China's youngest player at Paris Olympics poised for bright future

China's Zheng Haohao competes in the women's park skateboarding prelims during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on August 6, 2024. Photo: VCG

Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao concluded the women's bowl preliminary round at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday with a score of 63.19, missing out on the finals. Aged 11, Zheng is the youngest athlete in the Chinese Sports Delegation at this year's Olympics.

Having started skateboarding at age 7, Zheng was already competing at the 2021 National Games before she turned 9. It was then that her Olympic dream took root.

 "At first, I thought skateboarding was a really cool sport, but as I kept practicing, I wanted to become a professional athlete and compete in the Olympics," said Zheng. 

According to a report by the Xinhua News Agency, Zheng's mother, Wang Zhe, recalled that Zheng refused to use a stroller after learning to walk at 1 year old. "She didn't like walking on flat surfaces; she preferred rugged paths where she could climb rocks and stairs."

Wang had tried various extracurricular activities with her daughter, but nothing seemed to capture Zheng's interest. It wasn't until Zheng was in second grade that Wang bought her a skateboard for her birthday.

In 2019, the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau guided the establishment of the Guangdong Province Roller Skating (Skateboarding) Team in Huizhou. Head coach Wei Naizhang discovered Zheng during a talent search.

"Zheng reacts very quickly and has a strong ability to learn new moves," Wei said. Besides her talent, Zheng also displays remarkable perseverance. 

During one training session, Zheng injured herself and lost a toenail, but she still asked the coach when she could resume training.

"Although she is very young, she is highly focused on skateboarding. If she doesn't execute a move correctly, she can immediately identify the problem and correct it," Wei said.

After officially joining the provincial team, Zheng improved her skills rapidly. By September 2021, at just 9 years old, she represented Guangdong at the National Games and placed 14th in the semifinals. 

In August 2022, she won the gold medal in the women's B group bowl event at the Guangdong Provincial Games.

For Zheng, competitions are more like a stage to showcase herself and meet new people. Skateboarding is her way of communicating with the world.

"Participating in the Olympics makes me feel like more people will know me. I enjoy making friends, and I started skateboarding just to meet people and have fun," she said. "This Olympic competition is probably the one I've the least pressure and I'm the least nervous."

On August 11, the day the Paris Olympics concludes, Zheng will celebrate her 12th birthday.