Yi Dongmei was once a famous “champion mother”. She decided to return when her daughter was born only three months ago and then defended her title at the Beijing Olympics. In 2017, she became the chairman of China Judo Association.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 19 (reporter Li Jia) The China Judo Association announced on the 19th that the two-time judo Olympic champion and the current chairman of the China Judo Association, Yi Dongmei, joined the Hall of Fame of the International Judo Federation.
The 2018 World Judo Championship will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from September 20-27. The international soft federation held a Hall of Fame ceremony in Baku on the 18th local time. This year, a total of 19 people who have made outstanding contributions in the field of judo have joined the Hall of Fame, and Yi Dongmei has become the first Chinese to join the international soft Federation Hall of Fame.
Yi Dongmei said, “I want to thank judo. It taught me humility and made me constantly challenge myself and believe in myself. It made me and educated me, which is why I am today.”
She said, “in 2004, I won the first Olympic gold medal in my life. Three years later, when I was 32 years old, my daughter was born. Then in 2008, I returned to the field and won the second Olympic gold medal. At that time, playing the roles of athlete and novice mother was really the biggest challenge for me. In those difficult days, judo spirit guided me. Now, I have taken over the heavy burden of the president of China Judo Association, which is another new challenge for me. I am willing to make greater contributions to Chinese judo and world judo.”
Yi Dongmei was once the famous “champion mother”. She decided to return when her daughter was born only three months ago and then defended her title at the Beijing Olympic Games. In 2017, she became the chairman of China Judo Association.