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Every time before entering the stadium, he would repeat the coach's instructions and the tactical thinking of the game to the field, as if he was doing some kind of prayer, and every time he left the stadium, he would turn around and bow seriously to the field, believing that this was the first impression of most familiar fans of this energetic little player, and affectionately gave her the nickname of "Prayer Elf". Indeed, it is for this reason that I deeply remember that there is a women's singles player named Okuhara Hope.
After winning the 21:19 tiebreaker in the women's singles final of the 2016 All England Open and Wang Shixian, the Japanese player who stood on the highest podium began to enter the field of vision of the majority of fans, and it was from that time that many people exclaimed that a small body can contain such a powerful potential, which is incredible! It was also at that time that the first All England women's singles champion in the history of Japanese badminton gradually stepped out of his own, unique and extraordinary path, which is also an inspirational road!
In Rio in August, Okuhara Hope, who held the first all-England champion of his career, confidently represented Japan on his first Olympic road and successfully reached the final four, however, Okuhara, who participated in such an important competition for the first time, was not mature in terms of experience and mentality, and faced the excellent Schindhu in the semi-finals, she lost 19:21 in the first set, and the second set quickly lost 10:21, regrettably stopping at the final four. Later, because of Li Xuerui's injury, Okuhara won without a fight and won a valuable bronze medal. The All-England championship plus the Olympic bronze medal is enough to make Okuhara a shining star in the Japanese and even the world's badminton, but the legend of the "prayer elf" has only just begun.
At the 2017 World Championships, Okuhara passed the hurdles to reach the final, and the opponent in the final was the runner-up of the Rio Olympics a year ago, Schindhu. At that time, most fans were more optimistic about Hindhoo, as a representative of the masculinity of women's singles, the ball style was fierce, coupled with the height of 178cm, so that she had one of the best sharp and sharp attacks among female players, while Okuhara, who was only 156cm tall, was at a disadvantage in the sport of badminton, both offensively and defensively. However, it was this pre-match that was supposed to be one-sided, but it became a classic duel destined to go down in history! The two players dedicated a game that shook the world with their indomitable will and tenacious fighting spirit! The whole game took 109 minutes, and the scores of the three sets were 21:19, 20:22 and 22:20, and the fierceness of the game can be seen only by the score! But the shock of the game is much more than that, with dozens of rounds of multiple shots abounding, often when two people stand on the field and gasp for breath after the ball hits the ground. Among them, the last point of the second set was particularly impressive, after 73 rounds of multi-shot tug-of-war, the two could hardly stand up, Okuhara sat on the ground directly tired after the net error, and slowed down for a long time before going to the sidelines to rest under the support of the coach. This is not only a badminton technical and tactical duel, but also a contest of will quality, and in the end, Okuhara won by a slight advantage, and the last 35 rounds of multi-beat ended with a skateboard hanging diagonal of Okuhara, and this epic duel finally came to an end! After winning the championship, Okuhara did not have much celebration, after shaking hands with the coach, referee and opponent, Okuhara finally could not suppress the tears of excitement when bowing to the audience on all sides, this tear contained the joy of winning the championship, but also full of heartache and difficulty along the way, from Rio a year ago, to today's Glasgow, plagued by shoulder injuries, the state of ups and downs, thanks to himself who did not give up, and that heart that always persisted and loved badminton, the bronze medal finally transformed into gold! I also turned to Okuhara because I watched this game, I think no matter how gorgeous the words are, it is not as good as the interpretation of the sportsmanship of this game, since then, I think there is a word that can be called "Okuhara Hope Spirit", which is a spirit that never gives up, dares to challenge and surpasses the limit!
The inherent physical disadvantage doomed Okuhara to take more steps than other players to receive the ball, coupled with the lack of offensive ability, she had to look for scoring opportunities by hanging and shooting more, which also increased the probability of injury. Okuhara, who became the first women's singles champion at the World Championships in Japanese history, had a rough road to the top, having just recovered from a shoulder injury and facing a knee injury. In fact, as early as 2013, Okuhara's knees were injured, and later with the transfer to high-level competitions, coupled with the above-mentioned reasons for playing, her knees were burdened with more than others, and by the 2017 Japan Open, Okuhara's right knee had problems again, and although she reached the semifinals, she was forced to abstain. In several races in the second half of 2017, the Austrian reason was the deterioration of injury and withdrew one after another, and even the all-Japan comprehensive championship at the end of the year failed to persevere, and regrettably chose to withdraw.
The continuous ups and downs in his career seem to be a joke of fate, but it is absolutely indelible to the "hope" of moving forward. In the past two years, Okuhara has achieved one achievement after another in creating the history of Japanese badminton, but she has never stopped working hard, even if she is injured, she has chosen to persevere, which is a difficult and great choice for an athlete, an athlete with so many halos.
In 2018, Okuhara's form began to gradually recover, winning the Thailand Open championship, and the team competition helped japan win the Asian Team, Uber Cup and Asian Games women's team championships with a record of 13 total wins, but there was still a gap from the peak state. At the end of July 2018, the annual World Championships were held in Nanjing, and in the women's singles quarterfinals, Okuhara once again encountered his old rival Sindhu, and the women's singles final of the previous year was repeated in advance, although it was also a wonderful game, but Okuhara, who did not return to full form, still lost 17:21, 19:21. It was the first time I watched Okuhara play on the spot, and despite losing, it still gave me a deeper understanding of her tenacity on the field.
2018 was a year of success for Okuhara, a year in which Okuhara also won the Korea Open and the Hong Kong Open, the Super 500, and a silver medal at the All Japan Championships and the BWF Year-End Finals, which is a rare feat for an athlete with a serious knee injury.
In 2019, he won the second place in the Singapore Open, The Australian Open, the Japan Open, the World Championships, the Danish Open, and the Fuzhou Open in China, and briefly topped the world with long-term stable results. Six finals but six times runner-up, which showed a steady state and exposed problems. Among them, in the final match against Chen Yufei at the Fuzhou Open in China, Okuhara was reversed in the case of winning the first set, and the decider was defeated at 18:21, once again missing the champion. After the match, Okuhara said: "I have done my best, but there are still shortcomings. "I was also on the scene in that game, to be honest, it was already incredible to see Okuhara win the first set, after all, in the face of Chen Yufei, who was in the ascending period this year, Okuhara's record has been poor, this game played three sets and fought for key points in the decider, it was not easy, no matter what the result, Okuhara's performance is very admirable."
The 2019 World Championships is the last major tournament in the Tokyo Olympic cycle, this time, Okuhara beat Indanon 2:1 in the semi-finals, reaching the final of the World Championships for the second time in his career, coincidentally, this time the opponent is still the old enemy Schindhu. Unlike two years ago, Okuhara, who was in a state of decline, faced the determined Hindhu, appearing to be powerless, in the face of Hindhu's crazy attack, Okuhara's defense was almost pierced, both sets were lost by a huge disparity, after the game, Okuhara, who was still able to smile on the podium, finally couldn't help but shed tears in an interview, she said: "I originally wanted to stand on the podium to listen to the King's Generation, but what I heard there was the Indian national anthem, and I couldn't help but gush too many things in my heart, and the tears couldn't stop." Here we can see Okuhara's strong desire for victory and the sense of responsibility to win glory for the team, but also to glimpse the pressure and bitterness accumulated in her heart in the past two years.
At the end of 2019, Okuhara once again launched an attack on the champion of the All Japan Comprehensive Championship, which represented the highest honor in the Japanese domestic badminton world, and Okuhara, who had been forced to retire due to injury in the previous two years, did not let the regrets be staged again, all the way to the final, and won the championship battle with Ohori, and once again lifted the huge championship trophy after four years!
The 2019 BWF Year-end Finals in Guangzhou was the last time I saw Okuhara, when she defeated her opponent Dai Ziying in the semi-finals to the group stage, stopped in the final four, ending all the competitions in the year, because I thought it was the Olympic year, so I told her "Continue to cheer next year!" "But who knows that the world is unpredictable, and soon after the news of the epidemic came."
