Taipei, August 20, 2021: The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee has described “Goddess of Weightlifting” Kuo Hsing-Chun as the epitome of the new Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” following her victory at Tokyo 2020.
The gold medalist at women’s 59kg, Kuo was also the flag bearer of Chinese Taipei for the Olympic Opening Ceremony. She not only set three new Olympic records in snatch, clean and jerk and total lift but also proved to be the perfect role model in society.
Kuo was born as an underweight baby in 1993. Her name Hsing-Chun sounds similar to ‘survivor’.
Thanks to the care and attention of the hospital staff, she grew up in good health and became an athlete.
Having tried athletics and basketball, she finally chose weightlifting after she won the first gold medal in the National High School Games in 2009. She then took silver in the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.
London 2012 was her first Olympic experience, finishing sixth in women’s 58kg, and she followed up with bronze at Rio 2016.
Nevertheless, she had her ups and downs, notably before the Incheon Asian Games in 2014 with a severe injury to her right leg.
Having overcome these setbacks and winning gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games, Universiade and Tokyo 2020, she decided to give her government prize money back to society, in particular her hometown Taitung. This included more than 1.8 million NTD (65,000 USD) to the local hospital to buy an ambulance and establishing a scholarship and buying exercise equipment at her old school.
To motivate more teenagers with her sportsmanship, Kuo joined the Olympic Spirit Touring Lecture, which is hosted by Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.
Chinese Taipei’s Goddess of Weightlifting is truly a champion and hero on and off the sports field.
