SFC Talk丨Li Xiaopeng: The 15th National Games will catch more attention worldwide

（原标题：SFC Talk丨Li Xiaopeng: The 15th National Games will catch more attention worldwide）

Do you know who won the most world titles in Chinese gymnastics history?

The answer is Li Xiaopeng, Olympic Gymnastics Champion and International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Member. He won a total of 16 world titles in his career, surpassing the "Prince of Gymnastics" Li Ning, and entering the annals of world gymnastics.

Among all the world titles, the two gold medals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics may be the most unforgettable. He recalled, “It’s been 16 years since the 2008 Olympics, but sometimes when I think back, it seems like it was yesterday.”

Like Li, the 2008 Beijing Olympics is still on the minds of Chinese. This Olympic Games carried rich emotions of Chinese people, who have pursued the Olympic dream and kept fighting for it generation after generation.

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Li retired from Gymnastics. However, his work and life are still related to sports. In 2025, the 15th National Games will be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Li believes it will catch a lot of attention worldwide and promote the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

SFC Talk: Although you have been retired for 15 years, I think the Olympic experience must have been very impressive for you. What keywords would you use to describe your Olympic experience?

Li Xiaopeng: There are too many keywords: visions, dreams, tension, darkness, frustrations, never give up, perseverance…I think it encapsulates all the emotions I've had over the past 20 years.

SFC Talk: Can you elaborate on these keywords?

Li Xiaopeng: 2000 was the year I first participated in the Olympics Games. It was in Sydney, Australia. At that time I was only 19 years old. Before that, I only watched my idols, our gymnastics predecessors, competed on the gymnastics arena with those who were in our hearts the strongest players, and achieved very good results. In fact, since childhood,I have planted a wish in my heart to participate in the Olympics, to win medals with my own strength, and even win the gold medal. So at the age of 19, my dream came true. I was able to compete on such a stage as the Olympic Games and to win two gold medals in my first Olympic Games, which was full of surprises for me. At that time, I was also full of hopes for the future.

Then in 2004, I was under a lot of pressure because it wasn't the first time for me to compete in the Olympic Games. At that time, I had already won 13 world titles. Everyone's attention and all the pressure would fall on me, including my own expectations. I still hoped that I could achieve the same success as I did in Sydney. The pressure was immense. But the higher the expectations, the greater the pressure, the worse outcomes. I won a bronze medal in Athens.

After 2004, I actually hit a very low point as I grew older and my injuries kept piling up. I even had a foot operation. However,  the 2008 Olympics was held at motherland, in Beijing. It was the dream of every athlete, also the dream of all the Chinese people. A century of Olympic dream would come true.  I really wanted to participate no matter how hard it is.

But in 2007, my foot was broken, which clouded my career. In my sport career, I think 2007 to 2008 was the year with the hardest training and the most pressure. But in the end, despite such pressure, I was able to enter the competition list and won two gold Olympics medals. For me, I think it is very satisfactory.

SFC Talk:  Clearly your journey was from the peak to the trough and then back to the peak. How has such an Olympic experience affected your life?

Li Xiaopeng: I've thought about it a lot. I think that it can't always be smooth sailing for an athlete. There will always be ebbs and flows. For myself, I have a sense of satisfaction, because as an athlete, I've experienced my peaks and troughs. In the end, I was able to pick myself up, returned to my normal performance, and even won the Olympic championship. I think it is very fulfilling for me.

SFC Talk:  Like you said, it's not easy for an athlete to play at home. It's not easy to get this gold medal. Do you still remember the scene at the Beijing Olympics?

Li Xiaopeng:  It's been 16 years since the 2008 Olympics, but sometimes when I think back, it seems like it was yesterday. The National Stadium can hold more than 30,000 people, and they were cheering for you at the same time, chanting your name and cheering you on. Then when you raised your hand and take the arena, you're about to get on the apparatus, all of a sudden, there's silence, and you could hear a pin drop, so oppressive. I can still feel it now.

SFC Talk: Host country is actually a double-edged sword, It can be pressure or motivation. How do you deal with that?

Li Xiaopeng: I don't think it can be achieved overnight. It takes many years of practice. That includes the first time we participated in the Olympic Games, young and fearless, like a newborn calf not afraid of tigers. And then in 2004, we were under excessive pressure. And then in 2008, I was well seasoned. I could calm down and get focused, just think about the movements I practice every day, and treat it as a kind of performance. On the day of the competition, I performed it for my family, my coach, my teammates, and the audience, including all the viewers in front of the TV.

SFC Talk: Have you ever thought about what would happen if you failed in the Beijing Olympics?

Li Xiaopeng: I haven't thought about it. Try not to think about success or failure. Instead, I want to enjoy the whole process. How to make every step of the process perfect, and not leave any regrets.

SFC Talk: I remember when the Beijing Olympic Games just ended, many people said it would have been great if you could do the vault, then you could have won three gold medals. So do you have any shames about your Olympic experience?

Li Xiaopeng: I don't think we can say that if I had done something. Some people said if I hadn't given up the pommel horse, then I might have had hope for the all-around. Not doing the vault might have been the best decision. At that time, I was just recovering from a foot injury. For the Chinese gymnastics team, the men's team gold medal is crucial, so in order to fulfill this mission successfully, I think it's OK for me to give up the vault.

