Zhao Qingjian

Zhao Qingjian
Personal information
Born (1978-03-15) 15 March 1978 (age 46)
Tai'an, Shandong, China
Alma materWuhan Sports University
Occupation(s)Martial artist, athlete, coach
Sport
SportWushu
Event(s)Changquan, Daoshu, Gunshu
TeamShanwei Municipal Team (1990-1993)
Beijing Wushu Team (2000-2009)
Coached byMei Hanchao (1998-1999)
Wu Bin (2000-2002)
Yan Pinghe (2002-2009)
Medal record
Representing  China
Men's Wushu Taolu
Olympic Games (unofficial)
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Daoshu+Gunshu
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2009 Kaohsiung Daoshu+Gunshu
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Macau Changquan
Gold medal – first place 2003 Macau Duilian
Gold medal – first place 2007 Beijing Daoshu
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Macau Gunshu
East Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Macau Daoshu+Gunshu
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhao.

Zhao Qingjian (Chinese: 赵庆建; pinyin: Zhàoqìngjiàn; born March 15, 1978) is a retired professional wushu taolu athlete who is originally from Shandong.[1][2] Through his numerous successes in national and international competitions, he established himself as one of the greatest wushu taolu athletes of the 2000s.

Career

Early Career

Growing up in Dongping County, Zhao was inspired by the 1982 film Shaolin Temple was a kid and decided to sign up for wushu classes.[3] He was the all-around champion at the Dongping County Tournament. Unable to progress to the provincial team due to his age, Zhao moved south at the age of twelve in 1990 to join the Shanwei municipal team until the age of fifteen.

Returning to Shandong, Zhao was eventually convinced to join the Henan Songshan Shaolin Temple by Xu Dezheng.[3][4] He was quickly drafted into the performance team which went on tours throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe during the mid-1990s.[5][4] Upon conclusion of the 1998 American tour, Zhao decided to try to enroll at the Wuhan Sports University.[6] Although never being formally educated, he caught the attention of coach Mei Hanchao in the technical exam and was given a large scholarship to attend the university.[3]

Transition to modern wushu

In 1999, he was recruited by coach Wu Bin and joined the Beijing Wushu Team.[3] Zhao's first competition representing Beijing was in the 2000 National Taolu Championships where he won a gold medals in changquan and daoshu, and a bronze medal in gunshu, thus becoming the all-around champion.[3] At the 2001 National Games of China, he won the silver medal in the changquan combined event which featured rounds for an optional routine and the IWUF second compulsory routine.[7]

Zhao's international debut was at the 2003 World Wushu Championships where he won gold in the changquan event and in the duilian event with Wei Jian and Yi Peng.[8][6][9] He then won gold in the daoshu and gunshu combined event at the 2005 East Asian Games.[10][11][12] The same year, he also won a gold medal in changquan and a silver medal in daoshu and gunshu combined at the 2005 National Games of China.[13] After winning gold in daoshu at the 2007 World Wushu Championships,[14][15] Zhao qualified to compete in the 2008 Beijing Wushu Tournament and won in the daoshu and gunshu combined event by a significant margin.[16][17][18][19] A year later, he won gold in the same combined event at the 2009 World Games. Shortly after, Zhao was able to win in the changquan event at the 2009 National Games of China, narrowly placing above Yuan Xiaochao.[3][20][21] Zhao subsequently retired from competition.[3][22]

Post-retirement

Today, Zhao hosts seminars on wushu and shaolinquan throughout China, the United States, and other Asian and European countries.[23] In 2006, he was appointed as a wushu teacher at the Capital Institute of Sports Education [zh].[4] Later in 2020, he became director of the Chinese Kung Fu Inheritance Committee by the Cultural China Fund of the China Chinese Education Foundation.[5][24]

Competitive history

This table is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Year Event CQ DS GS AA GRP
2000 National Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2001 National Games 2nd place, silver medalist(s)* 8 5 4 9
2003 World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2004 National Championships 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 8 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2005 East Asian Games 1 1 1st place, gold medalist(s)
National Games 1st place, gold medalist(s) ? ? 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2007 World Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) DNS
2008 Asian Championships DNS 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Olympic Games (unofficial) 1 1 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2008 World Games 1 1 1st place, gold medalist(s)
National Games 1st place, gold medalist(s)

