China's Olympic champion gymnast Zou Jingyuan: "Success is built on previous failures."

Gymnast Zou Jingyuan of the People’s Republic of China has established himself as one of the best – ever – on the parallel bars.

The stylish 24-year-old has made his domination of the event look like child’s play, soaring to three world titles and Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 with huge margins.

But it’s anything but easy - and hasn't always come naturally.

“The more people say I'm talented, the more pressure I actually feel,” said Zou in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England. “The best way to avoid this pressure is to train and then improve myself.”

Zou has appeared to feel the pressure in competition before, including a shocking error during the qualifying round at the 2019 Worlds in Stuttgart kept him out of the final and prevented a threepeat performance.

But for Zou, moments like that have led to moments of triumph.

“When you talk about success‚ success is built on previous failures. Failures, and success, will always exist,” he said. “We will always move forward courageously and have faith that we will keep fighting in competition. Success and failure will always happen, but this time, we achieved success because we had faith.”

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Tokyo 2020 gold: “I can still feel the excitement”

His “failure” at the 2019 Worlds gave way to success at the Tokyo 2020 Games, held in the summer of 2021.

Zou won the gold medal on parallel bars there, winning by more than half a point – the largest margin of victory in any of gymnastics’ 10 apparatus finals.

It’s a feeling he still remembers well.

“I can still feel the excitement I had at the time. Even more than that, gratefulness because from the moment I took up gymnastics whether it was for fun or to train, I've been mentored by my parents and coaches,” said Zou. “Because they let me slowly discover this sport, then planted this seed in my heart, and through their cultivation, they allowed me to perform at a good standard in competition, and it's thanks to them I've hit my goals.”

His success has continued into 2022 where he helped his Chinese team win its first major team title since 2018. Their gold medal also qualified them to the 2024 Games in Paris. Days later, he claimed his third global title on the parallel bars.

“I was just thinking of finishing my routine well and cheering my teammates on, because we weren't that good in the first competition [during qualification],” Zou recalled of the team final in Liverpool. “We had the experience of losing at the World Championships and Olympic Games as a team so, we actually didn't take the mentality that we had to win as most important. Within the team, the coaches also didn't put a lot of pressure on us. That let us compete with more freedom, so it's a competition I really enjoyed.”

Onward to Paris

Zou hopes that approach allows his Chinese team to claim its first gold medal in the team event since London 2012 when Paris 2024 rolls around in less than two years’ time.

He already feels the pull of history, having had so much success in his career to this point.

“To be part of this history, and win the gold medal, I feel this is one of my life's greatest honours,” said Zou. “I also hope to be able to make more history.”

That includes defending his parallel bars title in Paris – a feat not done on the apparatus since Japan’s Kato Sawao won back-to-back titles in 1972 and 1976.

Though he knows how difficult getting that result can be.

“Everyone wants to become a champion, but I’m convinced that only by doing it bit by bit every day, then performing at your best, can you get approval of the audience,” Zou explained. “The title would be won that way, it’s not something you win just because you want to.”

His goals extend outside the field of play, as well.

"I want to be like many of my seniors, and keep competing and keep obtaining good results. I also hope to create more new innovative elements in my event, and continue to promote gymnastics at home and abroad,” says Zou. “Changing people's opinions of gymnastics from something that is difficult, to make more people participate in gymnastics to keep their mind and body happy, and to keep their mind and body healthy.”

No matter the outcome at Paris, Zou already has an Olympic moment to cherish.

“Athletes from all over the world are [at the Olympic Games] to unite, and they all have a common goal, to achieve good results,” he said of his experience in Tokhyo. “That was probably the most unforgettable thing.”