In 2020, the global COVID-19 outbreak, the number of matches decreased, the last leg before the freezing of the world rankings - in the March of the All England Open, Okuhara successfully avenged Sindhu in the quarterfinals 2:1, but lost 0:2 to Chen Yufei to stop the final four. It was October when the tournament restarted, and the first tournament was the Danish Open, with the Japanese team sending some of the main players to participate, and Okuhara went to Denmark as the only women's singles player. In the past six months, I have not participated in the competition, to what extent I can play, the athletes themselves are also full of doubts, coupled with the epidemic problems that may occur at any time, the competition has added a little uncertainty compared to usual, but Okuhara is focused on doing herself, as she once said: "Do what you can do." "From the first round to the final, from the thrilling defeat of Gilmour in the first game 21:7 and 21:19, to the difficult victory over Marin in the final 21:19 and 21:17, although it has experienced some twists and turns, Okuhara laughed to the end, standing on the highest podium with a record of not losing one game in five games, and the championship drought of nearly two years is over! Okuhara, who was holding the trophy, showed a bright smile on his face, although the Olympic Games could not be held as scheduled, but the persistence and efforts were not in vain, and at this moment finally saw the dawn of hope.
The arrival of 2021 once again sounded the alarm bell of the Olympic Games, when the few remaining competitions became the opportunity for players from all over the world to regain the status of the competition, but the Japanese team was forced to withdraw from the competition due to a sudden accident on the eve of the upcoming Thailand Open, losing the precious opportunity to participate, and once again standing on the international competition was already the All England Open in March, when it was five months after the last time they competed in Denmark. The All England Open, held in controversy, has gone through twists and turns, with the impact of the epidemic leading to many contingencies, while also allowing fans to see the progress and changes of players from all over the world after such a long time. Okuhara won easily in the first two rounds, advanced to the quarterfinals, and then faced the resistance of Thai players in three consecutive matches, she defeated Busanran and Indanon 2:1, and then defeated the rising star Li Miaowei in the final 2:0, once again stood on the highest podium, and once again engraved the name of "Okuhara Hope" on the championship trophy of the centenary britain after five years!
After the game, Okuhara wrote on social media:
Definitely not give up!
Without this idea, there would be no results today. While it cannot be asserted that you will definitely win without giving up, at least the probability is not zero.
Believe in the possibility of not being 0, and work hard tomorrow!!
For a "challenger", disaster can never knock her down, it only makes her stronger and stronger. It is this belief that "even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we must do our best to grasp it" that has supported Okuhara to successfully reach the end of the two races he participated in during the epidemic.
All along, regardless of whether she faced difficulties in the competition, Okuhara always wrote a motivating word on the social software before the expedition, and actively interacted with fans, participating in the competition during the epidemic, she also insisted on sharing every day's experience with fans on social media, and has always maintained a positive and optimistic attitude. In the face of the increasingly serious epidemic, Okuhara also appealed to everyone: "I hope that everyone will not be negative, but treat it positively." "In the fog of the epidemic, perhaps it is such a precious spirit that guides Okuhara to continue to move towards his goal.
Finally, I would like to share a passage that I saw elsewhere: "Sindu killed a net in the last shot, and she may still nail the floor in the next shot, but Okuhara hopes to step on every corner of the court with his own feet in exchange for a flaw exposed by his opponent (from the public account 'Line LINESMAN', author 'Yue Hui'). "I think it's so well written! Yes, no matter when, the story of Okuhara Hope is always inspirational and moving, and it is always passionate, she has never been called a "genius", but she has given a new interpretation of the sport of badminton with one game after another to break through the limits! Use acquired efforts to overcome the deficiencies of innate conditions, and make up for the gap in talent with a hundred times of sweat... No, it is not a talent to show hard work and diligence to the extreme.
As the Tokyo Olympics approached, Okuhara's expectations for his second Olympic trip were simple:
Hopefully it will end without regrets
I hope that the Tokyo Olympics will be a wonderful Olympic Games
Do everything in one's power!!
Full of "hope", always be a brave running "elf"! Cheers to the Tokyo Olympics!
Source "Perseverance Beyond Physical Strength"