From China's first male table tennis "Grand Slam" player to the youngest head coach of the national table tennis team, Liu Guoliang has been in the table tennis world for many years and is a legend in the sports world. However, he is domineering on the court, but he is a humble and low-key person in life. When he and his wife Wang Jin met Yu Wei, they fell in love for 14 years and finally stepped onto the red carpet, and his love was as wonderful as his ball skills...
The "promise keepsake" is a pair of sneakers
In 1976, Liu Guoliang was born in a sports family in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, and his father Liu Zhansheng was the coach of the Xinxiang table tennis team. Influenced by his father, Liu Guoliang formed a love affair with table tennis at a very young age - he entered the national youth team at the age of 13.
On New Year's Day 1992 after Liu Guoliang entered the national table tennis team, the national table tennis team and the national youth team celebrated, and Liu Guoliang and his teammates came to the auditorium of the table tennis and badminton center with great interest. There was an impromptu program at the party, in which members of the national men's team and women members of the youth team sang each other. Liu Guoliang was selected to appear first, singing "Fly" of the Little Tigers with a female member of the youth team named Wang Jin. When the passionate singing sounded, the audience burst into applause. In this way, Liu Guoliang and Wang Jin met.
Wang Jin is a native of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, who has just "killed" the national youth team from the Liaoning Provincial Team, and his father is the famous table tennis coach Wang Jixin. The well-proportioned and beautiful Wang Jin walked very lightly, and a pair of watery eyes were sparkling, very moving, and it was particularly good to look at when smiling. But what is more striking is that this beautiful little girl uses a strange "four-sided attack" style of play in technology.
Liu Guoliang's family
The training halls of the national team and the youth team are separated by only one wall, and one team has important competitions, and the players of the other team often have to visit and learn. One day in March 1992, Wang Jin went with several members of the team to watch Liu Guoliang play. On that day, Liu Guoliang played against Kong Linghui of the same team, and the two sweated like rain on the stage, and the score has been rising alternately. Liu Guoliang is a right-handed straight grip on the racket, and the technical characteristic is a fast attack near the platform. He combined his excellent serve with an innovative straight-pat shot, and he continued to win applause from the audience. It was at this time that the fierce, mighty and passionate Liu Guoliang made the 17-year-old young girl Wang Jin suddenly moved, and from then on, Wang Jin firmly remembered Liu Guoliang's name. Not long after, Liu Guoliang also noticed this young girl who often came to observe and study, and the cheerful and generous Wang Jin also made Liu Guoliang's heart move again and again. Liu Guoliang, who is shy and not good at words, buried this hazy feeling deep in his heart, but he often took the opportunity to watch Wang Jin's game and cheer for her.
One day, Liu Guoliang pretended to inadvertently say to Wang Jin, "Would you please have a meal?" Wang Jin was frightened, blushed and bowed his head in shame and did not dare to make a sound. After a while, Liu Guoliang mentioned "do you want to eat together", wang Jin still did not nod. But under Liu Guoliang's unremitting invitation, she was finally defeated by Liu Guoliang's persistence and "brown candy" style.
However, unexpectedly, Liu Guoliang, worried about Wang Jin's embarrassment, actually pulled a brother to the hotel as a companion. "Then I thought: It's over! Meet a stupid boy who doesn't understand the mood at all - but how can he play so smart? Wang Jin said later.
In frequent contact, the young boy and girl became good friends who talked about everything. None of them had relatives around, and whenever they missed home, Liu Guoliang and Wang Jin became the warmest comfort in each other's hearts. On days without training, they chatted, went shopping, and went to the park.
One day, Wang Jin's father, Wang Jixin, came to Beijing to see his daughter, and Wang Jin took Liu Guoliang to see his father. Wang Jixin liked this tiger-headed young man very much, and thought he was clever, intelligent and lively. After that, every time Wang Jixin went to Beijing, as long as he brought anything delicious to his daughter, he also gave Liu Guoliang a portion, and Liu Guoliang also unceremoniously "smiled". Later, as soon as he heard that Wang Jixin had arrived, he would proudly declare to his friends: "My old father-in-law has come to see me!" It made my friends cry and laugh: "The eight characters have not been skimmed yet, look at your hot energy." At that time, the national team had an "unspoken rule", and when the players fell in love, they would basically "dissuade" one of them, so neither of them dared to touch this "high-pressure line". However, no one can say anything about the feelings, the time is not long, and some subtle changes have occurred in the hearts of the two people.
