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Ira Gorawara

In absence of Asia’s speediest man Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye will carry the torch for China’s sprinting aspirations in the Paris Olympics.
Holder of the Asian 200-metre record, Xie is eyeing the 100m and 200-metre finals in Paris, in what could be his last Olympic Games.
And as the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, he will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze.
While Xie is a sprinter by trade, he is also a champion at overcoming mental hurdles. His journey has been riddled by injury and setbacks – none of which, though, have been enough to deter the 30-year-old.


Peaks and troughs
In the 4x100-metre relay at the 2018 London Diamond League, an apparent harmless stumble resulted in a ligament tear and fluid build-up in Xie’s right ankle.
The Incheon Asian Games 4x100-metre relay champion posted unwanted news 26 days after his injury, and two days before the much-anticipated Jakarta Asian Games.
“The latest examination results on my injured ankle were not good, and after a tough and long consideration, we decided that I will not participate in the Asian Games for the long-term good of my career,” Xie wrote on Weibo. “I’m really sorry to let down everyone who supports me.”
Beyond his Asiad triumph, Xie amped up excitement for the 2018 Asian Games with a landmark 100-metre gold in June’s Meeting de Montreuil, becoming China’s second sub-10-second sprinter. Just a month earlier, he had set a new Chinese 200-metre record of 20.16 seconds.
Xie had a golden touch within reach at the 2018 Asiad but his injury shrunk China’s hopes on the track.


Yet the narrative completely turned on its head just one year.
Exactly 365 days on from a demoralising injury, Xie stunned the world with an Asian 200-metre record – one that remains untouched to date.
In the 2019 London Diamond League, Xie surged from fifth off the bend to cross the finish line at 19.88 seconds – eclipsing the Asian record by 0.09 seconds and his own by a staggering 0.18.
“It’s always been my dream to become the first Asian-born athlete to break the 20-second barrier over 200m,” Xie told China.org.cn after his performance. “Today I finally made it. Thinking back on all the effort that I’ve made, it’s been worth it.”
An early set back
A similar scenario confronted Xie nearly a decade before when, in 2009, a severe hip fracture relegated him to the classroom and off the track for a year.
But that would’ve been difficult to imagine for the tens of millions who caught sight of Xie’s 21.22-second 200-metre gold in the 2010 Youth Summer Olympics.


And after winning the Youth Games, Xie – who did not begin his running career until turning 13 – began his Olympic journey in 2012 before turning 19. His debut marked the start of an Olympic career that would garner a 4x100-metre bronze medal and the distinction of being China’s first athlete to reach a Summer Games 200-metre semi-final.
“I hope this honour will be a legacy and set a good goal for the new team [participating in the Hangzhou Asian Games] to work towards next year [at the Paris 2024 Olympics],” Xie said after Team China claimed its first Olympic athletics relay medal.
Xie and his relay squad received their bronze medals in a reallocation ceremony during the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games after British athlete CJ Ujah was found to have committed an anti-doping violation and China’s relay team was promoted to the podium.
Xie’s ankle injury resurfaced during the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, two months before the Asian Games. Additionally, he was set to compete in his first major event since altering his running style after the 2021 Games.
Bouncing back again
A doctoral graduate of Zhejiang University’s Physical Education and Training programme, Xie emerged as a 100-metre champion as he embraced his wife with his country’s flag draped around him and pride smeared on his face.
Xie sprinted to a self-redeeming gold in the Asian Games 100-metre final, joining the elite ranks of Lao Yi and Bingtian who previously claimed the prestigious title.


A veteran on China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, Xie also led three young sprinters to a season-best 38.29-second finish to stand atop the podium.
“For quite a long time, I haven’t been in good condition and I was a little bit lost, but many people helped me and encouraged me,” Xie told China Daily. “This gold is great recognition for me and boosts my confidence to chase quicker times.
“For about two-to-three months before the Games, I was very quiet on social media and took no interviews. I was thinking, what the fans really want are Chinese sprinters who can win gold medals at major events. So I was really focused, and did my best in training.”
The Chinese sprinting outlook seemed desolate in the build-up to Hangzhou. Just a month before, China did not send a single sprinter to the World Athletics Championships.
But Xie’s triumph rekindled hope and inspired a new era for Chinese athletics.
“Ten years ago, when it came to Chinese athletics, except Liu Xiang, which race had been remembered? Now, our China has gradually gone from obscurity to attracting everyone’s attention and love,” Xie told China Daily.
“I hope I can convey that spirit, let the younger generation of athletes know that you are laying solid foundations and platforms for Chinese athletics. You are making efforts to enable Chinese athletics to go for a higher step or stage in the future.”
With qualification rounds completed, Xie will compete in the men’s 100-metre, 200-metre and 4x100-metre relay events in Paris.
“My goals are to reach the finals of the individual event and lead China’s team to top the relay podium once again,” Xie told China Global Television Network.


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Xie Zhenye will lead China’s 4x100m relay team as they aim for a podium finish in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

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As the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, Xie will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze


As the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, he will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze.


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.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}As the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, Xie will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze

Peaks and troughs

As the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, Xie will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze