Danish badminton superstar Viktor Axelsen is aiming for gold at the Paris Olympics, with expectations soaring as he prepares to face Ireland's Nhat Nguyen in a crucial match on Wednesday.
The Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion spoke with China Global Television Network (CGTN), emphasizing the importance of focusing on one match at a time as the pressure mounts ahead of tomorrow's match.
"I feel pretty good right now. I had some injuries this year, but right now I feel okay. I also think I have trained very well," said Axelsen.
Talking of his Chinese-speaking ability, Axelsen said he learned Chinese in search of more opportunities in the badminton-loving nation. Now, he boasts more than a million followers on Chinese social media platform Douyin.
"I think China is a very interesting country. Additionally, I think Chinese players are really strong. I feel I can learn a lot [from them.] Moreover, I know badminton is a very popular sport in China. So, I told myself that if I can speak Chinese, it might bring me many opportunities and allow me to learn a lot," said the player.
"My goal is to win the gold medal. However, I think the competition is very fierce, with many strong opponents. So, for me, the most important thing is to focus all my attention on each match because the Olympics come with a lot of pressure. Therefore, I don't want to think too far ahead. I need to take it one step at a time and then hope I can achieve good results," he said.
Danish badminton player aims for gold at Paris Olympics
To celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, south China introduced to visitors baby panda Mei Zhu, the daughter of Meng Meng, the oldest sister of the world's only surviving panda triplets, and prepared a series of activities on Friday.
Mei Zhu, aged only 87 days, is in good health and just began teething. But the baby panda always gets a bit cranky after milk feedings, and requires panda keepers to spend around half an hour to calm her down.
"As a young panda, her digestive system is still developing, and excessive activity after feeding can lead to digestive issues. She is quite energetic now. If she found any strangers entering her enclosure and they wanted to, for example, pet her, she would be quite defensive, due to her self-protection instincts," said Chen Siming, a wildlife conservation expert.
Another star panda in the zoo, Guo Qing, also received his present, a pile of mooncake-shaped wowotou (a type of steamed corn bread). Guo Qing was of good appetite, which amused many of his fans.
"I am here just to see her. I drove 38 kilometers just to watch her mischief. She is very famous for that, always causing trouble when her keeper is not around," said a visitor.
The koalas are also welcoming guests. Totaling over 70 koalas in the park, more than 40 of them were presented to visitors by their keepers. The chubby animals constitute a big family of eight generations, with the youngest being 2 years old and the oldest reaching 19, much older than the average lifespan of the species.
"We've sent technicians to Australia to learn how to feed the Koalas, pick up veterinary and health care skills. With our valuable experience gained through years of raising the koalas, we are able to provide them good environment, food, and medical care. As a result, the average lifespan of the troop is getting longer," said a koala keeper.
In addition to these highlights, Chimelong Safari Park is also planning a series of animal enrichment events and sharing stories of the animals with the visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation.
Safari park in Guangzhou presents baby panda to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