See also

References

  1. ^ "CHN_Zhao Qingjian". The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  2. ^ "Olympedia – Zhao Qingjian". Olympedia. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Ching, Gene (January 2011). "The Wushu Champion from Shaolin". Kung Fu Tai Chi. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  4. ^ a b c "访北京奥运会武术冠军赵庆建" [Interview with Zhao Qingjian, the Wushu Champion of Beijing Olympic Games]. Sohu (in Chinese). 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  5. ^ a b Xu, Wenxin (2020-07-24). "奥运会武术冠军赵庆建： 传承武术精神，弘扬中华文化" [Olympic martial arts champion Zhao Qingjian: Inherit the spirit of martial arts and promote Chinese culture]. Chinaqw (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  6. ^ a b Zhao, Baotong (2003-11-05). "赵庆建夺武术世锦赛首金信心满怀：冠军在情理之中" [Zhao Qingjian wins first gold medal in Wushu World Championships, full of confidence: champion is within reason]. Sina Sports (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  7. ^ Kalamian, Raffi (2001-09-05). "2001 9th All China Games Wushu Competition". www.beijingwushuteam.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  8. ^ "7th-World-Wushu-Championships-2003-Macau-China-Results" (PDF). International Wushu Federation. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  9. ^ "Chinese win three gold medals at Wushu world championships". Xinhua General News Service. 2003-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  10. ^ "第４回東アジア大会武術太極拳套路競技成績一覧" [4th East Asian Tournament Wushu Taolu Taolu Competition Results List] (PDF). Japan Wushu & Taijiquan Federation (in Japanese). 2005. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  11. ^ "图文：东亚运动会武术比赛 赵庆建夺冠军" [Photo: East Asian Games Wushu Competition Zhao Qingjian wins the championship]. Sohu Sports (in Chinese). 2005-10-31. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  12. ^ "East Asian Games results". Agence France Presse - English. Macau. 2005-10-31. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  13. ^ "武术男女长拳冠军产生 北京赵庆建辽宁梅寒夺金" [Martial arts men's and women's long boxing champions emerge, Beijing Zhao Qingjian, Liaoning Mei Han wins gold]. Sina Sports (in Chinese). 2005-10-13. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  14. ^ "9th-World-Wushu-Championships-2007-Beijing-China-Results" (PDF). International Wushu Federation. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  15. ^ "China sweeps five out of six golds on first day of Wushu worlds". Xinhua General News Service. Beijing. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  16. ^ "C14AJ_Two Events Combined Results_Men's Daoshu & Gunshu". The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games. Archived from the original on 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  17. ^ "Olympedia – Daoshu & Gunshu, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  18. ^ Wang, Yuanyuan (2008-08-21). "图文：奥运武术套路比赛 中国赵庆建获全能冠军" [Photo: Olympic Wushu Routine Competition, China Zhao Qingjian wins the all-around champion]. Sohu Sports (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  19. ^ "China wins first gold at Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008". Xinhua General News Service. Beijing. 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  20. ^ Wang, Yanfang (2009-10-12). "图文：全运会武术男子长拳 北京队赵庆建夺金" [Photo: Beijing National Games Men's Wushu Longquan Zhao Qingjian wins gold]. Sohu Sports (in Chinese). Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  21. ^ "Veterans take Wushu golds at National Games". Xinhua General News Service. Beijing. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  22. ^ Chao, Xiao; Deng, Weihua (2009-10-14). "(China Sports) China promotes martial arts as retired wushu masters prefer being coaches". Xinhua General News Service. Binzhou. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  23. ^ "Kung Fu gala expected to promote Chinese culture in US". Xinhua News Agency. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  24. ^ "北京市教育系统"教书育人榜样"候选人事迹展示——首都体育学院/赵庆建" [The stories of candidates for the title of "Teaching Model" in Beijing's education system——Capital Institute of Physical Education/Zhao Qingjian]. Sohu (in Chinese). 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2024-10-01.