Time has entered a new year of 2022, and the world badminton has entered the Paris Olympic cycle. In the face of the new badminton pattern, in the face of the changes in the team personnel, in the face of the tasks of the new cycle and the needs of the team, the men's doubles team of the Chinese badminton team made a major decision at the beginning of the year: a complete restructuring.
After the retirement of Li Junhui and Han Chengkai, the national men's doubles adjusted all the remaining combinations, and finally reconfigured the four pairs currently participating in the first-line competition: He Jiting/ Zhou Haodong, Liu Cheng/ Zhang Nan, Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi, Tan Qiang / Ren Xiangyu. Among them, there are "regularization" from the temporary partners of the competition, there are the combination of world champions who have been reunited for a long time, there is the original reorganization of the World Youth Championship, and there are two towers that are still prominent at an altitude.
Taking advantage of the gap between the team returning to Beijing to deal with visa matters, we were able to get to know each pair. After the winter snow in Beijing, the blue sky and white clouds, dead wood and white snow, they showed the initial tacit understanding under the lens, greeting the spring that is coming soon, and it is also the spring that belongs to the men's doubles group to start again.
A new cycle, a new year, a new season, a new combination, the national feather men's doubles is brewing to set sail again.
He Jiting/Zhou Haodong: First "soldiers" and then "etiquette" in an all-round way
Most new combinations try to run in at home and then go out to participate in competitions, which is a kind of "first salute and then soldier". What is different is that the He Jiting/Zhou Haodong combination was born in the competition, completely reversed. At a time when other new combinations are sharpening their knives and waiting for the test of the competition, and when other new combinations are looking for tacit understanding, He Jiting/Zhou Haodong already has the experience of the competition to pave the way, has practical experience to sum up, and takes the lead in passing the actual battle test and starting a new start.
Back in Finland's Vantaa half a year ago, just as the Chinese team was marching towards the goal of defending the Sudirman Cup, the team nearly overturned in the last group game. At that time, facing the Thai team whose comprehensive strength was not first-class, the men's doubles of Guoyu was unfavorable, and He Jiting/Tan Qiang lost the game. The day after that, in the quarter-finals, the team sent a new He Jiting/Zhou Haodong. Their debuts also went poorly, losing 1-2 to India's first men's doubles.
After a two-day break, He Jiting and Zhou Haodong, who had been entrusted with heavy responsibilities again, appeared in the final and defeated Yugo Kobayashi and Shoro Hoki 2-1 in Japan's first men's doubles and later gold medal in men's doubles at the World Championships in Spain. At the moment of winning, the roar of the two people who completely released their emotions also won them an appropriate and picture-like combination name: "He Dong Lion Roar".
Immediately after the soup cup, the pair continues to take on a double responsibility until the soup cup is over and everything returns to the original point. After returning to China to quarantine, He Jiting and his old partner Tan Qiang had only two weeks to prepare for the World Championships, and then they hurried to set off to win a precious silver medal in Huelva. On the other hand, Zhou Haodong applied for a small vacation for himself, returned to school to deal with his studies, and went home to see his family. Since there was no World Championship mission, Zhou Haodong returned to Chengdu Shuangliu early and continued to cultivate himself, waiting for the return of the large troops.
In fact, as early as before leaving for the World Championships, He Jiting had a vague feeling that he and Tan Qiang wanted to tear each other apart, but no one mentioned this matter. When he won the silver medal at the World Championships, the uncertainty in his heart was even heavier. Until the end of the isolation of the large troops returned to Chengdu, after the coaching team consulted and fully communicated with the teammates, He Jiting and Zhou Haodong were called to the coach's room alone.
Coach Huang Zhanzhong and Coach Chen Qichen said that they wanted to try the combination, and Neither He Jiting nor Zhou Haodong felt surprised, which was a natural result for them. "I remember what Huang Dao and Chen Dao said to us at that time was that we had a strong impact, plus we were tested as soon as we came out, so the team gave us trust and let us try to collide with a bigger spark." Zhou Haodong said.
