23-04-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Asian Games gold medallist Yang sets new goals, says she felt lost during brief retirement
Yang Qianyu said she felt lost and had 'no direction in my life' after quitting cycling following her Asian Games road race triumph in October 2023.
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The 32-year-old Yang performed a retirement U-turn early last year, five months after she walked away from the sport to care for her ill parents.
A back problem has compromised Yang's training since her return, but she won team bronze medals at this year's Asian Track and Asian Road Championships.
Over last week's two Hong Kong International Track Cup (HKITC) legs, Yang claimed a pair of omnium 13th-places, and finished fifth in the Madison, alongside Boey Leung Bo-yee.
'The period away from cycling felt like the longest time of my life,' Yang said. 'I felt lost. In the past, I'd always had a target: a National Games or Asian Games. All of a sudden, I had no direction in my life. I wanted to come back and see if I could find a new goal.'
Yang crosses the line first in the Asian Games road race in October 2023. Photo: Xinhua
It was while she was riding alone in her home city of Liaoning that Yang realised she had made a mistake after three months away from competitive sport.
