Chen Zhong
Encyclopedia
Chen Zhong is a retired Chinese taekwondo
competitor who represented her country at international level for more than 10 years, including three consecutive Summer Olympic Games. She won China's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, and successfully defended her title at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, but did not make it past the quarter-final round.
, Henan
, People's Republic of China. She played basketball at the Jiaozuo Amateur Sport School for four years before changing to taekwondo in 1995. At first, she found the training difficult (she was required to execute more than 1,000 kicks each day) and would call her mother regularly. Chen doubted that she could continue but her mother told her to persevere, saying that if others could endure the programme, so could she. Chen was selected for the Chinese national taekwondo team in 1997.
in Busan
and silver at the 1998 Asian Championships in Ho Chi Minh City. She won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the 1998 Asian Games
in Bangkok. Aged 16 at the time, she refused to leave the competition mat for over an hour after losing the semi-final match. In 1999, she came third in her division at the World Championships
in Edmonton
.
In 2000, Chen graduated from the Beijing Sports School, and went on to study at Beijing Sport University
. Leading up to the Olympic Games that year, she won gold at the 2000 Asian Championships in Hong Kong. Chen won the gold medal in the women's +67 kg (heavyweight) competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, defeating Natalia Ivanova
from Russia. This was China's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo.
Chen continued performing at the highest levels of competition, taking first place at the 2001 World Cup in Ho Chi Minh City, second place at the 2001 World Championships
in Jeju City
, first place at the 2002 World Cup in Tokyo, and second place at the 2002 Asian Games
in Busan, all in the 72 kg division. In 2003, she came third at the World Championships
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
. In 2004, Chen successfully defended her Olympic title at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, defeating Myriam Baverel
of France. Chen Liren was coaching her at this time.
In 2005, due to sport-related injuries, Chen underwent surgery on her right knee. The following year, she won gold in her division at the 2006 Asian Games
in Doha
. The year after that, she took first place at the World Championships
in Beijing. Leading up to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chen won her division at the 2008 Asian Championships in Luoyang
. By this time, Zhang Jinghui (a former teammate) was coaching her. Given her dominant performance, Chen entered the Beijing Olympic campaign as a clear favourite to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
At the quarter-finals of the women's heavyweight taekwondo competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Chen fought Sarah Stevenson
from Great Britain and was declared the winner, but British officials protested. They claimed that the referees missed a scoring kick by Stevenson; subsequent examination of video footage showed this to be true. Chen's victory was rescinded, and Stevenson advanced. This was the first time in Olympic taekwondo history that a result was changed. In the semi-final round, the British athlete lost to María del Rosario Espinoza
(the eventual gold medallist), meaning that any opportunity for Chen to win a medal through repechage
was gone.
During most of her competitive career, Chen was listed at 180 cm (5' 11") in height and 72 kg (159 lb.) in weight. One of her training methods was to practise kicking a volleyball that had been thrown into the air. Around 2003, she held the rank of 3rd dan
in taekwondo.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
competitor who represented her country at international level for more than 10 years, including three consecutive Summer Olympic Games. She won China's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, and successfully defended her title at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, but did not make it past the quarter-final round.
Early life
Chen was born on 22 November 1982 in JiaozuoJiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, People's Republic of China. She played basketball at the Jiaozuo Amateur Sport School for four years before changing to taekwondo in 1995. At first, she found the training difficult (she was required to execute more than 1,000 kicks each day) and would call her mother regularly. Chen doubted that she could continue but her mother told her to persevere, saying that if others could endure the programme, so could she. Chen was selected for the Chinese national taekwondo team in 1997.
Competitive taekwondo career
In the first two years of her international competitive career, Chen was Chinese national champion in her division, and took bronze at the 1997 East Asian Games1997 East Asian Games
The 2nd East Asian Games were held in Busan, South Korea from May 10 to May 19, 1997.Originally the 2nd edition of East Asian Games was to be held in Pyongyang, North Korea in September, 1995. However, North Korea dropped the 2nd Games due to the unstable policial situation in the Korean...
in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
and silver at the 1998 Asian Championships in Ho Chi Minh City. She won a bronze medal in taekwondo at the 1998 Asian Games
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
in Bangkok. Aged 16 at the time, she refused to leave the competition mat for over an hour after losing the semi-final match. In 1999, she came third in her division at the World Championships
1999 World Taekwondo Championships
The 1999 World Taekwondo Championships were the 14th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Butterdome, University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada from June 2 to June 6, 1999 with 550 athletes participating from 66 countries.-Men:...
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
In 2000, Chen graduated from the Beijing Sports School, and went on to study at Beijing Sport University
Beijing Sport University
Beijing Sport University , founded on November 1, 1953, has contributed greatly to the sustainable development of Chinese sport and physical education and has enjoyed the fame as one of the key sport universities in China and in the world.In the past five decades, over 30,000 students of...
