Chinese hurdler Wu Yanni is aiming to advance to the finals in her maiden Olympics at the upcoming Paris Games, she told China Global Television Network (CGTN) in an interview.
Wu, who won a silver medal at both the Chengdu Universiade and the Hangzhou Asian Games, said she also hopes to break stereotypes of track and field athletes.
"I hope to break the stereotype that most people have about track and field athletes. People tend to think that we are short-haired, don't do any make-up and that we are just ordinary athletes. I think now, in the 21st century, athletes should be able to show their individuality. Show the world a different kind of beauty in the sport of track and field. So maybe I always look a bit overdressed on the track," she said.
The star hurdler mentioned her performance at the Chengdu Universiade in 2023, where she clocked a time of 12.76 seconds, qualifying her for the Paris Olympics.
"I really didn't expect to do that. I entered the race thinking that maybe I could qualify for the Olympics this time. But I really didn't expect to actually do it. So when I did it I was really, really excited. But afterwards, when I think about it more, I don't feel the same excitement. Because I, Wu Yanni, does have the ability to do it," she said.
Wu said she will take the opportunity to compete at the Paris Olympics as a learning curve,essential for personal growth.
"It's an experience for me to grow stronger, and to learn. It's also encouragement for me, as it is my first Olympics. My childhood dream when I first started training was to compete at the Olympics. So I will compete at these Games knowing that I'm here to learn. We all know that, China and maybe Asia is not very good at hurdles. So I hope that I have the ability to advance to the final," she said.
She emphasized that hurdling has helped enhance her mental performance and ability to withstand pressure.
"I feel I'm more mature mentally in a lot of aspects. I used to be very impatient facing pressure. But this sport has taught me a lot. Like I used to say, if you want someone to grow as a person, train in athletics. So this sport has made me who I am in a lot of ways. Like what my coach likes to say, track and field is a sport for grown-ups. After a while you will find some true life in this sport," she said.
Wu discussed her previous injury, saying she is focusing on getting into top shape ahead of the Paris Olympics.
"Defeats and injuries are what happens to athletes. There's no way to avoid it. What is really difficult, is to live through that and grow from that," she said.
"Everybody knows what I need to improve on, my start at the race. And my physical strength and a lot of details needs to be polished. Now I still have an injury and I have to make sure it doesn't get worse leading up to the Olympics," she added.
Chinese female hurdler aims for Paris Olympics finals, breaks stereotypes in track and field
Reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermine both the country's domestic economy and the global economy at large, said Philippe Monnier, former executive director of the Greater Geneva Berne Area Economic Development Agency, during an interview Friday.
Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on so-called reciprocal tariffs, imposing a 10-percent minimum baseline tariff and higher rates on certain trading partners.
Highlighting the principles of the WTO, Monnier emphasized the importance of adhering to established mechanisms for resolving trade disputes instead of resorting to unilateral actions.
"Based on the WTO rules, you have to follow the most-favored-nation principle and it is not the same as reciprocal tariffs. The other thing is that if you have some disagreement, you should not take some unilateral decision. There are some specific dispute mechanisms, and you have to use those mechanisms if you disagree," he said.
The economist warned of the far-reaching negative consequences of imposing high tariffs, citing historical examples and the potential disruptions to global trade and economic growth.
"You will find a lot of negative consequences. First, you will see there will be higher prices. Of course, there will be retaliation from most countries, and it will be the start of a trade war. And then the global chain will be disrupted. It will be very complicated to buy components including, for instance, components from Germany that you import to manufacture American cars. Eventually you we will have a very bad allocation of assets. In history, there are a lot of examples of countries which tried to protect themselves with very high tariffs. But eventually those countries had a very negative economic growth. And I think that this will not only impact the USA, it will impact every country. But probably even more the USA than other countries because they will have less competition and they will start to make things that other countries can do better than themselves, including of course China," he said.
Monnier stressed the potential global trade shifts that could arise from U.S. isolationism, predicting closer economic cooperation between Europe and China as countries seek alternative partnerships.
"If the USA starts to be more and more isolated, naturally, the trading partners will start to find new trading partners. And China and Europe will have an incentive to cooperate more. Maybe there will be a sort of free trade agreement between China and the European Union. We already have one between Switzerland and China, but it could be expanded to the European Union. So yes, definitely it will encourage new trading routes. Certainly, Europe cannot export as much as before to the USA. They will try to find other solutions and definitely China is one of them," he said.
US reciprocal tariffs risk WTO rule violation, global economic fallout: expert
