Profile | Who is China’s Yang Siqi? From mountain to surfing at 2024 Paris Games, farm girl becomes country’s first Olympic surfer
- Rural girl with an unshakeable spirit first saw the sea at age of nine
- Coach praises ‘exceptional’ levels of fitness, sense of courage
It is story that is as unlikely as it is uplifting.
A young woman from a landlocked region of rural China, who first saw the sea when she was nine-years-old, reaches the pinnacle of a sport based on water.
Farm girl turned surfer, Yang Siqi, has attracted widespread attention and acclaim after making history by becoming the country’s first athlete compete in the surfing event in the Olympics which will be held in Paris in July.
The 21-year-old, who is originally from the mountainous area of Liangshan in Sichuan province in the southwestern China, is now on the verge of glory.
No easy journey
Yang’s entry into the world of surfing was inspired by an inherent love of adventure.
At the age of nine, in search of a new sporting challenges, she turned to her uncle, a wrestling coach, for advice.
Expecting to be guided towards taekwondo, a sport she had shown interest in, she was surprised when he introduced her to sailing.
The unexpected advice led the then nine-year-old to her first encounter with the sea in Haikou, a southern port city and capital of China’s island province Hainan.
The meeting sparked a profound connection and set the stage for her surfing future.
“It’s not because I’m from a rural area and need sport as a way out, but because I love sport, and my parents respect and support my choice” Yang told China Youth Daily.
Her early days in the sailing team were challenging. She could not swim and experienced a number of capsizes. However, the hardships simply spurred her on to conquer her fears.
The turning point for Yang came in 2018 when China established a national surfing team in the wake of a 2016 announcement that surfing was to become an Olympic sport.
She seized the day, made the transition from sailing to surfing and embarked on her new journey.
“I didn’t know what surfing was at the time, had no concept of the sport, and hadn’t even seen it before. The first time I saw someone surfing was at a seaside club, and I thought they were so cool!” said Yang.
Overcoming hurdles
In 2019, she made her international debut at the World Junior Surfing Championships, and then showed remarkable progress at the 2022 World Surfing Games (WSG).
A year later, Yang took part in the 2023 WSG, reaching the fifth repechage round and securing a 31st place out of more than 130 female competitors.
Her coach, Luo Yang, has praised her diligence, confidence, self-discipline, maturity and clarity in goal-setting.
The young surfer’s exceptional fitness levels and courage further distinguish her as a standout competitor.
“She has good physical fitness, outstanding strength, and is among the braver girls who are not afraid of a challenge,” coach Luo said.
“Surfing is an extreme sport, and the sport’s judges tend to favour aggressive athletes who dare to take on challenges. Yang Siqi is exceptionally well-suited to surfing,” he added.
Her training regime is extensive and very rigorous and is made up of four daily sessions that cover water-based routines, physical fitness enhancement and tactical analysis using video reviews.
The Final Feat
Prior to the 2024 World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico, in order to prepare for the challenges posed by the large waves and the potential risk of being submerged for extended periods, Yang was trained to hold her breath for a full three minutes.
Her steady performance, winning the heat with 11.83 points, beating British surf-skate phenomenon Sky Brown and Costa Rica’s 2021 Olympian Brisa Hennessy, earned her an historic Olympic berth.
Her feat was the culmination of six years of dedication, yet it only marks the start of her journey.
“I love surfing because it’s particularly exciting. Catching a good wave makes me very happy. The sea is like my good friend because it gives me a lot of good waves,” Yang told Xinhua Net.