. Leading up to the Olympic Games that year, she won gold at the 2000 Asian Championships in Hong Kong. Chen won the gold medal in the women's +67 kg (heavyweight) competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, defeating Natalia Ivanova
Natalia Ivanova (taekwondo)
Natalia Ivanova is a Russian taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist. She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she received a silver medal in the +67 kg class.-References:...
from Russia. This was China's first Olympic gold medal in taekwondo.
Chen continued performing at the highest levels of competition, taking first place at the 2001 World Cup in Ho Chi Minh City, second place at the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2001 World Taekwondo Championships were the 15th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Jeju, South Korea from November 1 to November 7, 2001.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-References:*...
in Jeju City
Jeju City
Jeju is the capital of Jeju province in South Korea and the largest city on the island of Jeju. Its geographical location is . The city is served by Jeju International Airport ....
, first place at the 2002 World Cup in Tokyo, and second place at the 2002 Asian Games
2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
in Busan, all in the 72 kg division. In 2003, she came third at the World Championships
2003 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2003 World Taekwondo Championships are the 16th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany from September 24 to September 28, 2003. A total of 830 athletes, 502 males and 328 females, from 100 nations took part in the...
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
. In 2004, Chen successfully defended her Olympic title at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, defeating Myriam Baverel
Myriam Baverel
Myriam Baverel is a French taekwondo practitioner and Olympic medalist. She competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she received a silver medal in the +67 kg class...
of France. Chen Liren was coaching her at this time.
In 2005, due to sport-related injuries, Chen underwent surgery on her right knee. The following year, she won gold in her division at the 2006 Asian Games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
. The year after that, she took first place at the World Championships
2007 World Taekwondo Championships
The 2007 World Taekwondo Championships were the 18th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Beijing, China from May 18 to May 22, 2007.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Men:-Women:-References:*...
in Beijing. Leading up to the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chen won her division at the 2008 Asian Championships in Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. By this time, Zhang Jinghui (a former teammate) was coaching her. Given her dominant performance, Chen entered the Beijing Olympic campaign as a clear favourite to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
At the quarter-finals of the women's heavyweight taekwondo competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Chen fought Sarah Stevenson
Sarah Stevenson
Sarah Diana Stevenson is a British Taekwondo athlete from Bentley near Doncaster, England.Stevenson finished fourth on her Olympics debut in 2000 and after a judging error was reversed in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, she went on to win a Bronze medal, the first British...
from Great Britain and was declared the winner, but British officials protested. They claimed that the referees missed a scoring kick by Stevenson; subsequent examination of video footage showed this to be true. Chen's victory was rescinded, and Stevenson advanced. This was the first time in Olympic taekwondo history that a result was changed. In the semi-final round, the British athlete lost to María del Rosario Espinoza
María del Rosario Espinoza
María del Rosario Espinoza, is a Mexican taekwondo practitioner. Espinoza stands at 173 cm and weighs 69 kg....
(the eventual gold medallist), meaning that any opportunity for Chen to win a medal through repechage
Repechage
Repechage is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round.- Types of repechage :...
was gone.
During most of her competitive career, Chen was listed at 180 cm (5' 11") in height and 72 kg (159 lb.) in weight. One of her training methods was to practise kicking a volleyball that had been thrown into the air. Around 2003, she held the rank of 3rd dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in taekwondo.
Post-competition career
In the period leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics, Chen had indicated that she would retire for taekwondo competition after the Olympic tournament. She said, "I'm a single girl who has wandered around for 10 years. My parents want me to settle down." She has described herself as introverted, and paints as a hobby.See also
- China at the 2000 Summer OlympicsChina at the 2000 Summer OlympicsThe People's Republic of China competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The team excluded athletes from the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, after the territory's return to Chinese rule in 1997, and which competed separately as Hong Kong, China...
- China at the 2004 Summer OlympicsChina at the 2004 Summer OlympicsChina competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.The team won 32 gold medals and 63 medals in total ....
- China at the 2008 Summer OlympicsChina at the 2008 Summer OlympicsChina was the host nation of the 2008 Summer Olympics.China was represented by the Chinese Olympic Committee , and the team of selected athletes were officially known as Team China....
- Taekwondo at the Summer OlympicsTaekwondo at the Summer OlympicsTaekwondo made its first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The opening ceremony featured a mass demonstration of taekwondo with hundreds of adults and children performing moves in unison. Taekwondo was again a...
- Zhuang XiaoyanZhuang XiaoyanZhuang Xiaoyan is a Chinese judo coach, former international judo champion, and winner of the gold medal for judo in the women's +72 kg division at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Her medal was China's first Olympic gold medal in judo.-Early life:Zhuang was born on 4 May 1969 in Shenyang, Liaoning,...
External links
- People's Daily Online contains photographs of Chen (August 2004).