Taiwanese gymnast Lee Chih-kai (???) is now the world No. 1 in the pommel horse discipline as ranked by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), his coach Lin Yu-hsin (???) told CNA on Thursday.
“Taiwanese badminton player Tai Tzu-ying (???) is world No. 1, and now we also have a No. 1 in gymnastics,” Lin said.
The 25-year-old Taiwanese gymnast won a silver medal in the men’s pommel horse event at the Tokyo Games last year, the first Olympic medal ever won by a Taiwanese athlete in gymnastics.
According to the FIG’s website, Lee was first with 90 points in the “Apparatus World Ranking 2018-2020/21,” followed by China’s Weng Hao with 85 points and Kohei Kameyama of Japan with 75 points.
Upon learning of his top ranking, the Olympian medalist told CNA he now hopes to achieve a “Golden Grand Slam” in gymnastics, which would be winning all of the major pommel horse competitions in the world.
Lee said he was honored to be noticed by the world, which was a goal that he had set for himself.
Lee’s FIG ranking and his achievements are an encouragement to young gymnasts in Taiwan, Lin said.
Lee’s next obvious goal will be the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but first he would need to qualify for a berth, Lin added.
In terms of preparations, the coach said the gymnast was taking it step by step, just as he had done prior to the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Lee is expected to take part in several international competitions this year, including the Chengdu 2021 Universiade, which was postponed from last summer to June and July this year, and the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September, Lin added.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel