Believe in the future and be the best of yourself - interview with Jiangsu women's volleyball team Gong Xiangyu

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 5, 2016 Title: Believe in the future and be the best version of yourself

——Interview with Jiangsu women's volleyball team Gong Xiangyu

Xinhua News Agency reporters Hu Jiali, Lu Xingji and Wang Hengzhi

From childhood contact and love with volleyball, entered the Jiangsu women's volleyball team at the age of 18, participated in the Olympic Games for the first time at the age of 19 and won the championship; from the fledgling youth to the calmness of hundreds of battles, Gong Xiangyu, who has participated in two Olympic Games at the age of 24, has long become the backbone of the Chinese women's volleyball team. Despite her debut at the peak, she still maintains a reverence for volleyball. She is willing to "cherish the present, believe in the future, and be the best version of herself."

Go all out and be the best version of yourself

Since 2016, Gong Xiangyu's career has entered a new stage, joining the Olympic team in the first year of being selected for the national team and winning the Rio Olympic Championship with his teammates. What is less known is that in the days before winning the championship, Gong Xiangyu spent under heavy pressure. She is still inexperienced in international competitions and knows that she has a gap with the veteran team members in terms of technology and psychology, and she cannot make up for it overnight.

As a fledgling, she shed tears every day during the group stage of the Rio Olympics, feeling that the coach had brought the wrong person and dragged everyone's hind legs. However, it was thanks to this high-pressure competition exercise and the team's careful help that the youngest of her became more and more resilient after this experience.

"That experience in Rio had a big impact on me, I knew the cruelest game in the world, the most brutal situation. 2016 brought me a lot, and I still digested and precipitated for a long time. Looking back now, I am actually quite grateful for this experience. Gong Xiangyu said.

Although Gong Xiangyu often plays a relay role on the field and sits firmly in the main position in the national team, she does not want to define herself or define herself, but wants to be a well-rounded athlete with no shortcomings. "I need to be strict with myself to a higher standard and not define myself. Hair, pad, buckle, block, pass a total of five major items, I hope that I have no shortcomings, and strive to be the best of myself. ”

Perhaps it is precisely because of such requirements for himself that when the sudden challenge comes, Gong Xiangyu can achieve "no panic". In last season's Volleyball Super League Finals, due to the accidental injury of the main second pass Diao Linyu, Gong Xiangyu, who had practiced the second pass as a child, was temporarily pushed to the position of the starting second pass by head coach Cai Bin. Although she was unable to lead the team to turn the tide, that unique experience made her unforgettable.

"Diao Linyu's absence had a very big impact on us, but the rest of our team members were not depressed, and they still came up with ways to move forward at the most difficult time." Gong Xiangyu said.

In her view, participating in various domestic and international competitions is an indispensable part of improving her ability in all aspects. "Being able to participate in domestic and foreign competitions such as the Olympic Games and the National Games is a rare opportunity, this experience is like 'fighting monsters and upgrading', the experience points have been increasing, and I feel that my horizons are more open than before." I feel that after going through different occasions and trying different methods, I know what I am suitable for and what the direction is. ”

At the age of 24, she has already won the Olympic Games and world cup titles, what are her goals for the future?

"I was very entangled before, but now I have figured it out." Cherish the present, but also believe in the future, always maintain a reverential heart for volleyball, and hope that they can make more contributions to the Chinese women's volleyball team. ”

Young "Big Team Member"

At the beginning of the new season of the women's volleyball league, the veteran players retired and the supplement of "fresh blood" made the vibrant Jiangsu team particularly different from previous years. Due to Zhang Changning's surgical truce, the captain's banner fell on Gong Xiangyu's shoulders, and the change of role made her feel more responsible.

"First of all, we must lead by example, through our own practical actions, and use positive energy to influence our teammates." After becoming the captain, Gong Xiangyu noticed many small things that he had overlooked. "As a captain, the need to communicate the coach's arrangements and so on are also small things. The only difference is that when I'm a player, I don't need to know as long as one of my teammates knows the arrangement. In the past, I didn't care much about trivial matters, but after becoming a captain, I found that many big and small things in life and on the training ground needed more attention. ”

As a "big player" who played for the Jiangsu team for six years, Gong Xiangyu privately mingled with the small players like a big sister, and whether on the field or off the field, she would communicate more with the small players. "They definitely want to play well the first time they play in the league, and there will be times of tension and emotional instability, but they still have to communicate with them patiently, listen to their ideas first, and then find the problem."

