In the long-lost All England arena, we met Zhang Beiwen, who was still full of excitement.
Fractured left Achilles tendon on the biggest stage of his career, even in the case of a first win... Now we see that Bei Wen is optimistic and cheerful, and seems to have long since come out of the haze, and now she even uses this matter as a joke.
"Both of my ankles suck, but the good news is that I only broke one foot haha!"
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, one of the most memorable images was Zhang Beiwen being pushed out of the arena in a match against He Bingjiao. Zhang Beiwen won well in the first set and had a good start in the second set, and if she can finish the game normally, she will have a great chance of advancing to the quarterfinals. But due to an unexpected rupture in the Achilles tendon, her hopes were dashed.
"I really didn't expect this to happen, when I tried to touch my own foot and I found that there was nothing in my ankle... I tried to stand up, but I couldn't do it at all. She recalled.
For a player who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on complete self-reliance, ending his first Olympic trip in this way is cruel. But when Beewen talks about this experience, she can even joke with us.
"I'm sad because I can't finish the game. I've been preparing for a long time, and I can accept failure, but I can't accept such a failure. I've had injuries before, like muscle strains or something, but I was able to finish the race. But being carried out of the arena like this was really the first time, and it was hard for me to accept it at that moment. ”
"Someone is cutting my foot with a knife." This is how Bei Wen described her feelings when she was treated in the infirmary, and this pain also made her temporarily have no time to take care of the pain of not being able to finish the game.
Subsequently, Bei Wen returned to China in time and underwent surgery and rehabilitation. Seven months after her injury, she chose to return at the All England Open, with her first-round opponent being Scotland player Gilmour. For Bei Wen, who has always raised her own funds, the cost of surgery and rehabilitation needs to be borne by herself. Her doctors said it was the fastest recovery they had ever seen of an athlete with such a serious injury, and both the money and the speed of recovery were enough to prove Beiwen's determination to return to the field.
All along, the emotion that Bei Wen conveyed the most was happiness. Being able to have fun on the field and no regrets is enough.
"I quickly faced my situation and I was only sad for a week. I said to myself okay I don't care, the most important thing is that I have to be happy and I can't always be sad about it. ”
Have you ever complained about why it was you? Why did such an accident happen in the Olympic arena you have been fighting for for so many years?
"No, I never thought of it that way. Even on the same path, the end result will be different. We always face the unexpected, so I have no problem with the current situation. ”
"The more you find ways to make yourself happy, the easier it will be when you try. I think the biggest shock for me was that the accident happened at the Olympics, but I spent a week adjusting my mood and preparing for the follow-up rehabilitation plan. Sometimes it's good to be sad, so you'll find a way to go back in time. ”
With the All England Open as her first comeback, Bei Wen didn't set herself any goals, she was just happy to be back in the arena she loved.
"I only trained for two weeks and I didn't come here for any results. First of all I want to play and enjoy the game, and secondly I want to know how I can protect my ankle and how to make it stronger with my current physical condition.
"You know, I'm glad the work I've put in for is something I love."