Karateka Gu Shiau-shuang (谷筱霜) on Tuesday received a hero’s welcome from Bunun elders upon returning to Taiwan after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Gu, 26, captured Taiwan’s 19th and final gold medal of the Games on Sunday, and was among the last group of Taiwanese athletes to return on an EVA Air flight from Hangzhou on Tuesday.
To celebrate her victory, more than 40 residents of Dili Village (地利) in Nantou’s Xinyi Township (信義) made the four-hour drive to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they greeted Gu on her arrival at 11pm with a rendition of Malastapang, a Bunun song of achievements.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Gu told reporters how nervous she felt ahead of her gold medal bout against Moldir Zhangbyrbay of Kazakhstan in the women’s 50kg kumite.
“I had waited five years to be on that big stage,” she said.
After falling behind 5-0 at the start of the three-minute contest, she remembered the advice of her coach to “never give up, as long as there is time on the clock, because it only takes one second to score a point,” she said.
Gu fought her way back, scoring five points in the last 62 seconds and was ultimately awarded the gold by a jury decision.
Gu’s father, Gu An-chang (古安昌), who was at the airport with a bouquet of flowers, said he had spoken with his daughter just before the final.
He said: “Don’t worry, I’m sure that gold medal is yours.”
Gu, who also won gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, said earlier this year that the Hangzhou Games would be her final international competition and that she planned to become a coach.
Taiwan won 67 medals at this year’s Asian Games — 19 golds, 20 silvers and 28 bronzes — smashing the goal of 10 golds set by the Sports Administration and marking the team’s best Asian Games haul since 1998.
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