Beijing 2022: China’s Liu Jiayu sees gold medal – and toppling Chloe Kim – on her horizon

Snowboarding star says the battle is with herself as she looks to improve on the silver she won in South Korea

‘If I am doing some new tricks, I say, ‘if I die I die. At least I die happy. If you are human, you have fear’

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China’s Liu Jiayu has been training at the UFC’s Performance Institure in Shanghai. Photo: UFC Performance Institute Shanghai

Published: 7:15am, 1 Sep 2021Updated: 9:32am, 1 Sep 2021

China’s snowboarding star Liu Jiayu has set her sights on gold at February’s Beijing Winter Olympics and she’s been pushing her body to its very limits as she tries to find the edge needed to dethrone reigning Olympic and world champion Chloe Kim.

Korean-American sensation Kim returned to competition earlier this year after a 22-month study break and the 20-year-old immediately claimed another world half-pipe title. It was some statement of intent as the Beijing 2020 opening ceremony approaches on February 4.

Liu took silver behind Kim at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics – a first-ever medal in the sport for China – and while she readily accepts that her rival will again be the one to beat in Beijing, the 28-year-old from Hegang in China’s northeast said the battle begins with herself.

“I don’t compare myself to any girls in the world,” Liu said. “I am just about reaching my best personal level. I want to beat myself and be the best I can be in my career. That’s my goal. If you care about the rest, I think you’ve lost already.

“Out of competition, we are all friends. All the girls are really lovely. But when you are on the course, you never know who is going to be the best on that day. You just have to prepare yourself to be the best.”