From grabbing points for guoyu in the key field of the team competition with almost no partner, to now deciding to hold hands and move forward, such stories are rare, but it is not very rare in the history of Chinese badminton teams. In the brilliant record of the national feather, many team matches have the successful experience of double-playing odds, and often in such a situation, the combination that can withstand the pressure and grab the points will be tried to be used.
Compared with other combinations, He Jiting/Zhou Haodong has the record guarantee of the team competition, and with practical experience, it can be said that they completed the qualification test of the internship probation period after the Su Cup and the Tang Cup. At the moment, they don't need to worry about whether each other is suitable, they have enough confidence and confidence from the beginning.
Q: Tell us about your comparative strengths and weaknesses?
He Jiting: We are all relatively comprehensive, the speed is relatively fast, but the stability is not enough, and there are more unnecessary mistakes.
Zhou Haodong: I think that the men's doubles still need a comprehensive combination of technology, and if the division of labor between the two is particularly clear, it may be relatively difficult to fight. Our advantage is that we can all grab the net and attack from the back. In the past, I used to play with Han Chengkai, and I may be mainly responsible for the backcourt attack, so I have recently strengthened my organizational ability in the first half of the middle.
Q: What kind of label do you want to label the combination?
Zhou Haodong: I hope that we can show the momentum of the Chinese men's doubles to dare to fight, and show that we are a comprehensive combination of attacking, retreating, and attacking and grabbing.
Q: Is there anything I would like to say to my partner?
He Jiting: I hope we work together for the common goal and cheer together!
Zhou Haodong: This year, it is time for us to rush, men do not need too many words, rush is!
Q: What are some of the most impressive things in the run-in for more than a month?
He Jiting: After returning from the World Championships in quarantine, my training is more about recovering, maintaining physical fitness, and storing strength. Coupled with the fact that my waist sometimes needs treatment during this time, we may not have as much coordination as other combinations. However, although we did not cooperate much before, we were still familiar with each other in a group, and we were very clear about each other's styles and routines. After a month of running in, I think it's quite good. What I remember is that I played against Liu Yuchen / Ou Xuanyi, the first set was lost first, and the second set was reversed when it was leading, which was a bit uncomfortable.
Zhang Nan /Liu Cheng: A hot-blooded veteran, the dream is still the same
At the beginning of the new year, Zhang Nan and Liu Cheng finally stood side by side on the court again. Entering the year of standing, they are all "daddies", and their life trajectories coincide again. From breakup to reunion, from wandering to firmness, through the hundred and one times that have been tormented by injuries and illnesses, this time, their story is about growth, breakthrough and trust. This is not an inspirational fairy tale, this story is two veterans with dreams once again going hand in hand.
Three years ago, the "Seongnam" group, which had been in a slump for more than half a year due to their respective injuries, was paired up before the Tokyo Olympic Points Race. In the coach's view, they take young players to participate in the game, which can not only help the newcomers improve as soon as possible, but also let them try to cooperate with the young players, perhaps allowing them to discover more advantages of each other and cherish each other more.
Suddenly, the epidemic shortened the new Olympic cycle to two and a half years, and after returning from the Spanish World Championships, the national men's doubles pairing was rearranged. The coach talked to Zhang Nan and Liu Cheng and said to them: "From the overall situation, the two of you have a better cooperation, you have taken the results together, and you know each other better." If you play well, with your rich experience in the competition, you will play a role in the Tangyou Cup. At the Paris Olympics, you can also compete. ”
After confirming the resumption of cooperation, Zhang Nan and Liu Cheng had not sat together and seriously talked once, and they had gone through several rounds of tactical confrontation before. As veterans who won the men's doubles world championship in just one year, they naturally have a tacit understanding beyond language, and the unity of the two people's ideas only needs an opportunity to solve it. In Zhang Nan's eyes, they are extremely complementary partners, and there is a smooth sense of cooperation that others cannot cooperate. For Liu Cheng, the crowd looked for him thousands of times, and once again combined a tacit understanding. They knew that this time they were out of the mountains, unlike any of their previous new seasons.
