Hu Minghai
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 Hu Minghai (front/left) with Shu Junrong at the 2012 Summer Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | 胡明海 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Chinese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 April 1989[1] Yueyang, Hunan[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (150 lb)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  China | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | male Slalom Canoeist | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | yes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Hu Minghai | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 胡明海 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 胡明海 | ||||||
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Hu Minghai (Chinese: 胡明海; pinyin: Hú Míng Hǎi; born April 19, 1989, in Yueyang, Hunan[2]) is a former Chinese male slalom canoeist specializing in the C2 event. He and his partner Shu Junrong competed together as a team from 2003 to the 2013 National Games.
Hu was born in Wensheng residential community (文胜社区) of Rongjiawan (荣家湾), Yueyang county, Hunan. As a small child he used to go swimming and rowing in a fishing boat behind his parents' back in summer in a pond near his home. He had grown to be an excellent swimmer and rower at the age of eight or nine. He had strong arms and good coordination skills for rowing.[2]
In 2001 it was Sui Hongjun (隋红军), who served as a whitewater slalom coach in Heyuan Water Sports Administration, Guangdong, who discovered Hu's potential in canoeing and recommended Hu to take part in slalom training. In March 2001, Hu went to Heyuan Slalom Team with Sui from Yueyang to start his slalom canoeing career.[citation needed]
Since Hu Minghai entered Heyuan Slalom Team in 2003, Hu and Shu Junrong being at similar age, started competing together in canoe doubles. Hu was picked for the national slalom training team in 2004 and in 2006, he became a full member of the Chinese canoe slalom team. The two-man team gradually became leading figures of Chinese slalom C2 events.[2][3][4][5]
Career
Hu competed in the Olympic Games twice with Shu, finishing the 10th in 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 6th in 2012 London Olympics.[6] He won the gold medal at 2010 ICF World Cup Race 1 in Prague.[7] It was first time that Chinese paddlers took a win in C2 in ICF World Cup. From 2006 to 2012, he won four gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals in the ICF World Cup series, including Asian Championships and Oceanian Championships. From 2005 to 2013, Hu competed in China National Games three times, winning gold in 2009 and 2013 and silver in 2005.[8][9]