In the realm of Asian cycling, few names have shined as brightly as Yang Qianyu’s. The 30-year-old Hong Kong native has already carved her legacy with determination and grit. With an indomitable spirit that transcends her petite frame, Yang’s remarkable career includes a gold in Women’s Road Race, silver in the Madison and a bronze in the team pursuit. She earned both of these prestigious victories in the recent Hangzhou Asian Games. 

With a total of four Asian Games medals to her name, Yang has consistently proven her mettle on the grandest stage. The Hangzhou road race, covering 139.7 grueling kilometers, served as the ultimate test for Yang and her competitors. However, the star cyclist stunned the world with a recent revelation about her career plans, leaving her fans in awe.

Cycling star’s unparalleled achievements

Yang left her competitors in dust on both the racetrack and the open road as a symbol of resilience and unyielding willpower. Yang’s gritty victory was a genuine tribute to her determined passion for cycling adventures, as she bravely crossed all hurdles. 

With the gold medal around her neck and tears in her eyes, Yang Qianyu revealed a hidden facet of her journey. “It feels like I’m dreaming right now. I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life, and I have no regrets,” she remarked. Yang narrated how her father’s stroke in 2021 and her mother’s illness weighed heavily on the cyclist’s heart. Consequently, she had to spend over a month with her father at the hospital, although watching him in bed pained her throughout the experience. 

A tearful farewell marks an end to the dreams

Adding to a bittersweet moment, Yang declared that she was left with no choice but to make an ultimate decision. Her mother, who had retired to spend time with her husband, had also fallen ill last year. The consistent barriers made the cycling professional feel compelled to step back from her career to care for them. Adding further clarity to her move, Yang claimed that her parents needed her beside them.

She also portrayed the feeling that no one else was supporting her parents, which ultimately forced her to retire in this untimely scenario. “I need to take care of them, even if it means giving up my career”, Yang added with a note of responsibility towards her caregivers. After her remarkable entry on the Hong Kong team in 2011, Qianyu’s retirement marked the end of an era in Asian women’s cycling. 

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Yang believed that her three medals in Hangzhou, including the hard-fought Madison silver, made it the perfect time to end her career. The cyclist’s evident dedication to her sport and her country is praiseworthy, as are her immeasurable contributions to the cycling community. With a golden finale to her career, Yang Qianyu bowed out, leaving a legacy of excellence. 

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