Shanxi athlete sweeps two taekwondo golds at Chengdu Universiade

Zhou Zeqi (left) wrestles with a rival from Uzbekistan in the women's team taekwondo event at the Chengdu FISU World University Games on Aug 4. [Photo/Shanxi Daily] 

Zhou Zeqi from North China's Shanxi province and her teammates clinched the gold medal in the women's team taekwondo event at the Chengdu FISU World University Games on Aug 4. 

It's Zhou's second gold at the games. On Aug 3, she emerged victorious in the women's 73kg category final, defeating Turkey's Erdem Mervenur and securing her first individual gold. 

"Zhou Zeqi's height and long legs make her suitable for long-range attacks. Her high kicks give her a scoring advantage, and her performance in the competition was outstanding," said Ren Qiang, leader of the Shanxi taekwondo team.

Born in the provincial capital of Taiyuan in 1999, Zhou joined the Shanxi taekwondo team's training program in 2016 and was selected for the national taekwondo team in 2017. 

Under the guidance of national team coaches, she quickly excelled in the sport. In August 2019, she achieved a third-place finish at the World Taekwondo Team World Cup Championship. In 2020, she consistently placed in the top three in the national championships, and won the runner-up title at the 2022 Asian Taekwondo Championships in South Korea. 

This July, Zhou was selected to represent the Chinese national taekwondo team at the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. 

Zhou's victory not only brings honor to Shanxi but also demonstrates the outstanding performance of Chinese taekwondo athletes on the international stage. It serves as an inspiration for other young athletes and reinforces China's commitment to promoting sports and talent development.