The girl with the world at her feet

For eight years Wen Xiaoyan has dominated T37 sprinting and long jump

If Wen Xiaoyan reflects on her journey at the Paris Paralympics, it must feel like deja vu, over and over again.

Competing in four events, Wen captured gold in each, setting new Paralympic records along the way. Amid thunderous cheers at the Stade de France, her signature crescent-shaped smile and the dimple on her cheek became familiar sights on the podium.

The first day of competition saw rain in Paris, leaving the stadium's purple track damp. But that didn't hinder Wen, who cruised to victory in the women's 200m T37 final, falling just 0.11 seconds short of her own world record.

In the following days, clear skies and sunshine returned to Paris.

However, on the morning of the women's 100m T37 final, the heavens opened once again and the temperature dropped — eerily reminiscent of the earlier conditions. Yet, once more, Wen surged ahead, crossing the finish line with a commanding lead and setting another Paralympic record.

The downpour did nothing to diminish the energy of the spectators, whose loud cheers spurred Wen on. "The atmosphere in France is incredible. I didn't want to let down a single smiling face in the crowd," she said.

Wen also praised the stadium's purple track. "It's such a soothing color — not too harsh, but soft and powerful at the same time," she said. "Running on it makes you feel relaxed, even in a high-stakes race.

"I think this purple track has a little bit of magic," she added.

Holding world records in the 100m T37, 200m T37, and long jump T37, Wen dominated all three events in Paris.

In the long jump, although her final leap was disqualified due to a foul, it unofficially surpassed her previous world record.

She also redeemed herself after her relay disqualification in Tokyo by helping the Chinese team win gold in the mixed 4x100m universal relay. And, with the team clocking in at 45.07 seconds, she added another world record to her collection — the perfect end to her stellar Paris performance.

"Tokyo's disappointment fueled my drive to keep pushing forward," she said.

"In our relay team, I had the slowest time, so my goal was to pass the baton smoothly and give my teammates as much of an advantage as possible. Running curves has never been my strength, so over the past few years, I've dedicated a lot of training to perfecting it."

For Wen, the Paralympics aren't just about gold medals. "Participating in the Paralympics is about realizing my own personal value and showcasing the progress of China's Paralympic sports," she said.

Beyond the gold medals and accolades, the Paralympics brought Wen something unexpected: a close friendship with American athlete Jaleen Roberts, her fellow competitor and fierce rival in the women's long jump T37. Wen claimed gold, Roberts took silver, and the two became unlikely friends.

"We're only a year apart in age, and compete in the same category. We first met at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London," Wen recalled.

The pair reunited at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, where Roberts struggled during the long jump final. Wen, ever the motivator, approached her and said: "Relax, reset, give it another go!" Roberts rallied, securing the silver medal. Since then, every time they meet, Roberts greets her with a warm embrace.

Three years later, at the Paris Paralympics, their friendship has deepened.

"Outside of competition, we talk about our hobbies, share funny stories and even introduce each other to our friends," Wen said, showing a video of Roberts learning Chinese during a break between events.

"She's become obsessed with learning the language, pulling me aside whenever she can to teach her a few words. She keeps urging me to learn English too, saying it would make our conversations even more fun."

Championship journey

Wen, born in 1997 in Yiyang, Hunan province, has defied the odds from an early age, showing exceptional talent in long jump and sprinting, despite a congenital disability affecting her left side. In 2015, she joined the Hunan para athletics team, beginning a career that would soon see her dominate on the world stage.

Her Paralympic journey took off in 2016, when, as a newcomer to China's national team, Wen clinched two gold medals at the Rio Games in the women's T37 long jump and 4x100m relay T35-38 — both with new world records.

At the Tokyo Paralympics, she added three more golds in the T37 100m, 200m and long jump events.

In July 2023, Wen's world records in the 100m and 200m T37 categories were broken at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris by Karen Palomeque from Columbia. But, just three months later, she reclaimed her records at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where she also won gold in the T37/38 long jump with a leap of 5.45m. Over the course of three days, she shattered three world records.

Paris marked Wen's third Paralympic Games, where her haul of gold medals and new records have charted her remarkable growth.

"Now, I'm really competing against myself. Even as the world's top-ranked athlete, I believe I can do better," she said. "For para athletes, our peak often comes later than that of able-bodied athletes. I still feel like I'm in my prime."

At 26, Wen is fully aware of the fleeting nature of her career.

"In these few precious years, I want to see how far I can push myself and how high I can go."

Wen attributes her athletic progress to the carefully crafted training plan devised by her coach, Wang Chunlei, who oversees her sprinting events, and praised Wen's stellar performance in Paris.

"It shows that she's still improving," Wang remarked.

Both long jump and sprinting demand explosive power, with speed being a key factor in achieving greater distances in the long jump. "The two events complement each other," Wang said. "When her sprinting improves, so does her long jump."

For athletes like Wen, who have impairments on one side of their body, conventional training methods aren't always suitable. Wang has tailored specific exercises to target Wen's affected side, gradually closing the gap between the impaired and unaffected limbs.

"Wen's optimism and dedication are unmatched," Wang said. "As a veteran, she not only excels in her own events, but also provides valuable guidance to younger athletes, serving as a role model both on and off the field."

In addition to her athletic achievements, Wen has embraced a new role. In 2022, she began working at Hunan Xiangya Bo'ai Rehabilitation Hospital. When she isn't training or competing, she trades her tracksuit for a white coat, navigating between treatment rooms and offices with the same determination that makes her a champion.

Wen actively promotes injury prevention, and guides the rehabilitation of patients recovering from workplace injuries.

"Sports and medicine are inseparable," she says, adding that physical activity plays a crucial role in recovery for people with disabilities.

She now hopes that her penchant for overachieving on the track will extend to pursuing her graduate studies in sports science.

It's probably fair to say that Wen is someone destined to excel, regardless of the field.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn