Olympic Champion Dong Dong Shares His Journey of "Excellence and Perseverance" at PKU STL Forum

On the afternoon of August 27, the special class meeting of the Olympic Champion "Face-to-Face" event at Peking University's School of Transnational Law was successfully held. The meeting featured Dong Dong, the London Olympic champion in men's trampoline, China's Grand Slam winner in trampoline, professor at Beijing Sport University, and national-level coach, as the keynote speaker. The event was conducted in a "Dialogue + Q&A" format, with Sun Jiayi, a student from the Class of 2025 at the School of Transnational Law, serving as the host, representing the students in asking questions and engaging in dialogue. During the open Q&A session that followed, the School's Class of 2025 freshmen had further in-depth interactions with Dong Dong.

During his nearly 30-year professional sports career, Dong Dong participated in four Olympic Games, winning one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal. He mentioned that his most profound memory among these four Olympics was the Beijing Olympics. "At that time, the goal was undoubtedly to strive for gold. After narrowly missing it, I felt pain and sadness, but more importantly, I focused on being realistic and improving myself." In the four years following the Beijing Olympics, he refined his skills and mindset through persistence, discovered his subjective initiative through practice, and ultimately won the gold medal at the London Olympics. Dong Dong told the students, "Facing problems head-on and persevering with long-term effort are the keys to becoming the master of your own life." He also shared memories of his early training days: "When I was young practicing trampoline, I often found it painful and hard to persist. It was my parents who constantly encouraged and accompanied me, helping me move forward." He emphasized the importance of external support for the early development of professional athletes.

As China's trampoline "Grand Slam" winner, with an Olympic gold medal, 12 World Championship golds, a World Cup Final gold, and three National Games golds, Dong Dong mentioned that, for him, being a "champion" represents the relentless exploration and pursuit of the spirit of sports. He integrated the resilience and open mindset honed in trampoline sports into his daily life, continuously shaping his "complete personality." Reflecting on his sports career, Dong Dong believes that "people can transcend their past and achieve new glories," while also maintaining a peaceful mindset to "accept the constraints of objective age."

Finally, addressing the challenges of "involution" faced by contemporary youth, Dong Dong shared two personal experiences and his techniques for relieving stress: first, adding "burdens" to overcome pressure, and second, shedding "burdens" to remain true to one’s original aspirations. He reminded students to focus on the process and enjoy the effort. He also encouraged young people searching for their life goals not to set limits for themselves but to maintain an open mindset and actively explore their boundaries.

During the Q&A session, students from the School of Transnational Law actively asked questions, engaging in more specific and in-depth discussions with Dong Dong. One question was: "At 19, you participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and at 32, you won silver at the Tokyo Olympics. Over a span of 13 years in the Olympic cycle, how did you manage different emotions amidst fluctuations in sports performance?" In response, Dong Dong emphasized the importance of "not defining competition outcomes as pure victory or defeat" and encouraged students to accept their true selves. Regarding the transition of professional athletes after retirement, he mentioned the various forms of support currently provided by the state for retired athletes and called on Peking University students to actively contribute to the sports industry after graduation, promoting the building of a strong sports nation.

To express gratitude to Dong Dong, Xu Xiaoqi, Assistant Director of the Student Affairs Office at the School of Transnational Law, presented him with a special commemorative gift on behalf of the School.

Through this special class meeting, the freshmen at the School of Transnational Law had a close dialogue with Olympic champion Dong Dong, gaining a deep understanding of the Olympic spirit behind the glory. Dong Dong’s sharing conveyed a "truth-seeking" attitude toward life and the "long-term perseverance" champion spirit, providing spiritual strength for the students to realize their ideals. The event concluded with warm applause from the students.