Only one month after claiming the men's 20-kilometer race walk title at the Rio Olympic Games, China's Wang Zhen has already set his sights on defending gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
"I do not know how fast I will be able to walk in four years, after all a person's form and physical conditions can be different each and every day. But I will just try my best to maintain my form," said the 25-year-old Wang on Tuesday.
Wang adds that he has confidence in his coach as he continues to train over the next four years.
"I trust my coach, who is a truly top level coach worldwide. I have talked with him and told him I want to work hard for another four years and that I want to win the gold medal once again," he says.
Under the guidance of Italian coach Sandro Damilano, Wang clocked one hour, 19 minutes and 14 seconds, breaking the tape in style at the Rio Olympic Games. He has also been enjoying a perfect run for the 2016 season in the 20km event, including winning both the team and individual titles at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome in May.
"The gold medal in Rio really boosted my confidence a lot. And I have not suffered any major injuries in recent years. I think I can maintain good shape for four years," Wang said while attending the "Around-Tai Lake" Multi-Day International Race Walking Competition slated for Sept. 25 to 28.
As the defending champion here, Wang withdrew from the competition due to lack of systematic training.
"After the Olympics I have only trained for 10 days. That is why I chose to withdraw from the competition," he said. "I want to have a good rest and then prepare myself for the World Championships in London and the National Games next year," he said.
