Born in 1991 in Anshan, Liaoning Province, Xu Mengtao had a hard childhood. A small room, a stove, and a small bed were all she and her parents had at that time. Her father supported the family by selling mutton skewers(羊肉串) around busy streets. After making his first money, her sports-loving father bought a television set. They watched different sports events every day.
Xu began to learn gymnastics(体操) when she was only 4 years old. To help her in training, her father picked up a small carpet(地毯) near his home, washed it clean, put the carpet on the ground, and setup a small "gymnastics field".
Finishing sixth in her first Olympics at Vancouver 2010, Xu won the second place at Sochi 2014. Then 2018 seemed to be her time towing old. But she finished ninth. After so many peaks and valleys, Xu finally realized her dream of winning Olympic gold in the freestyle skiing women's aerials event(自由式滑雪女子空中技巧) at Beijing 2022.
"Looking back, I need to thank my parents, especially my strict father," Xu said.
