Wu Jingyu
Wu Jingyu (吴静钰) is a Chinese taekwondo athlete who successfully defended her -49 kg women's flyweight title at the London Olympic Games on Aug. 8, 2012. She had claimed her first Olympic gold medal during the Beijing Olympics in the same weight class four years earlier.
Celebrating her victory over veteran Spaniard Brigitte Yague Enrique, 25-year-old Wu became the first defending champion in the event since the sport made its debut as a full-on Olympic sport during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Born in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province on July 13, 1987, Wu was chosen by trainer Wang Zhijie to join the Jiangxi provincial taekwondo team. Back then, the now 1.66m tall girl stood at a mere 1.40m. Under Wang's guidance, Wu won the -47 kg women's flyweight event in the national competition less than two years later.
In 2003, Wu's trainer Wang Zhijie was assigned to coach the Jiangsu provincial team and he took his protégée with him. In 2005, Wu was officially selected to join China's national team.
Wu is nicknamed “the lightweight bomber” for her explosive power and flexibility as well as her ability to win multiple points in a row. She is also said to be fierce in her attacks, posing a real threat to her opponents throughout the competition. Wu once defeated her opponent within 1 min and 8 sec during at the national championships and forced her opponent to bow out early in a world championship final.
Major Achievements:
In 2003
5th Chinese City Games, gold in the -47 kg category
In 2004
World Youth Championships, gold in the -49 kg category
In 2005
World Universiade, gold in the -47 kg category
In 2006
Asian Games in Doha, gold in the -47 kg category
In 2007
World Taekwondo Championships, gold in the -47 kg category
In 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, gold in the -49 kg category
In 2010
Asian Games in Guangzhou, gold in the -49 kg category
Asian Taekwondo Championships in Astana, gold in the -49 kg category
In 2011
World Taekwondo Championships, gold in the -49 kg category
In 2012
London Olympic Games, gold in the -49 kg category