(Chinese Focus Face to Face) Tokyo Olympics, hope that many "dark horses" will appear in the Chinese Army
China News Service, Beijing, July 25th, title: Tokyo Olympics, hope that many "dark horses" will appear in the Chinese Legion
——Interview with Zhang Ning, two-time Olympic champion and member of the World Badminton Federation Hall of Fame
China News Agency reporter Lu Yan
After five years of waiting, the Tokyo Olympics finally came.
What surprises will the Chinese Legion bring?
How did the Chinese Legion deal with the most special Olympics?
What are the prospects for the Olympic journey of the Badminton Dream Team?
What kind of subtle changes have taken place in Chinese people's concepts and attitudes towards sports?
Zhang Ning, a two-time Olympic badminton champion in Athens and Beijing, and a member of the World Badminton Federation Hall of Fame, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "China Focus Face-to-face". From his own legendary experience and unique perspective, he analyzed these hot issues for everyone.
China News Agency "Focus on China" interviewed Zhang Ning, the two-time badminton Olympic champion in Athens and Beijing, and member of the World Badminton Hall of Fame.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
"A lot of unexpected game results may happen"
China News Agency reporter: In your opinion, what difficulties and uncertainties will athletes face in the Tokyo Olympic Games, which is postponed for one year?
Zhang Ning: The
Olympics is different from other competitions.
When you enter the Olympic Village, you will see many big-name sports stars. They will eat and go shopping with you. The atmosphere of the game will be stronger than ever, and you will become particularly excited.
At this time, athletes should try to tell themselves that they must maintain a stable and normal mind, arrange their work and rest time, and maintain a good state in accordance with the established plan.
It is still necessary to analyze the opponent more, put down the posture and fight, and strive to bring out the usual training level.
The Olympics make you nervous and stressful, but this is the charm of the Olympics.
During the year of the postponement of the Olympics, few people participated in the competition.
In particular, the Chinese team has hardly participated in the competition and needs to adapt to the atmosphere and atmosphere of the arena as soon as possible.
For example, the current Chinese badminton team members are very young, and the Tokyo Olympics is a great challenge for them.
But I believe that they are all professional athletes. The Chinese team has also made adequate preparations before the game. They will adapt to the Olympic atmosphere as soon as possible.
Being young is different from being young, and has the spirit of "newborn calves are not afraid of tigers"!
I hope they will have a better performance in the Olympics.
China News Service: When the Olympics were postponed last year, IOC President Bach once said that he hoped the Tokyo Olympics would become "a beam of light at the end of the dark tunnel." What does the Olympic Movement mean to the present? What is the significance of writing "more united" into the Olympic motto at this time?
Zhang Ning:
Because of the epidemic, the whole world is living in a very depressive atmosphere, and people's emotions actually need to be released.
Sports itself is to call on people to pursue "faster, higher and stronger" and inspire people to face difficulties bravely.
Now that the idea of "more unity" has been put forward, I think the slogan of the International Olympic Committee is very good and very timely.
The world needs sports to drive and inspire people to face difficulties, challenge difficulties, and overcome difficulties.
To build a community with a shared future for mankind, unity is even more necessary.
It is a very good thing to use the Olympic Games to strengthen the unity of the people of the world and fight the epidemic together.
Reporter from China News Service: Will the Olympic Games without audience cheering affect the performance of the players? From the opening ceremony to the award ceremony, many ceremonies have been simplified. Will the lack of a sense of ceremony make the athletes regret?
Zhang Ning:
On the contrary
,
I think that the absence of spectators will not have a greater impact on the athletes, but the atmosphere is less tense.
But the host has lost the cheering voice of the audience in their country, and will lose a lot of home court advantage, which will be a bit regrettable for them.
But it is a good thing for Chinese athletes. Without the psychological pressure and interference caused by external influences, they can play peacefully, which is unimaginable in the past.
But after all, it is the Olympic Games. I predict that there may be many unexpected results.
It's a pity that the award ceremony was simplified.
For Olympians, they may need the award ceremony even more.
At this time, however, the athlete's attention is not the audience, but the medal on his neck.
On July 23, local time, the opening ceremony of the 32nd Summer Olympic Games was held at the New National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.
The picture shows the fireworks set off at the opening ceremony.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Tomita
The epidemic is successful, Chinese athletes are well prepared
China News Agency reporter: The participation goals announced at the inaugural meeting of the Chinese sports delegation include "resolutely curbing the trend of continuous decline in Olympic performance for many years." What are your expectations for the Chinese delegation?
Zhang Ning:
I am full of expectations for the Chinese Olympic Team. I believe that Chinese athletes will perform well in the Tokyo Olympics and achieve impressive results. I hope that there will be many "dark horses".
Because of the epidemic, normal life and work in many parts of the world have been greatly affected, and their Olympic preparations have also been greatly affected.
As far as I know, many European countries have adopted mandatory closure measures for sports facilities, which affects players' preparation for training.
On the contrary, the domestic epidemic has been brought under control in a short time, and athletes' preparations are hardly affected, and they are very adequate.
The key is how to adjust the mentality and give full play to the usual training level.
China News Service: Epidemic prevention and control is the top priority of the Tokyo Olympics. However, various epidemic prevention measures may cause a lot of inconvenience on and off the court. How should athletes adjust?
Zhang Ning:
I hope the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics can really pay attention to the safety of athletes.
The organizer should learn the model and method of China's national defense epidemic, and make the quarantine work more rigorous and meticulous.
For athletes, they still have to pay more attention to epidemic prevention, such as wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining social distance.
