How do you define greatness? A mind-bending feat that surpasses expectation and rationality? A moment of authentic surprise that inverts the weight of pressing odds? Or perhaps an incision in the linear unfurling of your heart?
In sport, we are quick to anoint greatness upon each other. A performance that impresses us is often bestowed the virtue of greatness before it can even truly be understood. It is easy to attach brilliance onto bravery and boldness but sometimes the two should not be conflated. True greatness should combine mastery, magnanimity and more than a hint of magic.
The Olympic Games is our ultimate magic show. A procession of truly elite talent, operating at the pinnacle of their sport and thrust forward into a limelight fostered by four years of relative translucency. These two weeks are stitched into the very fabric of competition, dating back to the lore of Ancient Greece, and have transcended the politics of modern society to become the ultimate marker in sporting excellence. To win Olympic Gold gives you immortality of a rare and timeless specification – your story will be perpetuated forevermore, carried forward by the whispers of generations to come, who too aim to climb those sacred steps and join this club of champions. Emerging over the horizon, this time in the blue and red hue of palatial Paris, we are ready for the very fastest in rowing to be crowned.
Step forward, my friends – The Olympic Games have come.
The Stats
Country
China
Crew Names
Yunxia Chen
Ling Zhang
Yang Lyu
Xiaotong Cui
Average Age
29 years
Olympic Record
Sixth in the W4x at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Zhang)
Eleventh in the W2x at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Lyu)
Gold in the W4x at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (Zhang)
2024 Competitive Record
World Rowing Cup 1: N/A
World Rowing Cup 2: 3rd (W4x)
World Rowing Cup 3: N/A
European Championships: N/A
The Profile
China are the reigning Olympic champions in this boat class and dominated the event in the run-up to the Tokyo Games. They were unbeaten from the start of the 2019 season through to the third World Rowing Cup of 2023, when they failed to make the podium for the first time since 2018. They also failed to defend their world title, coming away with bronze behind GB and the Netherlands. They’ve raced once so far this season, producing an unconvincing third at the Lucerne World Rowing Cup. They are the most experienced quartet in the field, with multiple world titles plus Olympic gold on-board. Both Ling Zhang and Yang Lyu raced at the Rio Games with Lyu finishing 11th in the double and Zhang making the A-Final in the single. Chen made her senior debut back in 2013, although it wasn’t until five years later that she became a regular part of the Chinese squad. Cui also started her senior career 11 years ago and won her first world championship medal in 2014 as part of the bronze medal-winning eight.
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