In early December, the national pistol&rifle shooting training team went to Nanning for winter training after two weeks of military training in Beijing. Over the past three weeks, the team had a very full schedule including exercises throughout the day, psychological classes, physical training, collective learning, and military training every Friday morning.

This winter training is the first of the Los Angeles Olympic cycle. The team include athletes who performed well in the Tokyo and Paris Olympic cycles, such as Yang Qian, the double gold medalist in Tokyo Olympic Games.

Once again starting the preparation for Olympic Games, she said: “During the Tokyo Olympic cycle, I was only a young team member who had so much to learn. Now I feel more prepared than before. Regardless of which cycle I’m in, it’s more important focus on the present. The competition in shooting has become increasingly fierce domestically. I hope to approach it with a calm mindset and dedicate myself wholeheartedly to my training.”

After over three weeks of training, the athletes have progressed from the basic training at the beginning to a fast-paced and more diverse training regimen.They have gained valuable experience to varying degrees. After the glory at the Tokyo Olympics, Yang Qian was not satisfied with her status during the Paris Olympic cycle. Now as she attends the first winter training in Nanning of the Los Angeles Olympic cycle, she said,

“The training here is more systematic. Some problems in the early stages of training are gradually being solved, and the communication and cooperation with the coach are also very smooth. I feel very positive and have a clearer understanding of own requirements. I hope I can keep this up and do the best I can.”

“Whoever excels gets the spot”, this is the core principle guiding the preparation and selection for the shooting events. In the team, whether you’re an Olympic champion or a newcomer, everyone is at the same starting line.

As an athlete who has experienced many competitions, Yang Qian expressed her hope to set a good example in training and life for young players. She also believes that many younger athletes also have something worthy of her learning. “I hope to communicate with them more, learn from each other, and make progress together.”

For athletes joining the team for the first time, Yang Qian also gave her advice, “The most important thing is to manage your thoughts and maintain a positive mindset. It is important to actively adjust your emotions and communicate more with coaches and teachers. Don’t keep things bottled up inside.”

In such a fair and open environment of the shooting team, everyone has an equal opportunity. The senior players are willing to share their experience, while the younger players follow the champions as role models. With clear goals in mind, we work together and strive for collective improvement.