Never mind the lost shoe. Or the blisters.
Long-distance runner Zhang Yingying won twice during the 28th Summer Universiade 2015 held from July 3-14 in Gwangju, South Korea, bagging a gold and a bronze medal.
Clocking in at 1:15:06 and reaching the finish line with only one shoe left and a right foot bleeding from blisters, Zhang bagged the bronze medal in the 10,000-meter run. She seized the gold medal during the half marathon.
Halfway to the finish line, a runner behind her accidentally stepped on her right heel removing her shoe. She continued running the next 5,000 meters with only one shoe.
Her injured right foot was nearly healed when she decided to continue joining the half marathon; however, she refused the suggestion of the doctor to put a bandage on it saying it would only cause her “discomfort.”
Organized by Switzerland-based Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) or International University Sports Federation, the international multi-sport event Universiade is held every two years. The first games--Summer Universiade--were held in 1959 in Turin, Italy.
In 2013, Kazan, Russia, hosted the 27th Summer Universiade, and Trentino, Italy, hosted the 26th Winter Universiade after Maribor, Slovenia, backed out citing financial difficulties. Taipei, Taiwan, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, will host the 29th Summer and 28th Winter Universiade, respectively in 2017.
This year, according to FISU’s official website, the top three winning countries are South Korea with 108 medals (47 gold, 32 silver, 29 bronze), Russia with 122 (34 gold, 39 silver, 49 bronze) and China with 72 (34 gold, 22 silver, 16 bronze).
Zhang won medals in the past, such as in the 2007 Beijing International Marathon and 2008 Xiamen International Marathon. Because of the unique experience and the pain she endured during the Universiade’s 10,000-meter run, Zhang told Xinhua that the bronze medal she won is now her “most important medal.”
Zhang Yingying won without stepping on anyone’s toes.