China’s Dong Dong competes in the trampoline gymnastics men’s final at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
Chinese trampoline gymnast Dong Dong narrowly missed out on gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday but became the first athlete in the sport to win four medals at four Games.
The 32-year-old, who won gold at London 2012, posted a score of 61.235 in the men’s final to take silver behind Belarus’s Ivan Litvinovich, who scored 61.715. New Zealand’s Dylan Schmidt won bronze.
Dong Dong, trampolining’s most decorated athlete, also took bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games and silver in Rio, along with a staggering 12 world titles.
“This medal means a lot to me,” he said. “I have competed in four Olympics and this medal is a dream come true. I didn’t get the gold, but this result is very satisfying to me.”
An emotional Litvinovich said he had faced a long journey to Olympic glory.
“Every training, every small step was a contribution to this victory,” he said. “I really didn’t expect this (winning gold), but I was going for it.”