This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
July 17, 2021, marked a significant day in the world of basketball as a video of 14-year-old Zhang Ziyu, a 2.26-meter-tall girl, went viral on the internet. The video showcased her impressive skills on the court, pocketing 42 points, 25 rebounds, and six blocks in the final to help her team claim the title.
Born in May 2007 in Shandong Province, Zhang's parents were former professional basketball athletes. Her father, 2.13 meters tall, and mother, over 1.9 meters tall, earned several national team call-ups.
By the time she entered elementary school, Zhang was already 1.6 meters tall. She grew 10cm every year until she stood at 2.11m when she graduated from elementary school, making her stand out among her classmates.
Enrolled at Tsinghua University Middle School in 2019 as a student athlete, many hope that Zhang can one day anchor China's women's basketball team and write her own story as 'the female Yao Ming.'
