After a five-year break since winning his first world championship title on still rings, Lan Xingyu from China has successfully reclaimed the gold medal at the World Championships, which concluded on Sunday in Rotterdam.
Reflections on winning gold in Rotterdam
Following the still rings final held on Saturday, the 28-year-old gymnast shared his thoughts. His comments provided additional context to a previous feature about him published on October 24.
“For me, really, it’s just about focusing on my own performance. I have the ability, so as long as I could keep a steady mindset today and execute well, I didn’t think there would be any issue with winning.”
Preparation for regaining the title
Lan discussed the extensive preparations he undertook to reclaim his title. He emphasized the importance of mental readiness and consistent training leading up to the competition.
“Last year, it was a real pity that I didn’t win the title. So, compared to last year, I’ve actually done a lot of preparation, things like pre-competition simulations and mental adjustments. For me, keeping a steady mindset is more important than…I think there’s another, better state of mind that’s even more important.
“I’ve already done plenty of training. The volume has been more than enough. Even back (in China) with the national team, we held many test events. And this year, there have been quite a few competitions, including the Asian Games (September-October). For me, it really comes down to keeping a steady mindset and focusing on my own performance. Ultimately, the person I’m really competing against is myself.
“Last year, after finishing first in qualifications, I ended up going first in the final as well. That, for me, still brings a certain level of tension. I would get nervous, and then I’d end up doing way too much, perhaps over-preparing which meant that when it came time to compete, I couldn’t keep my composure.
“Last year, it was a real pity that I didn’t win the title. So, compared to last year, I’ve actually done a lot of preparation, things like pre-competition simulations and mental adjustments. For me, keeping a steady mindset is more important than…I think there’s another, better state of mind that’s even more important. “I’ve already done plenty of training. The volume has been more than enough. Even back (in China) with the national team, we held many test events. And this year, there have been quite a few competitions, including the Asian Games (September-October). For me, it really comes down to keeping a steady mindset and focusing on my own performance. Ultimately, the person I’m really competing against is myself. “Last year, after finishing first in qualifications, I ended up going first in the final as well. That, for me, still brings a certain level of tension. I would get nervous, and then I’d end up doing way too much, perhaps over-preparing which meant that when it came time to compete, I couldn’t keep my composure. “Since last year – after that competition, and then through the National Games – and leading up to this year’s events, I’ve been making adjustments and preparing accordingly. I’ve even started simulating this kind of feeling during my training.”
Best routine in Rotterdam
Lan expressed satisfaction with his performance in the team final, noting the adjustments made after a previous round. He aimed to ensure a better outcome this time.
“The one I’m most satisfied with would have to be the team final. Unfortunately, in that previous round, one of my moves was penalized by the judges, which resulted in a lower score. So, over the past few days, I’ve been working with my coach and team leader to make some adjustments, aiming to ensure that today nothing like that happened again. I got it right today.”
For further features and reports on the 2026 World Championships, click here.