In the early spring of 1993, Wang Jin celebrated her 17th birthday, and she bought a cake to celebrate with her teammates in the dormitory. At this moment, a soft knock on the door sounded, Wang Jin opened the door to see, Liu Guoliang carrying a pair of brand new sneakers, shyly standing in the doorway. This chic birthday gift caused the teammates to laugh, but Wang Jin, who has always been cheerful, could not laugh at all, and she felt the weight of this gift. As athletes, she and Liu Guoliang fight on the court every day, I don't know how many pairs of shoes to wear, I can't imagine that Liu Guoliang, who looks very grinning, is so careful.
It was with such a birthday gift that was not expensive but very intimate that Liu Guoliang successfully knocked open Wang Jin's heart.
Seven years apart, the "Prince of Table Tennis" is proud of the crowd
In May 1993, Liu Guoliang was selected for the men's team team of the 42nd World Table Tennis Championships in Sweden. With a hazy and beautiful first love, Liu Guoliang practiced the training ground all day and vowed to win the world championship. But in the end, the Chinese men's table tennis team only won the runner-up of the men's team - Liu Guoliang, who was not rewarded with great ambition, was heartbroken.
For 17-year-old Liu Guoliang, this would have been a normal failure. However, this defeat made Wang Jin also feel uncomfortable: "Is he distracted in the game?" Did our love affair affect him? At that moment, Wang Jin suddenly thought of leaving.
In March 1995, Wang Jin officially decided to leave the national youth team and play in Japan. This decision stunned everyone who knew her. Liu Guoliang found Wang Jin and said to her: "Your playing style is very rare in the Chinese table tennis world, you have performed very well recently, if you continue to play, you will definitely have something to do." ”
"My straight-shot long glue fast attack method doesn't have much advantage. I want to go out and run around. ”
"Are you afraid that our love affair will affect my grades?" Then we will bury this beauty in our hearts. ”
Wang Jin shook his head: "When I go abroad, we can continue our relationship, you have to play well, I believe you will succeed soon." ”
Half a month later, at Shenyang Xiantao Airport, Wang Jin and Liu Guoliang, who came to see him off, said goodbye. On the plane gangway, the moment Wang Jin waved goodbye to Liu Guoliang, tears welled up.
Wang Jin, who came to Japan, joined the Panasonic Electric club to play, the new environment requires full dedication, and Wang Jin works nervously like a tight clockwork. However, the fatigue at work is nothing, and what Wang Jin can't bear is the longing for her lover and the boundless loneliness. Less than two months after arriving in Tokyo, Wang Jin, who was 1.63 meters tall, lost more than a dozen pounds and suffered from severe insomnia.
Liu Guoliang
In early October 1995, Wang Jin went out with the club to compete, and when she returned to Tokyo the next day, she fell seriously ill. During the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in China, she lay in a hospital bed. When a bright moon rises, Wang Jin stands on the balcony with a breeze and looks at the bustling night view of Tokyo, feeling lonely. She dialed Liu Guoliang's phone, and there came Liu Guoliang's distant greeting. On this side of the phone, she only shouted: "Guoliang, how are you?" I couldn't hold back the thoughts any longer, and two lines of tears silently slid down my cheeks. That day, Wang Jin hid his illness and talked to Liu Guoliang for a long time...
At that time, domestic mobile phones were not yet popular, and Liu Guoliang often lingered in front of the public telephone in the dormitory, waiting for Wang Jin's phone. If you catch him out to play games, communication becomes more difficult, often ten and a half days can not be contacted, which is undoubtedly a torture for lovers who love each other. In a hurry, Liu Guoliang simply took advantage of the game in Shenzhen to buy a pricey "big brother" - although the call cost was very high, but the exchange between the two was guaranteed from then on.
The 1996 Olympics were held in Atlanta, and what worried Wang most was that Japanese television did not broadcast the table tennis match. Therefore, before each game, Liu Guoliang called to tell Wang Jin who the opponent of this game was, what the level was, and then the two analyzed each other's characteristics together. After the game, because Liu Guoliang had to go to the urine test and attend the press conference, he could not report the score to the distant lover in time. Therefore, the heavy responsibility of reporting after the game fell on Liu Guoliang's brother Liu Guodong.
