Xu JiaYu on the Los Angeles Olympics: My goal is 3 gold medals—defending my titles in the men's 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and the men's 4x100m medley relay.
On April 18, Xu JiaYu visited Chongyi Middle School in Jiangxi to give a motivational talk. Sharing his training experiences, he said: "During high-altitude training, I had to swim between 12,000 and 13,000 meters every day—sometimes all I could spit out was yellow-green bile."
Xu JiaYu said: "Looking back, there was never a time that felt the hardest—only harder ones ahead. During training, I’d experience cramps ranging from my calves to my thighs, and even extending to my chest, abdominal muscles, and neck. Painfully, I’d collapse onto the poolside, my body stiff as a doll. After stretching it out, I’d jump back into the water and keep swimming."
"If I had to pick one thing that’s truly tough, it’d probably be the annual winter training camp in Kunming—without a doubt, the hardest part of my training schedule."High-altitude training requires daily water-based exercise volumes of 12,000 to 13,000 meters.In the high-altitude, oxygen-deprived environment, pushing yourself to hold your breath underwater is incredibly challenging.To the point where, after training, they would rush ashore and vomit—only yellow-green bile coming up."But I know I have to overcome it."
"After winning this hard-earned Olympic gold medal in Paris, I had a sleepless night—but it only made me look forward even more to Los Angeles. Of course, I know this journey will bring bigger challenges ahead."Next, my goal is to break the world record—I want to push the limits once again.”
When asked about his goals for the Los Angeles Olympics, Xu JiaYu replied: "I aim to win the 100-meter backstroke, compete aggressively for the newly added 50-meter backstroke title, and lead the men’s 4x100m medley relay team to defend our U.S. championship."
Source: NetEase News, DongqiuDi, LiveBar
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