Chongqing- Chongqing University has appointed former Olympic badminton champion Li Xuerui as an associate professor in physical education. On October 8, Li taught her very first lesson to the third-year students majoring in badminton from the School of Physical Education.

Born in 1991, Li was selected for the Chinese national team in 2010 and claimed the gold medal in the Badminton Women's Single Final at the Summer Olympics in London in 2012, becoming Chongqing's first Olympic gold medalist. After retiring from international badminton, she decided to join Chongqing University to better promote and popularize the sport of badminton.

At the first class, Li shared her personal experience as a former Olympic champion and a Chinese National badminton team member. "Competitive sports can be harsh as there's only one winner, so you need to put all your time and energy to outperform everyone," Li said to the students.

Li also encouraged students to be grateful and put blood, sweat, and tears towards their dreams to overcome the challenges ahead to earn great honor for the university and the nation.

Jiang Liwen, a third-year student majoring in physical education, said that he set off super early from the Huxi campus this morning and was beyond excited to see Professor Li. "I am not a professional badminton athlete, so I always have a hard time mastering the high serve. With Professor Li's in-depth and in-person instruction, I feel more recharged and energized hitting the high serve," Jiang added.

When asked about future plans, Li noted that she hoped she could level up students' competitive capabilities and achieve outstanding results on university-level badminton competitions in Chongqing and China. Li added that she would work closely with the school to establish high-level badminton programs and sports teams to attract more talents to join Chongqing University.

Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Chongqing University Wang Xu pointed out that Chongqing University values the teaching principle of "health first" and pushes for the integrative development of cultural learning and physical education. She hoped that the appointment of Li Xuerui would push for high-level development of badminton and other relevant subjects, thus creating a positive and supportive learning environment for students' healthy development.