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Olympic champion Gong Lijiao before and after shedding more than 30 kg. Photo by Weibo/Flowers in Full Bloom 1 |
The 36-year-old submitted her official retirement paperwork following the National Games in November 2025. At the time, she stated her target was to lose 25kg before pursuing marriage.
“I also want to become beautiful. You will surely see a different version of me,” Gong said, as quoted by South China Morning Post.
Speaking to Chinese media in an interview published on Monday, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medallist said that after quitting sport competitions, her first priority shifted to losing weight and growing out her hair, as she is eager to experience a lifestyle that had long been denied to her by the demands of professional athletics.
In less than a year, Gong has dropped more than 30kg from 110kg. Her physical transformation has trended on Chinese social media, with fans praising her for applying her “champion perseverance” to weight loss.
Gong mentioned that the key to her transformation was watching her diet and essentially consuming significantly less food.
“Losing weight is very similar to shot put training,” she added. “You can’t rush it; there must be a steady process of accumulation.”
Gong is serving as the deputy director of the Hebei Provincial Athletics Administration Center while working as a coach focused on athlete training and youth development.
In this new role, she hopes to build a more comprehensive support system, scout promising youngsters from grassroots sports schools, and keep the shot put discipline “warm and thriving” in China.
She finds the shift from the glaring spotlight to a behind-the-scenes role intriguing, constantly redefining how to stay actively involved in the sport without competing.
“I cannot lie flat; I simply can’t,” Gong said, as quoted by the SCMP.
She explained that her personality requires clear goals and that the unstructured freedom of early retirement brought her no real peace.
In 2025, Gong was admitted to the Beijing Sport University to pursue a doctorate, according to Independent.
She was also recently selected for the inaugural cohort of the Chinese Olympic Academy’s Champion International Competency Enhancement Programme, which aims to help her transition from an elite competitor to an active participant in international sports governance.