Seven days later, the one-year postponed Tokyo Olympic Games will finally begin.
At night at the Tokyo National Arena, a Chinese delegation composed of 431 people will usher in a highly anticipated appearance.
At that moment, for many Chinese athletes, it means five years of long preparations, and even more than a decade of struggle is coming to an end.
Data map: On July 9, local time, the Tokyo Olympic flame arrived in Tokyo, Japan, and the torch welcoming ceremony was held at the Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium.
The Olympic Games has always bred the hope of young teenagers to come to the fore, and also the hope of a successful curtain call for veterans who have reached their twilight years of career.
Whether it was a successful retirement on the podium, or a regret to turn around and leave the arena, they have a high probability of saying goodbye to the arena where dreams, sweat and youth have been poured into them.
When the Tokyo Olympic cycle was unprecedentedly extended from 4 years to 5 years, its impact and influence spread rapidly from the moment the decision was announced.
Of course, athletes will not stop chasing forward, but a year's difference is enough to usher in a huge change in the international sports arena.
Among the Chinese delegation headed into the National Arena, after all, they did not see Lin Dan, Zhang Guowei, Ding Ning, and Lin Li.
In the past year, they have worked unyieldingly on the training ground, but the level of competition has declined helplessly, making the Olympic dream fade away.
Data map: Chen Long in the game.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Jimin
Some people retreat from the rapids, others move forward with heavy loads.
In the Chinese badminton team that alternates between new and old, the 32-year-old Rio Olympic men's singles champion Chen Long is the only player on the team's Tokyo roster with Olympic experience.
As the defending champion, Chen Long has withstood the pressure of declining state for some time and improved his skills and tactics under the guidance of Li Mao.
According to the signing, Chen Long entered the second half and avoided the host player Kento Momota and the Danish star Ansai Long, who are the most vocal to win the championship. However, after he qualified in the group or directly played against the new All England champion Li Zijia, the road to defending is doomed It will be easy to go.
The Olympic Games are postponed for one year, and all athletes are facing the problem of periodic adjustment.
The original plan deviates from the preset track, even if it is better than a dream team like Guoping, it is also a problem to be solved.
In this context, it is not easy for veterans such as Ma Long and Liu Shiwen to maintain the top level in a highly competitive environment.
Data map: Malone won the men's singles championship in the 2020 ITTF finals.
Photo by Kan Li, China News Agency reporter
The state of captain Malone is particularly worthy of attention.
Even though he is 33 years old, he is still the undoubted leader in the international table tennis world.
In the past two years, Malone has been away from the stadium for a long time due to injuries twice.
Although he was able to return in the end, he was the only one to bear the hardships.
Even if the game is postponed, Malone still has no hesitation on the road of making history.
Once again in the Olympics, winning the championship is Malone's only goal, but age and injuries remind the fans all the time that the Chinese "Dragon" game is one less game.
As the first Chinese sprinter to qualify for the men's 100-meter semi-final in the history of the Olympic Games, the 32-year-old Su Bingtian had his wish to stand in the Tokyo Olympics arena and hit the men's 100-meter final for the last time.
But in the 100-meter arena where competition is particularly fierce, Su Bingtian can only "fight" a way to the finals.
Data map: Chinese player Su Bingtian in the game.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Bo
The epidemic is at the head, the game is postponed, and Chinese athletes are still on the move, especially the veterans.
Whether it is a goal to defend the title, or to catch the last train and make a final fight, the historical moment in the eyes of the outside world, for them, is full of expectation.
Since 2017, world champion Gong Lijiao has always been the most stable gold spot in the Chinese track and field team.
But the past three Olympic trips were full of regrets for her.
Repeatedly passing by the women's shot put Olympic gold medal, Gong Lijiao has never been eager to fulfill his long-cherished wish at the Tokyo Olympics.
Gong Lijiao's career honor roll is the only one missing the most important Olympic gold medal.
As the veteran of the four dynasties of the Olympic Games, she finally ushered in the best time to make gold. "This is my peak period. As long as I stay competitive and not get injured, the Tokyo Olympic gold medal has been half of the time."
The picture shows Liu Hong holding a national flag celebrating.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Bo
As a "mother-level" athlete, as an Olympic champion who is already at the top, Liu Hong is about to go through her fourth Olympic cycle.
From the youthfulness of the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the company and support of his family and children, the 34-year-old Liu Hong enjoys the stadium more than ever.
"There is still a stronger self that has not been stimulated." Liu Hong is still exploring her limits today. For the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, what she most looks forward to is to be able to truly enjoy the experience on the track. hour.
Even if she is 34 years old, Yan Ni is still no suspense for being selected for the Chinese women's volleyball Olympic roster.
The world's top deputy offensive line composed of her and Yuan Xinyue will become a powerful weapon for the Chinese women's volleyball team to defend the title.
Stability and reliability are the most reassuring labels on Yan Ni, and now she will also fight for the Chinese women's volleyball team to the last minute.
In the men's final of the Jakarta Asian Games trampoline competition, Olympic champion Dong Dong scored 59.925 points with a difficulty coefficient of 17.100 and won the men's individual online gold medal.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Guanguan
In 2008, Dong Dong started his trampoline Olympic journey with an Olympic bronze medal.
In Tokyo 13 years later, his career is still continuing.
Five years ago, Rio's silver medal ended with regret.
The 32-year-old Dong Dong looks forward to winning the championship in Tokyo and drawing a successful end to his career.
National table tennis stars Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen, 36-year-old Chinese weightlifter Lv Xiaojun, Chinese diving team's new generation springboard "Queen" Shi Tingmao... In the past few years, each of them has been fighting against time, speeding up their pace, in sweat and tears. Stick to it.
They sweat like rain for their dreams, from their youth, to the mainstay of the team, to the twilight of their careers.
Persistence is their belief that they will not change their original aspirations in the past years, and the perfect curtain call is also the home of their hearts.
(Reporter Wang Yu)