Olympic star gears up to donate championship kit

To celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, Wu Jingyu, a two-time Olympic champion and vice-chairperson of the Chinese Taekwondo Association, offered to donate of her beloved protective gear to the Beijing Olympic Museum on Wednesday.

Wu won her first Olympic gold medal at the age of 21 during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and later successfully defended her title in the women's 49kg category at the 2012 London Olympics.

Wu says that, after winning the gold medal in Beijing, the organizing committee congratulated her and presented her with the set of protective gear as a memento.

"I was extremely excited at the time, and I have cherished it ever since," Wu says.

She explains that, after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, electronic protective gear, with built-in sensing chips, was introduced. As the electronic gear is shared among the athletes, it is difficult for individual athletes to collect such personal items.

"That's why I cherish this set from the Beijing Olympics even more," she adds.

"It holds great significance for me, but I hope that more people can see it and be inspired to participate in taekwondo, carrying forward the Olympic spirit," says Wu.

Along with the protective gear, Wu also donated molds of her hands and feet, made on-site, to the Beijing Olympic Museum. These molds mark the first to be donated by an Olympic champion to the museum.

During the donation ceremony, Hou Kun, a collector of Olympic memorabilia, also donated some items from his personal collection to the museum.

The Beijing Olympic Museum is currently undergoing renovation and will soon be open to the public.

Hou says he hopes that his donations will serve as a bridge to help facilitate exchanges and interactions between the Beijing Olympic Museum and Olympic museums around the world.