Chinese Taipei weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun grabbed silver Aug. 16 at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games being held in Singapore, taking home Taiwan’s first medal at the inaugural games.
Competing in the women’s 53-kilogram event, Kuo placed second with a snatch of 77 kg and a clean and jerk of 97 kg for a total of 174 kg. Bulgaria’s Boyanka Kostova won gold with a total of 192 kg.
“I want to share this honor with my father, whom I’ve never met,” a joyful Kuo said after the competition. “I hope that one day I’ll be able to receive his love and care.”
“I’d also like to thank my coach and grandmother for their support and encouragement over the last several years, without which I would never be standing here today,” she added.
Because her mother worked in another part of the country, Kuo spent most of her formative years living with her grandmaother The 16-year-old of aboriginal Bunun and Amis descent had been involved in competitive basketball and track and field during her junior high school years before finding her true calling as a weightlifter in high school.
Speaking of Kuo’s determination, her coach said, “Although she didn’t have a normal upbringing with two parents, she always strove to excel and was an outstanding student who received scholarships every semester.”
Despite her relatively slight 155-cm frame, Kuo has been able to achieve excellence in her sport through perseverance and endurance. In 2009, she won the 53-kg division at the national high school athletic games, before going on to grab the national championship at the senior high school level in the same category earlier this year.
After Monday’s medal presentation ceremony, Sports Affairs Council Minister Tai Hsia-ling, who attended the event in person, presented Kuo with a congratulatory message on behalf of ROC President Ma Ying-jeou, as well as a cash award for her achievement. (SB)