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"I never saw the sea before I was 9 years old, and I participated in the Olympic surfing competition at the age of 15." Recently, 15-year-old Yang Siqi from Liangshan, Sichuan, has caused heated discussions on the Internet. In the early morning of August 2, Beijing time, the third round of the Paris Olympic Games women's surfing competition was held. Chinese surfer Yang Siqi competed against Caroline Marks, the favorite to win the championship in the United States, but unfortunately stopped. The 15-year-old Yang Siqi is the first Chinese surfer to appear in the Olympic arena, and she created the best Olympic result for China in this event.

▲Yang Siqi's competition on August 2

Among the 48 male and female surfers participating in the Paris Olympics, Yang Siqi is the youngest. In the third round, Yang Siqi's total score was 1.63, while the total score of American player Caroline Marks was 6.93. The rules of the surfing competition are: two players can catch waves an unlimited number of times within 30 minutes, and the highest scores of the two actions are added together as the final score. In the end, Yang Siqi failed to advance to the top 8.

▲Yang Siqi in the competition. Photo courtesy of the International Olympic Committee's official Weibo

Red Star News reporter learned that Yang Siqi was born in a rural family in Yimen Town, Huili City, Liangshan Prefecture. At first, she learned judo for more than a month, and then her uncle recommended her to the Qionghai Water Sports School in Sichuan Province. After entering the water school, Yang Siqi practiced sailing, and later switched to surfing, and since then she has been connected with this sport. She had never seen the sea before she started surfing at the age of 9.

▲Yang Siqi at the surfing competition. Photo courtesy of the International Olympic Committee’s official Weibo account

Normally, Yang Siqi trains very hard, and her blond hair is the result of long-term exposure to the sun and corrosion from the sea. In 2019, Yang Siqi joined the national team and won the national championship many times. In March this year, Yang Siqi won the first Olympic qualification for the Chinese surfing team at the World Surfing Championships in Puerto Rico, making history.

In the first round on July 28, Yang Siqi ranked third in the group and failed to advance directly to the third round, so she entered the second round. On July 29, Yang Siqi fought harder and harder in the second round, defeating a Peruvian player and advancing to the top 16. In the first two rounds, Yang Siqi's performance also conquered foreign media reporters, who praised her as "brave like a warrior." This brave and fearless "little sister" full of strength and vitality struggled with the huge waves until the end. Although she was unfortunately eliminated in the third round, she has created the best result of China's Olympic surfing project.

▲Yang Siqi has achieved the best result in China's Olympic surfing event. Photo provided by the interviewee

Earlier, Luo Yang, coach of the Chinese surfing team, said in an interview with Red Star News that Yang Siqi's performance in the competition exceeded expectations and she showed Chinese style on the Olympic stage. "The main purpose of this competition is to accumulate experience in competitions and ensure a smooth and safe completion." Luo Yang introduced that for Yang Siqi, participating in the Olympics is just a beginning. It is more about accumulating experience in competitions, learning from outstanding surfers around the world, and performing better in more world competitions in the future. Yang Siqi is still young and has many opportunities and space in the future.

Recently, Yang Siqi's mother, Ms. Chen, has been following her daughter's competition at home, feeling both happy and nervous. "Siqi is the best in my mind, and she has made history." Ms. Chen said in an interview with Red Star News that she praised her daughter's performance in the Olympics. "She has always wanted to compete in the Olympics and win glory for the country, and now her wish has finally come true. She tried her best, and no matter what place she gets, our family is proud of her. In the future, I hope she will continue to win glory for the country on the field."

The Chinese surfing team was established in 2018. In just 6 years, Yang Siqi has already competed in the Olympic surfing competition. On her surfboard, it is written: "Dream of what you want to do, go where you want to go, and become who you want to be." Yang Siqi said that it was not because she came from the countryside and needed to practice sports to find a way out, but because she really likes sports. In 6 years, from the Daliang Mountains in Sichuan to the Olympic Games, she has completed the story of a mountain girl embracing the sea. Come on, Yang Siqi, the future is promising!

Red Star News reporter Jiang Long

Editor: Guo Yu, Editor-in-Chief: Deng Feiguang