Everyone loves Wu Yanni, who is both beautiful and charming! What is the "most beautiful"? Chuan Meizi | Silver Medal | Wu Yanni
The women's 100m hurdles final of the Chengdu Universiade came to an end on the 4th, and "Sichuan girl" Wu Yanni won a silver medal at her doorstep, achieving a time of 12.76 seconds and meeting the standards for the Paris Olympics.
"It may be a little regrettable, but we'll see each other in Paris!" Wu Yanni wore a national flag after the game and thanked the entire audience. Breaking her personal best record twice in the semi-finals and finals of the Universiade is enough to showcase her strength and potential.
On August 4th, Wu Yanni attended the award ceremony. On that day, in the women's 100m hurdles final of the 31st Summer Universiade in Chengdu, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni won the runner up with a time of 12.76 seconds. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua
The first time the reporter saw Wu Yanni at the Chengdu Universiade was at the pre competition press conference on the morning of July 28th. The opening day of the Universiade happened to be her birthday.
"Chengdu achieves its dreams. The brilliance of this city is endless, and I can be your tour guide." Wu Yanni said to the Chinese and foreign media and guests in Sichuan dialect and English, "Chengdu, Sichuan welcomes you."
Youth and elegance are the impressions that Wu Yanni left on people. After the press conference, reporters gathered in front of the stage to ask Wu Yanni a few more questions, but she smiled and waved her hand before leaving the venue under the guidance of the staff. Without a doubt, Wu Yanni is one of the most popular athletes at this year's Universiade.
On August 4th, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni played after the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua
Fighting for the Universiade at her doorstep is of great significance to Wu Yanni. More importantly, she needs to prove herself once again in this international competition.
Wu Yanni's debut was at the 2023 National Athletics Championships. On June 29th, she won the women's 100m hurdles championship with a time of 12.93 seconds. Topics such as "Beautiful and Sassy Women's Hurdles Champion" and winning videos quickly made headlines. In the comments section, people exclaim "young and great" and "strong", calling themselves "new generation hurdle champions".
Chinese people have feelings for hurdles. In 2004, Liu Xiang won the men's 110m hurdles championship at the Athens Olympics, becoming the first Chinese male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics, creating history and writing a legend. Wu Yanni said, "Liu Xiang's repeated victories have brought too much motivation to our generation of athletes and young people."
On August 4th, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni appeared after the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jing
In the past few months, Wu Yanni's attention has skyrocketed, with constant interviews and invitations. She also updates her daily life, training, and competition videos through social media, which has led to higher expectations from people for her.
It is undeniable that the popularity of athletes such as Wu Yanni and Xia Sining is closely related to their beautiful appearance, as well as the rapid dissemination and discussion on social networks. This is not a bad thing. The spirit of hard work required by the times is not contradictory to the beauty in appearance. Moreover, the beauty of young athletes like Wu Yanni is not just about delicate facial features, but also about the overall health and vitality of their temperament, which can better support them to run, jump, and pursue their dreams.
On August 4th, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni participated in the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua
Competitive sports have always had an iron criterion for evaluation - grades. This is its cruelty, but it is also its fairness. If there is only a fleeting glimpse of a stunning moment in a broadcast, but there is no convincing result, it is just a flash in the pan. People not only enjoy beauty, but also "being both beautiful and strong". From this perspective, competitive performance is also Wu Yanni's best makeup.
"When there is pressure, there is motivation, which is also a good thing," said Wu Yanni.
Competitive sports have never been smooth sailing. In the women's 100m hurdles final of the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships held on July 13th, Wu Yanni was disqualified due to a sprint. When expectations fall through, both the audience and herself may feel a bit disappointed, but the road ahead is still long, and the young figure still has infinite possibilities on the track and field.
On August 4th, Wu Yanni attended the award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Deng Hua
"I'm not discouraged or sad, I just feel regret and unwillingness to do more." After a brief adjustment after the Asian Championships, Wu Yanni quickly joined the coaching team in preparing for the Universiade. Nowadays, Wu Yanni is still confident, sunny, and full of vitality on the field of the Chengdu Universiade.
From the women's 100m hurdles preliminary on the morning of the 3rd to the semi-finals and finals on the evening of the 4th, as soon as Wu Yanni appeared, the cheers from the audience were endless. As Wu Yanni stepped onto the track, her eyes were extremely focused, and her rhythmic warm-up, as well as her iconic ceremonial movements before the start, constantly stimulated the enthusiasm of the audience on site.
On August 4th, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni participated in the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jing
"This little move is very handsome, bold, and suitable for me. I also want to have my own signature move, to be the most authentic of myself, and to walk my own path well." Wu Yanni said, "Young people have infinite possibilities. I hope that through me, or not me, Chinese women's 100 meter hurdles can go global and reach higher heights."
When the reporter was chatting with a technical official from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Portugal about the "Youth Storm" on the field of the Universiade, he asked, "I am 70 years old this year, but my mentality is very young. Would you be willing to exchange ages with me?" Before the reporter could think of a "high emotional intelligence" answer, he immediately said, "You definitely don't want it. I asked many athletes and volunteers here, but they don't want it."
"So young people should be brave enough to be themselves, and running forward is the most beautiful way," he said.
