Wu Yanni: Never expected stand on the podium

In the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Chinese athlete Wu Yanni clocked 13.12 seconds to win the bronze medal. In a recent interview with Chinese media, Wu reflected on her experience at the Games.

“Honestly, I never thought I could make it onto the podium. From the start of preparing for the Asian Games up to the final, I was always joking about myself. I even told the national team leaders, ‘Don’t have too high expectations for me. I’m just aiming for eighth place, maybe fighting for a top three finish.’”

“I’m 29 years old this year, which is considered quite old for an athlete. I’m a veteran now. This year I’ve faced some significant physical issues—both my hemoglobin and testosterone levels are very low. Previously, I could do a clean lift of 90 kilograms, but this year I couldn’t even manage 70 kilograms. It’s been quite overwhelming... For the first time, I felt completely useless.”