Young skateboard prodigy heading to Paris Olympics with relaxed mood

China's youngest Olympian, 11-year-old skateboard prodigy Zheng Haohao, is heading to Paris to chase her long-cherished dream.

Zheng has already made history before her Olympic debut in Paris. The talented skateboarder from Huizhou City in south China's Guangdong Province is the youngest Chinese athlete to compete at the upcoming Olympic Games, which will officially open on July 26.

She secured a spot in the women's park skateboarding event during the Olympic Qualification Series held in Shanghai and Budapest.

During the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, Hungary in late June, Zheng's performance was a rollercoaster. She excelled in the first round, scoring an impressive 63.49 points. However, a misstep in the second round left her with only 43.84 points. To secure a chance at Olympic qualification, she needed a minimum of 67.34 points in the final round.

At this critical juncture, Zheng audaciously incorporated two challenging tricks into her final routine. Under immense pressure, she delivered an exceptional performance, earning a remarkable 72.6 points.

That moment seemed like a dream coming true, Zheng said after the qualifying event. Zheng's exceptional athletic ability was conspicuous from an early age. She initially practiced at a club run by Chen Wanqin, father of Asian Games champion Chen Ye, and persisted in training until her talent caught the attention of Wei Naizhang, the head coach of the Guangdong provincial team, in 2021.

"When I started skateboarding, I took it as a hobby and thought I would go to school as usual. As I went on with it, I was chosen by coach Wei to join Guangdong provincial team," said Zheng.

"What are the personal qualities of Zheng? She has a very focused and she's not afraid of getting tired," said Wei.

Zheng quickly stood out in various national skateboarding competitions because of her perseverance, tenacity and full devotion to the sport.

"I was nine years old when first participating in a national competition. It was the National Games and I was the youngest athlete. I wasn't nervous then, and only found it fun," said Zheng.

Many people think of Zheng as a skateboard prodigy given so many honors and medals she has won in various competitions at such a young age. However, Zheng doesn't think this way, but attributes her success to her early engagement in the event and a bit of luck.

She learned skateboard at seven, joined Guangdong provincial team at eight, participated in the National Games and international competitions at nine and ten, and secured a berth for the Paris Olympics at 11, Zheng's skateboarding pursuit is legendary, and the magic and genius hinges on the support of her mother.

Her mother Wang Zhe resigned from her job to act as an interpreter of the Guangdong provincial skateboarding team. She desired to accompany her daughter in training and healthy grown-up amid relaxed ambiance.

"My daughter told me not to pass on my anxiety and pressure to her, which were her exact words. I was greatly touched, and since then, every time I watch her competition, I know she has her own way of reducing anxiety and pressure," said Wang.

Zheng's mother and coach have reached a consensus not to instill any sense of competition, nor exerting any pressure on the child, but to provide guidance and support for Zheng to enjoy the sport's fun.

Wang even acts as a therapist for her daughter to relax muscles and regain energy quickly after each intense and tiring competition, to which Zheng is very grateful.

"I aim for the top 16 spots at the upcoming Olympic Games and I also hope to buy my mother a present in Paris," said Zheng.

For Wang, she only hopes her daughter will bravely chase her dreams whatever the results will be.

"Whatever results you achieve, no matter how far you can get, win or lose, you're always the best in my eyes. Mom and our whole family are behind you. You can fly freely and bravely as you want," Wang said to her daughter.

Braving scorching heat in Guangdong this summer, Zheng persisted in practices for hours, wearing thick and heavy protective gear. It seems to her that every rise from falling down pushes her closer to her dreams.

"It doesn't matter if I fail. I will work harder next time. I will never give up and always believe that I can succeed," said Zheng.

Zheng's teammates in Guangdong have sent her best wishes at the forthcoming competitions in Paris as the young prodigy will vie for glory at the grand event on behalf of them.

Young skateboard prodigy heading to Paris Olympics with relaxed mood

China and Africa will ramp up efforts to enhance cooperation in the education sector, partly by launching multiple programs, according to speakers at a dialogue which brought Chinese and African delegates and representatives of UNESCO together in Beijing on Friday.

The China-Africa-UNESCO High Level Dialogue on Cooperation in Education and Cultural Heritage Protection, attended by more than 40 education specialists, issued recommendations on cooperation between Chinese and African universities, and announced the launch of five centers for China-Africa cooperation in fields such as Chinese language education, vocational skills education, and teacher training.

Delegates at the dialogue said the collaboration will help Africa develop its teaching capacity and empower its young people to close the skills gap, which is paramount for the continent's long-term development and prosperity.

"Africa has vast resources, both natural resources, but also even for human capital. It is a continent with generally a very young population. It's absent from a lot of these problems that the developed world is facing like aging populations and so on and so forth. But in order to turn these natural resources or natural talents into real, productive resources and real productive human capital, we need education," said Jin Li, director of the UNESCO International Center for Higher Education Innovation.

"As Egerton University, we stand to support a collaboration that is going to support capacity-building for our staff in the university, as well as postgraduate and undergraduate training for our students within Kenya and also the People's Republic of China," said George Ogendi, a professor at Kenya's Egerton University.

The African Union has set the goal of "well educated citizens and a skills revolution underpinned by science, technology and innovation" in its 2063 roadmap, aligning with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which emphasize the importance of inclusive and equitable education, as well as lifelong learning opportunities for all.

On the sidelines of the dialogue, delegates stressed the importance of concrete actions for Africa to achieve its target.

"These are very important plans of Africa and the world for sustainable development goals. So for that, we need very good infrastructure. We need good infrastructure for information technologies. We need internet to be accessible by all. So the concerns expressed by delegates from Africa are very valid that unless we have such infrastructure available, the full benefits of education cannot be brought where it is needed," said Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia.

Noting that more than 60 percent of Africa's population is below the age of 25, delegates said that these young people could become a tremendous asset in driving sustainable growth on the continent if they are given access to quality education.

China, Africa to enhance education cooperation