Dai Qianqian from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, has secured her spot in the Women's Javelin Throw at the upcoming Paris Olympics, marking a milestone for both the athlete and the city.
For the first time after sprinting athlete Zhang Caihua participated in the Seoul Olympics in 1988, a Wenzhou athlete will once again compete in track and field at the Olympics.
During the first stop of the 2024 World Athletics Diamond League held in Xiamen, Fujian province, in April, Dai came first in the Women's Javelin Throw with a throw of 61.25 meters, breaking the record and becoming the only athlete in the entire competition to surpass the 60-meter mark.
Born in Yongjia county in 2000, Dai's passion for sports was ignited at a young age. In 2017, she clinched third place in the World U18 Youth Athletics Championships, setting a new record for throwing events in Wenzhou.
Dai surpassed the 60-meter mark for the first time at the 2023 National Athletics Grand Prix and later set a new personal best of 63.63 meters this year.
To date, a total of nine athletes from Wenzhou have been selected for the Paris Olympics, which is more Wenzhou athletes than have ever participated in the Games.