However, every time he answered the phone, Wang Jin's voice trembled with nervousness. In order to ease the tension, the humorous Guo Dong and Wang Jin agreed: if Guo Liang wins, he will shout "Good!" at the moment of answering the phone. Good! Good! ”。 Perhaps because of the bitter prayers of lovers, Liu Guoliang became more and more courageous in the two "fronts" of singles and doubles, "cutting melons and cutting vegetables" all the way. Therefore, when Wang Jin answered the phone every time, he could always hear Liu Guodong's deafening "Good! Good! Good! ”。
After the game, when Liu Guoliang excitedly "reported" to Wang Jin in detail, his girlfriend's low sob came from the other end of the phone: "You know? Guoliang, I was afraid of affecting you before leaving, the reason why I chose this way is to win the world championship as soon as possible. I'm glad you did it so quickly..." The girlfriend's soft words hit Liu Guoliang's heart hard. He couldn't say a word, and couldn't help but burst into tears.
Under the nourishment of love, in 1999, Liu Guoliang once again won the men's singles championship at the World Table Tennis Championships, becoming the first "Grand Slam" winner in the Chinese table tennis world to integrate the Olympic Games, the World Table Tennis Championships and the World Cup three singles champions, and also became a table tennis "killer" that made all male singles players in the world daunted. In addition, he also won the men's doubles championship with his teammate Kong Linghui many times, and from this time on, the "National Liang Dynasty" of the world table tennis officially arrived.
In 2001, Wang Jin, who returned to China, registered and established Liaoning Guoqiu Sporting Goods Co., Ltd., and became a businessman, operating table tennis clothing and equipment, naturally, Liu Guoliang is the image spokesperson of the company's brand. Soon, with the efforts and support of Liu Guoliang, the company opened up the market in Beijing. On the streetfront facades of Beijing's Liangguang Street and Xuanwu District Pedestrian Street, there are "National Ball" signboards and huge advertising photos of Liu Guoliang hanging everywhere. With the efforts of Wang Jin, who is flexible and bold and enterprising, the "National Ball" company has operated very well, and has a lot of weight and popularity in the table tennis circle.
After 14 years of love run, home is always the warmest harbor
In 2002, Liu Guoliang stood at a turning point in his career. The International Table Tennis Federation has changed the rules one after another, the ball has become larger, the sub-system has also changed, and Liu Guoliang has been greatly impacted. For him, the most fatal thing is the increase in the scale between the granules of the positive glue, which makes his straight plate lose the advantage of the first three boards, the tactics can not play normally, and the development space is greatly limited.
Liu Guoliang has the idea of retiring, and the brilliant record is enough to complete his achievements and retire, he can choose to go abroad to play or make a lot of money in business. But at this time, Cai Zhenhua, the leader of the table tennis and feather management center, intended to make him the head coach of the national table tennis men's team. The trust of the leader made Liu Guoliang very moved, but when he thought of the burden on his shoulders, he hesitated. He asked Wang Jin's opinion: "Table tennis is China's national ball, and its position in the hearts of the Chinese people is very important, every team member has been under great pressure, and the head coach is like sitting on the crater..." Liu Guoliang poured out his inner troubles and confusion to Wang Jin. Wang Jin can appreciate the irreplaceable position of table tennis in her boyfriend's heart, and know the ambition of his heart, she told Liu Guoliang: "Only in the face of difficulties and pressure can you show your strength, the opportunity is rare, why should you give up?" Maybe your path ahead will be full of thorns, but I will fully support you!"
In order to encourage Liu Guoliang, Wang Jin even mobilized his family and a large group of friends to be Liu Guoliang's strong backing, and carefully helped Liu Guoliang analyze his various strengths and advantages. Later, Liu Guoliang himself felt that he should take over the coach's whip.
In the autumn of this year, Liu Guoliang was officially appointed as the head coach of the national men's table tennis team, and the burden on his shoulders suddenly weighed a lot. The mental pressure made his nerves tighten every day, and he lost a lot of weight at once. Wang Jin, who was distressed about her boyfriend, often cooked soup to increase nutrition for Liu Guoliang. Every weekend, he also accompanied Liu Guoliang to the countryside, listened to a concert or watched a movie, and tried to relax his nervous nerves.
