Gong Lijiao on her last day in career

After winning the National Games for 5 editions in a row, Gong Lijiao, the shotput queen, announced retirement. She reviewed her last day in career: “I suppose today counts as perfect. I’d been thinking about this five-in-a-row for so long. But there’s also regret — and of course that regret is the Paris Olympics. I was actually in great form that year, but because of the injury, the back injury, I had to play under injections, and I just couldn’t show my real level. That’s something I still feel deeply sorry about. So it’s ‘perfect’, ‘regret’, and also ‘perseverance. ”