Xie Maosan wins first medal of the Asian Para Games in Canoe

Xie Maosan gave China its first gold medal of the 4th Asian Para Games Hangzhou 2022 with an early morning triumph in the women's KL1 canoeing competition.

The 37 year-old battled at the Fuyang Water Sports Center, and claimed Hangzhou's first accolades upon the water in 55.478 seconds. This one is also the first canoeing medal in the history of the Asian Para Games, since the sport was introduced in this edition of the event.  

"I'm extremely thrilled to have won this gold medal. It's an honor to bring glory to my homeland", she said in her post-race conference. 

The triumph also signaled China's intent to once more emerge as the powerhouse of the event, just as it was in 2016 in Jakarta and two years ago in the Paralympics in Tokyo.

"Canoeing is a rebirth, as it gave me confidence and a new life. I feel totally free when I am in the water. I feel like a totally different person", the winner said. 

Born in east China's Anhui Province, Xie faced the challenge of living with a disability in her lower body due to contracting polio. In 2015, she embarked on her journey with the national para canoeing team. Since then, she secured a fifth-place finish in the 200m event at the 2016 Paracanoe World Championships, same spot she reached at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics KL1 canoeing final. Additionally, she has won several gold medals at the National Para Games of China.

"Regardless of the career path I choose, I always push myself harder. I want to prove to everyone that we are equally capable (people with disabilities)", Maosan shared, before adding that in Paris 2024 she will thrive to improve her past finishes and earn a medal. 

The second place was for Japanese  Monika Seryu and the third sport for Iranian Sara Abdolmaleki.