the National Games."
Zheng moved to Huizhou three years ago. Competing "at home" this time gives her a definite home advantage: "If I'm competing in my hometown, I won't be as nervous—the nerves are cut at least in half."
"All the athletic genes in the family are in me"
Zheng has loved sports since she was young. At seven and a half, on a friend's recommendation, she began her skateboarding journey.
Her reason for choosing skateboarding was simple: "It's thrilling. When I saw Chen Ye and others doing those flying tricks, it looked really cool. I also liked roller skating when I was younger, but later I found skateboarding more fun."
Soon, Zheng's talent for skateboarding became apparent—in May 2020, at the qualifying event for the skateboarding competition of the 14th National Games, she stood out from over sixty competitors, finishing 13th and stepping into the public eye. In subsequent competitions, she gradually became one of China's top skateboarders.
(With input from Wen Wei Po; English Editor: Darius)
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