In the absence of Zhang Changning, the Jiangsu team set off a "youth storm" and met the veteran tianjin team again in the final after last year. Gong Xiangyu admitted that fighting for the top four has been a joy, and every ball in the back must hold a learning mentality, but also dare to challenge the opponent and maintain a normal heart.

"Our Jiangsu team has been moving towards the established goal, or to continue the spirit of the Jiangsu women's volleyball team that dares to challenge and is not afraid of losing, I think this is a very good tradition." I want to 'pass on this spiritual style' from generation to generation. ”

(Subtitle) Lucky to meet a good teacher

"Every day on the training ground, how long we practice, how long Lang Dao stands on the training ground, how long we don't eat, how long she doesn't eat."

In 2016, Gong Xiangyu was selected for the national team for the first time, and with his outstanding performance in the World Women's Volleyball Grand Prix and other competitions, he won the favor of Lang Ping, the head coach of the Chinese women's volleyball team at the time, and entered the Olympic lineup, being the only player among the 12 players at that time who did not participate in the three major competitions.

In the semi-final against the Netherlands, the young Gong Xiangyu dared to fight and help the team turn the unfavorable situation and achieve valuable victories. After the game, Gong Xiangyu, who had mixed feelings, leaned on Lang Ping's shoulder and cried, "Oh mom, scared me to death."

Lang Ping also burst into tears, and she hugged and comforted the little girl who had just turned 19, saying in her ear, "Child, remember this experience."

Five years later in Tokyo, they hugged and cried again, but this time goodbye.

Recalling the scene of the team members paying tribute to Lang Ping after the last match of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Gong Xiangyu remembered it vividly: "At that time, all that came to mind were memories of the past, remembering the days when Lang Dao and we were together. And Director Lang is so old, I have a lot of emotions in her, a lot of gratitude, and some reluctance. ”

In addition to Lang Dao, Gong Xiangyu is also very grateful to her mentor Cai Bin, who "polished" her with one hand. Gong Xiangyu has played in the Jiangsu first team since 2015, under head coach Cai Bin.

"I am very grateful to Cai Dao, after I came up from the youth team, it has always been Cai Dao who has been teaching me, from him I have learned a lot of volleyball concepts, I will take the initiative to communicate with him after encountering difficulties, he will give me some feedback, tell me how to solve the problem as quickly as possible." Gong Xiangyu said.

When the reporter asked if he had encountered any problems that Cai Dao could not solve, Gong Xiangyu smiled and said: "At present, there is no." ”

"He has a lot of coaching experience." In Gong Xiangyu's eyes, Cai Bin has a unique point in cultivating new talents. "He's getting better and better with our Jiangsu team. I think Director Cai is constantly polishing our whole, while also cultivating everyone's own style. ”

Outside of Volleyball: Accompany parents and spell Lego

Every day after the team finishes training or competition, Gong Xiangyu will first go to the treatment, then go back to the dormitory, often take a shower and lie on the bed, not wanting to think about anything - because it is too tired.

However, the busy life of the player did not make Gong Xiangyu put down his studies. She is currently pursuing a master's degree. "I read sports training, and the sports concepts I learned in books can be applied to our daily training, the two are the same, faster and better than my own 'dead training'."

"If I can't go to school because of a competition, the teacher or classmates will record videos for me, and sometimes they will teach online." She admits that playing and learning go hand in hand, and the distribution of energy is a big challenge. "If there is a lot of training during the day and make-up classes at night, it is mainly a test of concentration."

Like many of his peers, Gong Xiangyu has his own little hobbies. When she was at home, in addition to accompanying her parents, her greatest pleasure was to fight Lego, and she enjoyed the sense of accomplishment of spelling out the finished product.

"All the legos are interlocked, very testing the grasp of details, through their own hands little by little to spell out the ideal look, which is similar to playing volleyball." She said as she drew with her hands, "Through the spelling lego, I found something that I don't normally touch, and the car was made this way." ”

When asked about her plans after the end of the league, Gong Xiangyu showed an expectant smile on her face, saying: "If there is a holiday, I must go home to accompany my parents first." When I am with them, I am the most relaxed and relaxed state. (End)