At the end of February, the men's doubles team played a round-robin tournament for the upcoming European competition. Zhang Nan and Liu Cheng did not put too much pressure on each other, and all of them who watched the performance on the field did not have any strange understanding of each other's cooperation through rotation and rhythm. Against a group of 20-year-old rising freshmen, they invariably mentioned the physical reserve and the maintenance of competitive status. Liu Cheng, the former "ability king", has not missed any physical fitness and strength classes, and his performance is not inferior to that of any young man; and Zhang Nan, who is recognized by the whole team as the "self-discipline king", will consciously practice physical fitness for 2 hours every day. If you want to slow down the pace of erosion over the years, you can only compete in the practice of not detouring, not dodging, and not pretending.
From the field to life, Zhang Nan and Liu Cheng have a similar trajectory, and now they have become their grandfathers, and they have more responsibilities on their shoulders. During the Spring Festival, they accompanied their wives and children to guard the age, watching the young expression of the babies' feelings, a word, a smiley face, all became their carefully savored spiritual comfort. For them, time has taught the two not only the joys and sorrows on the field, but also the return to simplicity given to them by the years of growth.
At the just-concluded Winter Olympics, Liu Cheng, a temperamental person, seemed to find the tension and excitement on the court between the square inches of short-track speed skating, and the persistent Zhang Nan also felt the resonance of the strong self-improvement from Sean White's snowboard obsession. For them, the love in their hearts is still the same, the dream of the Olympic Games is still the same, and they will work together to give their all on the pitch.
Q: At the end of last year, did you feel differently at the World Championships in Spain?
Zhang Nan: I only participated in my first international competition last year in December, which is not easy and cherished. An interesting thing happened during the game when Thai mixed doubles player Dechabo came up to me and said he wanted a shirt for me. Later, we couldn't meet together for a long time, and on the day of the final, I went to cheer for the two Chinese duos and give him the match suit in the backcourt, (there was a Thai fan) it was quite unexpected.
Liu Cheng: I really don't remember my first few World Championships, but every time I play an international tournament, my heart will be very hot. The feeling of wanting to win the game with your partner is urgent. Now it is difficult to go abroad to compete, and it is necessary to isolate when you come back, so it is very precious to be able to go to the game.
Q: Have you felt a change in yourself since you became a dad? When you meet your children during the Spring Festival, do they have any new skills?
Zhang Nan: When I met An An during the Spring Festival, she was already able to walk, began to learn to run, and changed every few days. I felt that she looked very much like me when I was a child, and once Tian Qing was not at home, I took her myself, and truly realized that it was not easy to be a mother. It is also with the support of An An and Tian Qing that I can chase my dreams more steadily and insist on going on.
Liu Cheng: Speaking of changes, I feel that I can feel it from the beginning of marriage in 2019. Just from a very small thing, such as consumption, I will think about how to think from the perspective of the family. Even I thought I had been too big. After having a son, there will be new changes every time, which is not false at all. Usually, the daughter-in-law (Bao Yixin) asks her son, "Do you like your father or mother the most?" The son's answer was always, "Mom! But during the Spring Festival, I asked him: "Do you like your dad or mom the most?" The boy said, "Mom and Dad like it." "Because he was so young, he knew that he wanted to make me happy, and I felt that the heart of a child was very soft and kind."
Q: You are the only original World Champion in the team, what else would you need if you wanted to do better?
Zhang Nan: All along, I feel that I am a good match with Liu Cheng, and it is also very smooth. We won the World Championships in our first year after the Rio Olympics, which is rare, and we were ranked second in the men's doubles world that year. In the past two years, the competition has been played less, and it will be better to grind a few more times. I think what matters is the physical health of the two people, as long as the body is not affected by the injury, I think we are competitive.
Liu Cheng: When we were injured in 2018, Zhang Nan was an elbow injury, a knee injury, I was a waist injury, and there was no improvement for most of the year, then I would be more anxious, want to see if there will be a state of separate play. Speaking of which, I feel that we are actually the same age, everyone is tacit about the goal and direction, and the heart knows what our persistence is for. Maybe what we have to do now is not a verbal commitment, but to put everything on the field, to communicate more, to take every step of the way we are together.