Luan Jujie competing in the first round Monday / Bongarts/Getty Images
Amid China’s celebration of its young, victorious Olympians, the country has paid special attention to the performance of a 50-year-old Canadian who crashed out of the second round of the fencing competition. Why is Luan Jujie such a hit? For what she did more than two decades ago at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics when she won China’s only fencing gold.
Five years after that victory she moved to Edmonton, and became a Canadian citizen in 1994. She continued to fence, competing for Canada in Sydney and qualifying again this year for Beijing. The mother of three won her first round Monday against 19-year-old Tunisian Ines Boubkari before losing to 32-year-old Aida Mohamed of Hungary.
After her loss, Luan, who was heavily supported by Chinese fans, held up a banner that said, “The Motherland is Good.” Presumably “Canada ain’t bad either” was the unwritten conclusion to the couplet. After nearly 20 years in Edmonton, Luan has said she wants to start a fencing school in Shanghai. Given China’s focus on the young athletes, some of whom may not even be old enough for Olympic competition, it’s nice to see older athletes getting recognition here. Swordplay, it seems, isn’t just for kids.