Chinanews.com, Beijing, August 22,
title: (East and West Questions•Chinese Athletes) Dialogue | China Women's Three Women's Basketball: Tokyo has regrets, but the future is still promising
Author Bian Liqun
After defeating the French team in the final battle and winning an Olympic bronze medal, the three Chinese women's basketball girls cried.
The one who cried the most fiercely was Wang Lili, the oldest member of the team.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Wang Lili scored a total of 55 points and won the scoring champion of the event. She and her captain Zhang Zhiting became the team's pinnacle. With the "post-00s" Yang Shuyu and Wan Jiyuan, she made a fortune in this brand new Olympic event.
Although it is regrettable that they failed to win the gold medal they were looking forward to, a bronze medal is enough to be a reward for the girls' hard and long preparation for the battle. It is also through this Olympics that people can see the three women's basketball team in China. The future can be expected.
During the quarantine period when they returned to China, the three women's basketball girls from China accepted an exclusive interview with China-Singapore Sports and told about their Olympic memories and lives.
Data map: On the evening of July 28, in the bronze medal match of the women's three-person basketball in the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese women's three-person basketball team defeated the French team 16:14 and won the Chinese delegation's first medal in the event.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
1. Post-Olympic Life
Zhongxin Sports: What is the recent isolation life like?
Yang Shuyu: It's a bit boring. I get up in the morning to eat, train, and then eat and train. There is nothing special.
Outside of training, just watch dramas and play games.
Zhang Zhiting: Right now I can only train in the house, about one hour to one and a half hours per class. If you feel that it is not enough, you can add more.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What do you want to do after the quarantine is lifted? What are you looking forward to most?
Zhang Zhiting: I want to rush out for the first time and feel the feeling of freedom.
In fact, it was better after 21 days. I didn't want to do something that I expected.
On July 28, local time, in the women's three-person basketball bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese three-person women's basketball team defeated the French team 16:14 and won the bronze medal in the women's three-person basketball.
The US team won the championship and the Russian Olympic Committee won the runner-up.
The picture shows the award ceremony.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
Sino-Singapore Sports: This Olympics has received a lot of attention, will there be some pressure?
Zhang Zhiting: There will be no pressure. I think it is a good thing. There are many private messages on social media to cheer me on. With everyone's support, we are also very powerful in the game.
And this time everyone is not only paying attention to the three-person basketball project. Many people are also very interested in women's basketball and are willing to join the big family of women's basketball, so I feel very happy.
Sino-Singapore Sports: The handsome Yang Shuyu attracted a lot of attention at this Olympics. When did he cut his short hair? What made the decision?
Yang Shuyu: I don't remember, I just want to change the style.
Wan Jiyuan: I remember that it was in 2019. At the time when I was playing in the Youth Games, Yang Shuyu still had long hair in the preliminaries. In the finals, he turned into short hair. I thought it was so handsome at the time, but now it's just normal. I'm tired of watching it (laughs).
Yang Shuyu (right) in the game.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
2. Future planning
Sino-Singapore Sports: You are going to form a team to play in the National Games. What are your prospects?
Zhang Zhiting: Every match is a challenge, because the last domestic team that made it to the finals will certainly not be weak. There are relatively strong players from various provincial teams, and there are also teammates who trained together before. Everyone is strong, so you should be yourself. Fight one by one.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What plans will be made after the National Games? Will you go home and have a good rest?
Zhang Zhiting: After the National Games, we are about to enter the end of the year. There is no time to rest too much, and we have to return to the provincial team to prepare for the WCBA league.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Wang Lili said before that she wanted to be a teacher. Is there any specific direction?
Wang Lili: After retiring, I want to be a teacher in college, because I feel that I have always been in the professional team at the age of struggle. I don't have time to spend time with my family. After the summer and winter vacations, I will have some time to spend with my family.
Wang Lili (first from left) in the game.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
2. Tokyo Olympic memory
Sino-Singapore Sports: Now that you think of winning the bronze medal in the Olympics, are you still excited? The most impressive thing during the Olympics?
Zhang Zhiting: Actually, it's already quite plain.
What impressed me most was the moment when the four people stood on the podium together. I felt very happy and did it myself.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Everyone cried after the last victory over France. Who cried the most? What kind of psychological fluctuation was at that moment?
Zhang Zhiting: Wang Lili cried the most fiercely, crying to the point of kneeling.
Because the Olympics are 5 days and 10 games, everyone's emotions have always been in a state of high tension in the game. I think that on the last day of the game, everyone may have released their emotions.
Wang Lili: It’s just that these four months have been so difficult. Training every day is also a challenge for all parties. When the whistle sounded, because of the bronze medal, I felt that the four months and the previous efforts were worth it. Those who questioned me had a good response and proof.
On the evening of July 28, local time, the Chinese women's three-person basketball team defeated the French team 16:14 in the bronze medal match of the women's three-person basketball at the Tokyo Olympics and won the Chinese delegation's first medal in the event.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
Sino-Singapore Sports: Everyone is from a five-man basketball background. What is the difference between three-man basketball? What is your experience with this project?
Zhang Zhiting: Each has its own charm. Three-person basketball is a high-intensity sport with anaerobic combination. The requirements for athletes are very high. It is more important to judge and adjust in an instant. These years, three people have participated in it. In the basketball game, I felt the comprehensiveness required for three-person basketball, the high efficiency and high explosiveness on the court.
Moreover, three-person basketball was developed from the folks. In fact, whether three-person basketball or five-person basketball, we hope that more people will participate in basketball.
Captain Zhang Zhiting (left) in the game.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
China-Singapore Sports: What is the biggest difficulty facing this journey? Is it the biggest difficulty to switch from five-man basketball to three-man basketball?
Wang Lili: Actually changing from five-man basketball to three-man basketball is a minor problem.
The biggest difficulty was when we first decided on the roster, because the four of us have never played together. I don't know what the final match will look like, and what we can do, I feel at a loss.
Sino-Singapore Sports: I noticed that Wang Lili's hairstyle is different from her usual hairstyle when she competes, and she wears a small braid. Is there anything to pay attention to here?
Wang Lili: I don't know how to tie my hair. In fact, it was Director Xu (Xu Jiamin) who helped me tie it up. Since she tied the braid for me, I have been all the rage on the court.
Wang Lili (left) and Zhang Zhiting.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Du Yang
Sino-Singapore Sports: What does it mean for you to win the bronze medal this time?
Wang Lili: This bronze medal is of great significance to each of us, especially the two young players. It is a very good and very precious memory for them.
For Zhang Zhiting and me, as old players in the team, we may share more on the court, so that our two sisters will not be under so much pressure.
I'm still a bit regretful. I didn't make it to the finals to compete for the gold medal. In fact, the goal before everyone came was to hit the gold medal.
But getting a medal is also very valuable. After all, it’s the first time that I participated in the Olympics, and the three-person basketball event was also the first time to appear in the Olympics. Such results are for our team up and down, including the players who did not make the Olympic roster. It's all a kind of return.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What's your feeling along the way?
Wan Jiyuan: I think this training is not easy for everyone. At first, it didn't take a long time to run in. The tacit understanding between everyone was not very good. However, through communication, it became better and better. Winning the bronze medal proved ourselves.
Zhang Zhiting: Because I have been in this team for the longest time, so for me, this medal can be regarded as a recognition of my ability. The road ahead is still long. It depends on the two sisters. The future can be expected. , I hope they can realize our Olympic gold medal dream.
Wang Lili and I are also fighting for the next Paris Olympic Games.
(End)