The responsibility and mission of the head coach require Liu Guoliang to focus on his work and have no distractions. Wang Jin took on the responsibilities and obligations of a daughter-in-law, and every holiday or the birthday of Liu Guoliang's parents, she sent money to the elderly in liu Guoliang's name or went to Henan to visit them. Sometimes Liu Guoliang's parents came to Beijing, and Wang Jin took the time to accompany the two elderly people out for a walk, taste various special snacks in the capital, and take them on a tour. The second elder was happy to blossom in his heart: Wang Jin is really a good girl, more intimate and filial than our son! They repeatedly privately urged Liu Guoliang to get married as soon as possible and marry such a good girl into the door.
At this moment, Liu Guoliang, as the head coach of the men's team of the Chinese table tennis team, is leading the players to step up training. In May 2005, at the 48th World Championships, as the host of the competition, Liu Guoliang led the Chinese men's team to play a beautiful battle - the Chinese table tennis team won the World Championship Grand Slam again! When Liu Guoliang first told Wang Jin the good news, both of them shed tears of excitement. Later, Wang Jin said humorously: "I didn't make a mistake in supporting your decision in the first place, you must invite me to dinner!" Liu Guoliang took his girlfriend in his arms and looked naughty: "I am willing to become your meal ticket for a lifetime." ”
In order to repay his girlfriend's support for him, in September 2005, Liu Guoliang specially rushed to Shenyang and bought a new house in Wulihe, a bustling area, to honor Wang Jin's parents. However, the successful young marshal "miscalculated" this time, under the local media's questioning, Liu Guoliang finally exposed the name of his girlfriend who has been carefully caring, and Wang Jin surfaced.
On August 18, 2006, Liu Guoliang and Wang Jin finally ended their 14-year love run and entered the palace of marriage. This year, the two were 30 years old. When Liu Guoliang put a beautiful diamond ring on Wang Jin's hand, looking back on the bits and pieces of the past 14 years, Wang Jin couldn't help but burst into tears, and his heart overflowed with excitement and happiness.
Later, in an interview, the reporter once asked Wang Jin: "Don't you want to win the world championship yourself?" Wang Jin was very calm: "Our family, it is enough to have a world champion." ”
On May 6, 2010, Liu Guoliang and Wang Jin ushered in the crystallization of their love - a pair of twin sisters: the eldest name is Liu Yujie, the little name wins; the second is called Liu Yutong, the little name is Yiyi. Only if you win the ball, you can get the first, and the meaning is so simple and beautiful.
As the head of the Chinese table tennis team, Liu Guoliang is very sober: competitive sports are so cruel, every day to lose and win in the experience, all the efforts must be finally through the performance of the game to perform. It's stressful, but learn to enjoy every battle for the title.
Liu Guoliang also passed on this concept to his two daughters. Daughters often ask about their father's story when he was an athlete and when he coached the world champion, and every time at this time, Liu Guoliang would tell them in a serious way that there was only one champion in each game, but it was more important to maintain a balanced mentality in the face of failure.
From the age of 3, Win Win and One one began to learn to play golf. In June 2018, winning and going to the United States to participate in the "World Star" Junior Golf Championship, Liu Guoliang came to Las Vegas with his wife and daughter, he ran on the lawn, happily picked up the ball for his daughter, and enjoyed the joy of being a competent "caddy". With the warm company of her parents, Win Win won the 8-year-old and under-8 level championship in one fell swoop, which was her first world championship title.
At the award ceremony, Win Win spoke in English throughout the ceremony, speaking in a standard and fluent voice: "I am Liu Yujie from China, and I want to thank my father, who has always been my role model." Dad won the Olympics in the United States in 1996, and I had a dream that one day I would surpass him. ”
On August 18, 2021, Liu Guoliang posted a video online to express his affection to his wife Wang Jin to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their marriage. Under this video, Liu Guoliang wrote: "You are the joy of my youth, but also the sweetness of the rest of my life; may our future life not only have chai rice oil and salt, but also the sea of stars." This is the best interpretation of love for this legendary player who has been in the table tennis world for many years.
Source: Magazine of All Walks of Life, Issue 11, 2021
Author: Lv Yihang