Chinese triple jumper Li Duan wasn't exactly thrilled at winning gold Friday-- he was more pumped about setting his first world record at the Beijing Paralympics.
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Visually impaired athlete Li Duan of China jumps for gold in the men's triple jump F11 at the Beijing Paralympic Games September 12,2008. [Agencies]
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On his last attempt, the 30-year-old set a new record of 13.71m in men's triple jump F11, a classification for visually impaired athletes.
"I'm not very excited about winning the gold, but really happy with breaking the world record," said Li, who won two gold in Athens.
"Before the competition, I didn't dare say I would break the world record, but now I can say confidently that I have surpassed myself."
At 18, Li was on his way to becoming a national basketball star, playing forward on the national youth basketball team. But he lost his eyesight in an extinguisher explosion, charring his basketball dreams.
"I used to dream about slam-dunks on the best basketball courts," Li recalled. "Now I have changed my dream."
"When I jumped on the last attempt, I felt like Michael Jordan making a decisive 3-point winning shot in the last three seconds to win the game."
Li began training for athletics a decade ago, starting a long partnership with coach Jin Fan.
"The world record not only belongs to me, but also my coach," Li said after the victory Friday morning. "Without his help, I couldn't have achieved this."
After only two years of training, Li claimed a silver in triple jump and a bronze in long jump at his first Paralympics in Sydney. He went on to take gold in both events four years later in Athens.
"Although I lost my sight, my soul is not in the dark. I will try to make my life colorful and I will never be defeated," he said.
At his third Paralympics, Li is hoping to spread more of this Games spirit.
"Although we are disabled, our spirit is strong," said Li. "With this Paralympics, the whole world will know about the lives of 83 million people with a disability in China. By watching the Paralympics, people with a disability will become stronger and more confident."
Once the Games is over, Li said he plans to visit Wenchuan, a county devastated in the Sichuan earthquake, to encourage victims to continue their bravery.
