China's first naturalized track & field athlete set for women's heptathlon
China's Zheng Ninali competes in the women's heptathlon at Tokyo Olympics today.
Zheng Ninali, the first naturalized player in the history of Chinese track and field, will represent China in the women's heptathlon at the Tokyo Olympics today.
Before acquiring Chinese nationality, 22-year-old Zheng was already a super star in Canadian women's heptathlon, winning a silver for Canada in the Commonwealth Games heptathlon in 2018.
Born in Canada to a sporting family, Zheng is eager to make up for her grandmother Zheng Fengrong's regret on missing the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
So, just before her 20th birthday, she decided to represent China at the Tokyo Olympics.
Zheng Fengrong, now 84, broke the women's high jump world record in 1957, becoming the first female athlete to break a world record for China. Her husband Duan Qiyan was also a high jump champion at China's National Games.
