Olympic paddlers overcome injury to defend National Games title

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Olympic paddlers Hu Minghai and Shu Junrong overcame injury to defend men's C2 title in canoe slalom of the 12th National Games on Wednesday.

Hu and Shu participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics but stumbled in the semifinals. However, they advanced into the finals of London Games and finished in sixth place, the best result for Chinese canoe slalom in Olympic history.

In Wednesday's semis, they settled for second place. "This is our tactics. Our goal is to reach the finals and then give it all," said Hu."We watched the semifinal videos very carefully in order to look for a best route for the finals."

In the finals, they reached their best form and won in 105.75 seconds. "This is our third National Games. It's so tough this time," said Shu in tears. "Hu had an operation on his left knee. For that reason, we didn't train together for about four months."

Hu said: "I have suffered a lot from the injury even after the operation. In the past year, we failed to win a single national title."

They will take a short break after the games.

"I will go back home to be with my parents. I have not seen them for a long time," said Hu. "After that, I will consider going for college study."

In women's K1 finals, Li Tong of Liaoning grabbed a gold medal, only 0.02 seconds ahead of Guizhou's Cen Nanqin. The bronze medal went to Sichuan's Li Lu in 112.02 seconds.

Li Jingjing, representing Fujian and a three-time Olympic paddler, fared poorly in the semis, failing to pass three gates to cause a 150-second penalty.

"There's something wrong with my route today," said Li. "It's not because of pressure. My coach just told me to relax before the competition."

Li may call it quits since she is eager to finish her graduate study.

"I'm not sure if I will resume training for next Olympics in Rio. It all depends on my physical conditions three years later," she said.

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