In fact, if you develop a habit, you won’t feel cumbersome and troublesome.
Believe that the Chinese badminton team can play forever
China News Agency reporter: During the Tokyo Olympic cycle, the performance of the Chinese badminton team has fluctuated to a certain extent. What do you think? What do you think they will achieve, especially Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao, whom you have coached?
Zhang Ning:
Looking at the list of the Chinese badminton team this time, you will know that 95% of the players are participating in the Olympics for the first time.
It is a normal rule for sports performance to fluctuate. Young players need time to grow, the accumulation of competition experience, and the maturity of skills and tactics.
As I said earlier, China’s effective control of the epidemic has given athletes the advantage of preparing for the Olympics. I believe that the Chinese badminton team will achieve satisfactory results.
Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao used to be my team members. As she grows older and has more experience in participating, Chen Yufei has become more mature and stable than before. I think she is the favorite to win the championship.
He Bingjiao has lost a lot of weight than before, which proves that her self-demand is higher and harder than before.
Her style of play has its own characteristics. If she plays steadily, she will play a world in the Olympics.
Bless them, hope that they can play their own level and defend the honor of China's badminton women's singles.
China News Service: In addition to badminton, what other projects of the Chinese delegation do you follow?
Zhang Ning:
I especially love watching the Olympics because it is sacred to athletes.
During the Olympics, whenever there is a Chinese team game, I like to watch it.
Of course, table tennis, women's volleyball, diving and other events will be watched more, mainly on TV.
Moreover, the table tennis team has always been in the same center with the badminton team (the National Sports General Administration Table Tennis Center). We are familiar with the players and coaches of the national table tennis team. The strong national table tennis team has always been a role model for us.
I also like to watch the women's volleyball team.
When I was a child, I was almost selected by the volleyball coach. In the end, the badminton coach replaced me with two players taller than me, so I have a special feeling for the women's volleyball team.
Of course, the diving team is also our dream team. They have never let the Chinese down in any competition. I admire the Chinese diving team very much.
I will also focus on some competitions like gymnastics, rowing, women's basketball, women's football and so on.
I believe they will all have excellent performance.
China News Agency reporter: Statistics show that the percentage of female athletes in the Chinese delegation has reached 69%, which is the most disparity in the percentage of all previous Olympics. What do you think of the increase in the number of female athletes, and the "yin and Yang decay" of some events?
Zhang Ning:
If I remember correctly, basically the previous Chinese delegations have more female athletes, but this one is particularly obvious. It may be because of the lack of male players with the "three major goals" in the basketball volleyball team.
However, this also fully reflects our ability to "women can hold up half the sky".
The female athletes of our country are indeed very hard-working, and their sports performance must be based on hard work, persistence, perseverance, and perseverance. God rewards hard work.
China News Agency "Focus on China" interviewed Zhang Ning, the two-time badminton Olympic champion in Athens and Beijing, and member of the World Badminton Hall of Fame.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
Raising the national flag and playing the national anthem is the highest mission of athletes
China News Agency reporter: Your career includes both the hardships of winning the first world championship 12 years after entering the national team, and the honor of being an Olympic champion. Are you relieved of the grievances and suffering you have suffered? What is the difference between the two Olympic gold medals?
Zhang Ning:
Now that I think about it, the hardships and grievances I have suffered over the years have actually been relieved.
Looking back on the road I have traveled, persistence, perseverance, perseverance and "faster, higher, stronger" sportsmanship supported me to victory.
Winning at the Athens Olympics is the kind of joy of winning the championship for the first time; after winning the Beijing Olympics, it is more gratification that you have been rewarded for your efforts.
Sports is the best way to exercise people's mind. It cultivates the habit of not being afraid of hardships, persisting hard, and the determination to win.
Reporter from China News Service: After having suffered so much along the way, if you were asked to choose again, would you still choose badminton again?
Zhang Ning: Yes
.
This sport has brought me not only the many honors I see now; so many years of sports career, it has also cultivated my persistence in the face of difficulties and perseverance in sportsmanship.
China News Agency reporter: The feelings of family and country are genes carved into the bones of Chinese people. Sports athletes have a sense of mission to fight for the country. When was the most interpretive moment of these 4 words in your career? How should excellent high-level athletes exercise this quality outside of competition?
Zhang Ning:
I couldn’t lose in the finals of the 2004 Athens Olympics, because I faced foreign players, and I had to go all out to defend the honor; I couldn’t lose in the semi-finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of that. It is the mission and task that I must adhere to.
Fighting for the country is not about knocking down one's own people, but to guard the level you face against foreign players and keep foreign players out of the finals.
Successful athletes must have lofty ideals. To make unremitting efforts for ideals, raising the national flag and playing the national anthem is the highest mission of athletes.
I always believe that to become a successful athlete requires not only talent, but more importantly, unremitting and even cruel training.
Usually, you must be humble, ask more, give more, and work hard. When you encounter difficulties, you must be persistent, tenacious, and strong.
China News Agency reporter: You have a long career and have witnessed the development and transformation of China's sports industry. During this period, what do you think has changed in Chinese people's concepts and attitudes towards sports?
Zhang Ning: The
Chinese people's understanding of sports has indeed undergone major changes in recent years. This should have been caused by the strengthening of the country, the improvement of the economic level, and the increase in per capita income.
Nowadays, people regard sports as a part of their living standards, and their desire to participate in sports is getting stronger and stronger.
The state has raised the status of sports in education more and more.
People pay more and more attention to sports.
(Finish)