SFC Talk: So the team comes first. Is this a tradition in Chinese gymnastics?

Li Xiaopeng: Yes, it is. The team gold medal always comes first. Since the founding of the Chinese team, the team has always come first. Everyone should focus on the team and do our best. It's a legacy.

SFC Talk: You have been doing gymnastics for more than 20 years. Why did you choose gymnastics in the first place?

Li Xiaopeng: Actually, I started doing gymnastics because my mom saw the recruitment advertisement of the city sports school, and told me to give it a try. When I entered the gymnastics hall, I didn't know what gymnastics was. I just thought,"Wow, it's fun!” The floor exercise area was very big.  if you put your feet in the rings, It would swing around.And there were many kids tumbling and jumping with you. It was pure interest, so I liked it. That’s how I got into gymnastics.

SFC Talk: Is it hard to practice gymnastics?

Li Xiaopeng: As an amateur athlete, it's happier. But as a professional athlete, you have your own aspirations and ambitions. If you want to win championships and get good results, you have to go the extra mile.

SFC Talk: Compared to many traditional sports, such as table tennis, badminton, the promotion of gymnastics is not particularly good. What do you think can be done to better promote gymnastics?

Li Xiaopeng: Actually, I think the competition events of gymnastics are not as good as those of badminton and table tennis, which have tournaments. Our competition events are relatively few.But in terms of popularity, I think gymnastics is still quite popular. I'm now doing gymnastics fitness related promotion. First of all, easy access to this sport for children, so that they can feel the joy of this sport. At the same time, improve their physical wellness and let them learn something. In the whole teaching process, we don't push them to become world champions or Olympic champions. Instead, we encourage them to enjoy this sport, to be able to get physical benefits from this sport. In the future, if you go running, you may run faster; if you play basketball, you may jump higher; if you go swimming, you may become more flexible. We encourage the youth to participate in this way.

SFC Talk: Gymnastics has always been a sport of great interest to Chinese people. What do you know about our current reserve forces?

Li Xiaopeng:  Actually, after we retired in 2008, the gymnastics team went through a downturn, a period of slow adjustment. I think in every period, some excellent athletes will come out. Of course, we shouldn't put too much pressure on them. After all, gymnastics is a very, very difficult sport. There are 6 events for men, and 4 events for women. I hope that our young athletes will be able to thrive in the competitions, to mature through practice.

SFC Talk: You also mentioned that after retiring, you have been doing a lot of work promoting youth sports. So for those who want to pursue professional sports, how to choose the right sport?

Li Xiaopeng:  If you want to choose a professional sport, I think it's better to make the choice based on your own interests and physical conditions, and then make the decision. That would be better.

SFC Talk: In addition to promoting youth sports, what other work have you done after retiring?

Li Xiaopeng:  we organize competition events, including event promotion. At the same time, as a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, I often participate in some charity projects, hoping to help more children and youth through sports.

SFC Talk: Can you tell us more about the Laureus World Sports Academy?

Li Xiaopeng: Laureus has a lot of charity projects in China, including Hong Kong and Chinese mainland. In fact, many schools will use sports to attract local students and teenagers, hoping that they can feel the joy of sports, at the same time, make their mind and body stronger and healthier.

SFC Talk: What are your expectations for the 15th National Games next year?

Li Xiaopeng: I believe we all look forward to the 15th National Games, because it will be jointly organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. I think it will also promote the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and be a window for the world to understand China. Personally, I'm looking forward to watching the gymnastics competitions, and some new sports, like the pickleball. I hope to see some new elements appearing constantly.

SFC Talk: Because it's co-hosted by the three places, there will be a lot of athletes playing at home. What suggestions do you have for them?

Li Xiaopeng: As you said earlier, there are pros and cons to playing at home. I think for the athletes themselves, they need to be well prepared both physically and mentally, so that they can perform at their best in competitions.

SFC Talk: We all say that sports have no borders, sports exchanges should be very smooth. So how should we understand China through sports?

Li Xiaopeng:  I think from the founding of the People's Republic of China to reform and opening-up, from our first Olympic gold medal in shooting to hosting the Beijing Olympic Games, and then to hosting the Winter Olympic Games, Chinese sports have created so much glorious history along the way, and cultivated many outstanding athletes. So along the way I think we can see that the Beijing Olympic Games impressed the whole world, and so many outstanding athletes showed their extraordinary performance on the sports arena.

At the same time, the sports industry has been developing rapidly. We can also see in our daily lives that more and more people are participating in sports, and more sports venues and facilities are constantly emerging. I think all these can be seen by the world.

Chief Producer: Yu Xiaona

Supervising Producer: Shi Shi

Editor: He Jia

Reporter: Shi Shi

Videographer: Xiao Hang

Video Editor: Li Qun

New Media Coordination: Ding Qingyun, Zeng Tingfang, Lai Xi, Huang Daxun

Overseas Operations Supervising Producer: Huang Yanshu

Overseas Content Coordinator: Huang Zihao

Overseas Operations Editors: Zhuang Huan, Wu Wanjie, Long Lihua, Zhang Weitao

Produced by: Southern Finance Omnimedia Group