2025 is actually turning into a year of goodbyes for the track and field community – the retirement of stars like Clayton Murphy, Thomas Barr, and Reece Prescod. Just a few weeks ago, the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce announced her retirement. And now, another global powerhouse has stepped away from the limelight – China’s Gong Lijao. The Chinese shotput star shared the stage alongside Fraser-Pryce at the 2007 Worlds, and now, just like the Jamaican sprinter, Lijao’s final meet became a powerful and emotional moment.

After winning her fifth consecutive gold medal at the 15th National Games in Xinhua on November 16, 2025, Lijao bid farewell to the field. But even during her retirement, she had a few words to inspire the next generation. And it was as symbolic as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s iconic baton pass to the next generation (literally to Tia Clayton) at the 2025 World Championships. Despite winning gold, she claimed that 2025 had been one of her lowest points in her life, her mother’s demise.

Track and field enthusiast Owen took to X to draw parallels between the retirements of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Gong Lijao. While the farewell to the field happened after she secured a gold, the one thought in her mind after the 36-year-old star threw the shot put 19.68m away was the hope that her mother would see it. With tears swelling in her eyes, she declared, “Mom, I did it. I achieved the fifth win.”

Lijao’s aim was to throw 20m or above before she would retire. Nevertheless, Lijao seemed to have the perfect end to her career. She stated, “This is my fifth National Games, and I’ve won all the previous four. Now I have a perfect conclusion here.” She continued, “This might be my last competition.” Lijao then went on to acknowledge her competitors and told them that she wanted to leave everything — the rivalry, the competitiveness she had on the field. All she’d want to take with her is camaraderie.

She also had an important message for the future generation. Gong Lijao said, “It’s the power of perseverance. You keep going because of love. I want to use my own passion to ensure that Chinese women’s shot put remains a force on the world stage. After I retire, I hope the next generation can carry the torch forward.” 

With her final chapter written and her farewell echoing the weight of a remarkable era, it’s only fitting to look back at the journey that shaped Gong Lijao into one of the sport’s most enduring forces and a true titan of the shot put. Shall we?

Gong Lijao’s career at a glance

Born on 24 January 1989 in Hebei, China, Lijao emerged as a dominant force in women’s shot put. The 2007 World Championships marked her international debut. And at the 2008 Olympic Games, she set a personal best of 19.46m. That was the farthest mark by a Chinese female shot-putter in over a decade. Throughout her career, Lijao strived for greatness. And that came with three Olympic medals, eight World Championships medals, two World Indoor Championships podium finishes, three golds in the Asian Games, and three medals in the Continental Cup. 

Her breakthrough arrived at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she captured the gold medal in shot put with a personal best throw of 20.58m. That made her the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic field-event gold medal, and the first Asian woman to win Olympic gold in shot put. Since then, she has competed in every single outdoor World Championships and Olympics since becoming an international athlete. Her rivalry ranged from Elisangela Maria Adriano to Ching-Yuan Chiang. Additionally, Gong Lijao also reached the final of all 19 global championships she competed in. 

Gong Lijao’s farewell closes a two-decade era of consistency and power, mirroring the departures of her generational peers. As she steps away, her legacy remains firmly etched in track and field history.