Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming says Olympic gold medal left him ‘confused’, as he returns after year off
Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming has hit the slopes again after a year away from the sport, and said winning gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics left him “confused”.
The teenager won two medals, gold in big air and silver in slopestyle, at last year’s Games, but said the experience left him feeling mentally and physically drained.
Now refreshed after what coach Yasuhiro Sato called “burnout syndrome”, Su is eyeing a return to the slopes for the coming World Cup season.
Beyond the physical toll, Su described being in a “confused state”, and found himself grasping for a new goal.
“I never thought that I would face winning the title with this type of feeling,” Su said. “I was very clear before in terms of goals, which was achieving the best results in 2022 [at the Olympic Games].
“But after achieving the goal very suddenly, it was difficult for me to find a new goal that was particularly important to me in a very short time. I did feel worried about myself during that period.”
Su said his long break had brought a change in perspective, and the 19-year-old added he was not “full ready” after working on his tricks in Austria ahead of the start of the new season.
“I’m still trying to put up some new tricks and get ready for the World Cup,” Su said. “I just train every day. Basically, I am just the first person to ride the jumps until the jump closes. Always trying to be the best in the world.”
While Su grappled with new life goals following his Olympic triumph, he said his passion for the sport remained undimmed.
“What hasn’t changed is my love for snowboarding,” he said. “I have kept my original desire for it.”
In his first major competition since his hiatus, Su will fittingly take part in a big air World Cup event in Beijing in December, at the same site where he won his Olympic medals.
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