Is rhythmic gymnastics as popular as traditional artistic gymnastics in China?
I think rhythmic gymnastics is more popular right now. Artistic gymnastics started earlier; it has been in China about 50 years. My coach’s generation, their sport was artistic gymnastics. [About 20 years ago,] the country invited some Russian experts to teach Chinese coaches [rhythmic gymnastics]. Today, more and more Chinese people really like rhythmic gymnastics. First, it’s very beautiful. Second, this sport is enjoyable and it’s not as easy to get injured. It’s not like artistic gymnastics where it’s hard on injuries. Were you ever injured? Nothing really heavy, just twisted ankles or my knee or my back, stuff like that. The most I was out was like two months. When did you hang up your ribbons and retire as a professional gymnast? I retired from my sports career when I was 18 years old. Then I really wanted to go to a university to study other programs. Because I was a professional athlete developed by China and…everything was paid by the country, I had to join a sport universit
