Li Qiaoqiao celebrates after winning the women's kumite 68kg gold medal on the sport's opening day at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Oct 5. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Chinese karateka Li Qiaoqiao clinched the women's kumite 68kg gold medal on the sport's opening day at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Oct 5.

After sailing past Palestine's Hala Alqadi 9-0 in the semifinal, Li enjoyed another comfortable victory in the final, taking down Laura Alikul of Kazakhstan 4-0.

Li's athletic journey began as a javelin athlete in the track and field team of Longgang Middle School in Wenzhou, where she developed a strong passion for sports at a young age. In December 2016, she joined the training team of the Zhejiang Karate Team, receiving guidance and expertise from the Tiantai Sports School and the Tiantai Martial Art Vocational School. Her dedication and remarkable talent led to her selection for the national karate team in 2018, and she has since earned numerous international karate accolades.

This year alone, Li has showcased exceptional performances in various competitions. In April, she claimed the women's kumite 68kg title at the 10th East Asia Karate Championship. She continued her success in July, when she secured the silver medal in the same category at the Asian Karate Championship.

With 14 gold medals on offer, the karate competition runs through Oct 8, which is also the concluding day of the Hangzhou Asiad.