Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 31 (Reporter Zhou Xin) 20,000 meters of freestyle, 6 hours of uninterrupted swimming, athletics field penalty run 100 laps...
Cold pools, empty pools swimming alone, faces mixed with tears and sweat, broken wrists and plaster protectors fluttering alone in the hot pool...
Those painful scenes finally ushered in the highlight of 2021: Li Bingjie, a female middle and long distance freestyle champion who was once hailed as a talented girl, climbed to the top again: winning 1 gold and 1 bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games; the Shaanxi National Games and the Abu Dhabi Short Course Swimming World Championships held in mid-December, continuing to harvest gold medals and constantly refreshing their personal bests.
Pictured here is Li Bingjie on December 19, on the podium of the women's 400m freestyle at the World Championships in Short Course Swimming in Abu Dhabi. Xinhua News Agency
"Those who can't defeat you will eventually make you stronger!" Li Bingjie, who had been soaked in tears, revealed a bright smile.
Looking back on 2021, Li Bingjie said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency: "If 10 points is a full score, I will give my full-year performance a score of 9." Because this year I almost rewrote all my personal bests, whether in the long pool or the short pool, only one 800m freestyle best was still stuck in 2017. ”
In 2017, 15-year-old Li Bingjie turned out at the Budapest Swimming World Championships, won the bronze medal in the women's 400-meter freestyle and the silver medal in the 800-meter freestyle and broke the Asian record, winning four gold medals at the National Games, but unfortunately the state fell into a trough: he could not find a suitable training method for himself, his performance declined, his physical strength suffered a fracture and injury, and he wanted to retreat home when he was confused and painful...
"During that time, I was depressed, I couldn't cry when I wanted to, and I had a big pimple in my heart. Thank you to the coaches, teammates, team and my parents for taking me out of the darkest hours. The coach was very demanding of me and rarely praised me, but every time he praised me, I was particularly happy. Usually, when I encounter troubles, I talk to my good friends and say nothing. And my parents, both of whom were once professional swimmers, were very understanding and supportive of me. ”
After three years of "tribulations", with the persistent belief that "all suffering will not be in vain", Li Bingjie began to bloom in 2021, successively returned with gold medals in the China Swimming Championships and the National Swimming Championships, won the bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and rewrote the Asian record twice in a row; and in the women's 4×200 meters freestyle relay, he served as the fourth stick "finale", resisted the crazy counterattack of his opponents, and joined hands with teammates Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan and Zhang Yufei to break the world record. Standing on the championship podium together, we realized my childhood dream of learning to swim - the Olympic champion.
Pictured here on July 29, China's Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan, Zhang Yufei and Li Bingjie (from left to right) take a group photo after the women's 4X200m freestyle relay award ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xia Fang
The Olympic champion brought Li Bingjie not only honor, but also self-confidence and responsibility. "After going through the Tokyo Olympics, I feel more confident. This confidence is not just about playing in the water."
On the eve of the World Championships in the short course in Abu Dhabi, Li Bingjie studied the situation of her opponents, believed that she had a chance to win, and worked hard to polish the "sharp weapon" of turning technology in a short recovery training cycle, winning two gold medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle. Before the final of the 4X200m freestyle relay, she also gave her teammates Zhu Menghui, Cheng Yujie and Liu Yaxin a "small meeting" to analyze the situation, decompress and encourage them, and finally won the bronze medal in the relay.
Pictured here is China's Li Bingjie (right), Zhu Menghui (upper middle), Cheng Yujie (left) and Liu Yaxin celebrating after the final on December 20. Xinhua News Agency
After winning the championship, Li Bingjie accepted an English interview with the on-site host, showing an international style: "'Everyone is doing very well, I enjoy the game'. My English may not be very good, but as Chinese athletes, we must have the courage to express it and let everyone understand it. ”
Li Bingjie is also an "amateur psychological counselor" at the Taihua Swimming Club in Hebei Province, and the young team members go to her for advice when they encounter problems. "I've been through so much in the last three years, my heart has become stronger, and I really have a deeper understanding of the training side. I often coach the small members of the team, and I don't know why I can talk for more than an hour as soon as I say it, and they will listen to it. ”
"In 2022, I hope to continue to break through myself, swim faster, win a few more gold medals at the Asian Games, and strive to see gold at the Swimming World Championships and achieve a gold medal Grand Slam!" Li Bingjie said.
Editors: Shu Wen, Huang Xuguo, Lu Yuchen
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