Going the distance: Tearful Gong signs off with fifth straight Games title

When Gong Lijiao stepped into the shot put circle on Sunday night, she knew the moment would mark the end of a journey that began more than two decades ago.

Holding the shot, bending her elbow, turning and unleashing one final effort — the Olympic champion completed her last throw at the 15th National Games with the same intensity that defined her career.

As the metal ball landed, Gong thrust her arms into the air and shouted. She bowed deeply to the crowd at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Guangzhou, and then the tears came — a release shaped by grief for her late mother, the thrill of clinching her fifth consecutive National Games title and the ache of leaving the arena for the last time.

At 36, Gong was the undeniable focal point of the evening. The "five-time veteran" of the National Games delivered a throw of 19.68 meters to defend her title and complete an extraordinary five-in-a-row sweep of the women's shot put — a feat unmatched in the Games' history.

Her journey began on the National Games stage, when she arrived as a teenager from rural Hebei. Over the years, she evolved from a promising newcomer into the figure who carried the weight of China's hopes in women's shot put on the global stage, breaking barriers with Olympic and world championship golds and defining an era in Chinese women's throwing.

Even with the championship already secured before her final attempt on Sunday — three of her first five throws had already exceeded 19 meters — Gong refused to let the final moment slip by. She stepped into the circle and gave everything she had left.

"No matter how far it goes, this is my final throw on the field. It's a throw worth remembering and cherishing," she said, recalling the moment.

Love, she said later, was what kept her going all these years. After the competition, she walked the field to shake hands with officials and waved to the stands one last time. When asked to summarize her career, she chose three words: "perfect," "regret" and "perseverance".

"Today, the 'five consecutive titles' feels perfect," she explained.

"The regret is definitely Paris — my form wasn't good and I was injured. And perseverance… I kept going because I loved it, and I wanted to make shot put, a relatively niche event, more popular.

"I'm grateful to myself, for never abandoning or giving up all these years, for holding on until the end for the dream in my heart.

"The journey was tough, but with so many honors, it was all worth it."

From a rural girl, to a national, world and Olympic champion, Gong's athletic life was defined by repetition — the same set of movements practiced millions of times. They took an inexorable toll and, ultimately, it was her body, not her will, that forced her to step away.

"My knee injuries have seriously affected my daily life. I'm even afraid to climb stairs," she said.

Her mother's passing early this year added another emotional weight.

"After I finished my final throw, the first person I thought of was my mom. I hope she could see it," she said.

Talking about her mother during a post-competition interview, Gong broke down. She wiped away her tears quickly and tried to smile, but emotion overwhelmed her.

"I really wish my mom could have seen it. I've done it. I achieved the five-straight titles."

Looking ahead, Gong plans to take a long break, undergo surgery and rebuild her daily life.

But retirement will not take her away from the sport she loves. She will join the Hebei athletics center as a coach, passing on the torch of Chinese women's shot put to young talent like Zhang Linru and Ma Yue — and she hopes to play a role in promoting the event nationwide.

She wants to see more Chinese throwers stand tall on the international stage, she said, and continue writing new, glorious chapters in Chinese athletics.

And though she has stepped away from the circle, the legacy she leaves behind — the records, medals and the generations she has inspired — will go much further than her final throw.