Ze Zeng battled through pain and intense training sessions before the glorious 2025 SEA Games performance
NATIONAL ice skater Fang Ze Zeng admitted he has to endure pain to gain perfection and consistency in his performance.
The SEA Games 2025 gold medalist in men’s single event claimed the issue had risen due to intense training sessions in the United States of America (USA) in 2023.
“During that time, I tried to improve certain jumping technique, as it is one of the technical parts (of the performance). But, I think I overtrained and suffered an injury in my groin.
“The jumps I tried to practice used most of my left leg to perform and I think it caused a micro tear. But, I just getting through the pain and just continue to train although it’s very hard and hurts a lot,” he told theSun.
Ze Zeng previously trained in USA around a month as the preparation for ISU Skate to Milano figure skating qualifier on 18th until 21st September in Beijing.
Although the pain felt like “needle poking” for Ze Zeng, he chose not to undergo a medical check-up to catch up with intensive training and busy schedule.
The sacrifice, however, proved fruitful for the Selangor-born athlete as he managed to improve his performance before capturing the gold medal in previous SEA Games.
The 157.22 points recorded were enough for him to finish ahead of other competitors, including home skater Aaron Kulvatunyou and the Philippines’ Paolo Barromeo, who bring home silver and bronze medals, respectively.
It also becomes a huge boost for the highly potential Ze Zeng in setting bigger goals and dreams for his sporting career, including to qualify for the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.
The 22-year-old also stated his sacrifice also proved to be meaningful after he got the chance to participate in international-level tournaments. The opportunity allows him to learn and gain experience.
“I think one of my biggest achievements is to compete in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing, China, last January because skaters from Asia, America, Japan and Mexico came and competed together.
“The Winter University Games also gathered a lot of very good skaters because most of the Olympians also went to the university-level competitions. So, I think it is very good for my experience, and I learn a lot from them,” he added.
Ze Zeng will now prepare himself for the upcoming Thailand Open Figure Skating Trophy in Bangkok on 1st until 4th May.
