Zhang Boheng headlines China’s Liverpool charge and sets sights on Paris

By his own admission, Zhang Boheng did not choose Gymnastics. But now, after almost two decades of toil, a breakthrough season and claiming a stunning world title, he cannot imagine himself doing anything else.

It was Zhang’s parents’ interest and desire for their son to grow up fit that led the now 22-year-old to the sport. He competes at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Liverpool (GBR) as the defending All-Around champion and star of the Chinese team, having claimed the title last year in Kitakyushu (JPN) by just .017 points.

For someone who has been touted as a “prodigy” and “Li Xiaopeng v2.0”, beating Hashimoto Daiki (JPN) on the reigning Olympic champion’s home turf was arguably the most notable way for Zhang to announce his arrival on the world stage.

Perhaps what made the victory even more gratifying was that it came after missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, despite posting creditable performances in the People’s Republic of China’s qualification events. The Chinese team opted instead for more experienced athletes.

“Missing Tokyo 2020 was actually a very precious learning experience for me,” Zhang said. “I campaigned for the Olympics together with my teammates, and doing so allowed me to grow and learn immensely. You can’t look only at the end result and see if I made it to the Olympics or not. You’ve also got to look at the process, and I know it was an experience that I gained a lot from.”

That outlook has served Zhang well. The 2021 World Championships was his first major international competition, after he began at the age of four in Changsha, Hunan province, under the tutelage of the same coach who trained Li, the four-time Olympic gold medallist and one of China’s most illustrious gymnasts.

Keeping on target

Indeed, Zhang is not one to lose sight of his targets, even after being crowned All-Around world champion. In fact, his title has given him even more impetus and motivation. The ultimate goal: to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Zhang said: “2021 was a breakthrough year for me and it led to many changes. Becoming world champion made me feel like I must bring more structure into my training, and take greater responsibility for my training.

“Becoming world champion has actually given me greater drive. Winning once doesn’t mean you will continue to do so. I feel like the moment I take my foot off the pedal, I’ll fall behind because my competitors are always improving. This world title has kept me on my toes, to never rest on my laurels. I know I’ve been working hard constantly.”

Besides building on his strengths on the Horizontal Bar and Floor Exercise, Zhang said he found breakthroughs over the past winter training season, succeeding in moves with higher levels of difficulty. He has also picked up new routines and introduced some changes across the apparatuses.

There is hope that all that effort will come to fruition in Liverpool when the men’s competitions at the World Championships begin on 31 October, even if he admits there is pressure he has never felt before as the defending All-Around champion.

“You’re competing not just for yourself but for your team.”

Zhang headlines a team which also includes Tokyo 2020 Olympic medallists Zou Jingyuan (Parallel Bars, gold), You Hao (Still Rings, silver), Sun Wei (team, bronze), Su Weide, and Yang Jiaxing.

Zhang said his side has put extra emphasis on the team event in the hope of regaining a title they last won at the 2018 edition. China’s last Olympic team title came at London 2012.

Also at stake are the first qualifying spots for Paris 2024, with the team medallists picking up quota places for their nations. Zhang said: “This will be the first time I compete at a World Championships where there is a team event, so there are definitely nerves. You’re competing not just for yourself but for your team.

“But I try to be at peace as much as I can. I see all these as stepping stones on my journey toward my eventual target, which is Paris 2024.

“You won’t always feel the motivation, and there are times when you feel tired. When that happens, it’s up to you to decide how you can find it within yourself to persevere. I try to remember that there is a goal in my heart, a target that I’m after, and that’s what I’m going to continue working hard every day for.”