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Surprise wushu bronze bittersweet for Yan Ni

INCHEON — A day before her Asian Games debut, Tan Yan Ni had no clue how to iron her black-and-gold outfit for the women’s changquan final. So, the 17-year-old called her Taiwanese rival and friend, Yu Chih Hsuan, and both met up in the Athletes’ Village to iron their outfits together.

Enrica Tan Yan Ni. Photo: Sport Singapore

Enrica Tan Yan Ni. Photo: Sport Singapore

INCHEON — A day before her Asian Games debut, Tan Yan Ni had no clue how to iron her black-and-gold outfit for the women’s changquan final. So, the 17-year-old called her Taiwanese rival and friend, Yu Chih Hsuan, and both met up in the Athletes’ Village to iron their outfits together.

It was also Yu who gave Yan Ni a congratulatory hug when the teenager won a surprise bronze medal yesterday, alongside her five team-mates, who had cheered her on from the stands at Incheon’s Ganghwa Dolmen Gymnasium.

The action may have been fast and furious, but Yan Ni was happy to be among her wushu family, a tight circle of friends that includes Yu, Vietnam’s Hoang Thi Phuong Giang and Myanmar’s Sandy Oo and Myat That Su Wai Phyo.

At the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games, Yan Ni was pipped to gold by Hoang, but the Vietnamese — second at the 2013 World Championships in daoshu — finished fourth this time in 9.62.

“I’m very shocked because I was only expecting to finish in the top eight, as my competitors were very strong. I’m happy for myself, but I felt (Hoang) deserved it more because she trains full-time and works really hard,” said Yan Ni, a Republic Polytechnic student.

Despite requiring painkillers to ease the pain from a foot injury, Yan Ni delivered a flawless performance, nailing all seven jumps in her routine to score 9.63 points in the women’s changquan final to finish third in the 13-strong field.

China’s Kan Wencong, a three-time world champion (daoshu, gunshu), claimed the gold in 9.75, while defending champ Geng Xiaoling of Hong Kong (9.66) took the silver on the final day of the wushu programme.

“The other two were too good, so it was really a fight for bronze,” said Yan Ni.

“I started competing in Primary Six and these girls were also in primary school then, so we grew up together. We keep in touch through Facebook and usually bring gifts and food for one another when we meet at competitions.”

Yan Ni’s bronze was Singapore’s first medal in wushu since the 2006 Asian Games, where former Sportsman of the Year Qiu Bin finished third in the men’s taijiquan and taijijian.

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