At the Asian Games in Jakarta, Zhang Dong, a kayaker from China, won the men’s 1000m synchronized kayak championship with his teammates. In this Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhang Dong achieved a personal breakthrough and won the gold medal in the men’s 1000m single kayak. This is also the first gold medal of China canoeing team in this Asian Games. At the moment when he crossed the finish line, Zhang Dong beat his hand to the surface of the water excitedly.
“This gold medal is hard-won, and it is a breakthrough for myself.” Zhang Dong said.
On the 2nd, the still water canoeing event of Hangzhou Asian Games entered medal day. In the final of the first event, Zhang Dong played for China. At the Tokyo Olympic Games two years ago, he broke into the final of the event and became the first person in Asia.
In the competition, Zhang Dong fell behind Uzbekistan’s third runner in the initial stage. After the halfway, Zhang Dong increased the paddle frequency and took the lead in the boat position. In the end, he won the championship by nearly 3 seconds ahead of the second place.
Zhang Dong is very happy to achieve personal breakthrough. He said that he was disturbed by his opponent in the opening stage of the game, but fortunately he rowed every paddle firmly. “Anything can happen in the game. The opponent started very hard, and I always insisted on grasping my own rhythm.” Zhang Dong said after the race that in the last 100 meters, he broke out all his energy.
Zhang Dong is from Shandong. He joined the provincial canoeing team in 2014. In 2017, he won two gold medals in men’s 1000m single and double kayak in the National Games. At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Zhang Dong won the sixth place in the men’s 1000-meter single kayak, creating the best performance of Asian athletes in this event. In 2021, Zhang Dong became the first world champion of men’s kayak in China. Now, he has grown into the leader of men’s kayak in China.
In the mixed interview area after the game, Zhang Dong’s height of 1.96 meters was matched with a strong muscle. The image of a Shandong man appeared in front of the reporter, and the Chinese character face and thick eyebrows added a sense of domineering. The reporter noticed that there was a coin-sized blister near the tiger’s mouth in his right hand, which was the mark left by the constant friction of the paddle handle.
It is understood that Zhang Dong had been in bed for nearly half a year because of a leg injury, and his training was interrupted. For him, the waiting time was very painful, but fortunately he survived. After his comeback this year, his performance in the canoeing World Cup was average, but with the help of the coaching staff and scientific research and medical staff, Zhang Dong finally recovered. At the World Canoeing Championships held more than a month ago, Zhang Dong and his teammates qualified for the China Olympic Games.
The last Olympic Games won the sixth place in individual events. Looking forward to the Paris Olympic Games, 26-year-old Zhang Dong has a new goal. “This Asian Games is also a review before the Olympic Games. This champion has laid the foundation for me to attack Paris, hoping to stand on a higher podium at the Olympic Games.”