Literature | a summary of shengyi
"Community" is a sports business theme dialogue program launched by the Voice of China decisive moment and sports big business, with the slogan of "seeking common ground while reserving differences, talking about the hot topics of sports that everyone cares about", which is broadcast once a week, every Friday at 10:00 pm during the Voice of China's "Decisive Moment" column (Program Introduction: Voice of China joins hands with sports big business!). The talk show "Common "Body"" focuses on the hot spots in the sports industry).
On April 15, episode 74 took advantage of Tiger Woods' comeback after a 500-day absence from the golf course to participate in the Grand Slam Masters to discuss the hardships and challenges of an athlete's comeback after a serious injury and how the sports industry would help an injured athlete make a comeback. The "gossipers" involved were Voice of China reporter Zhang Wen, basketball commentator and sports media personality Li Tianyu, and Tan Liwen, director of the Greater Bay Area industry of sports big business.
This article is an excerpt from the text of this issue. The full program can be listened to by clicking on the link below.
How does the Tiger King return?
Zhang Wen: The topic we talked about today is related to a news item last week. "Tiger" Woods is the flagship figure in the golf world, but everyone has not been particularly confident that he will return to the top level. Now the tiger is indeed back. He suffered a serious car accident in 2021, injuring both legs, especially his right leg, and even risking amputation. Woods was seriously injured at such an advanced age and returned to the field in a way that was a benchmark in the industry, which made us find that the word "return" of sports stars has a deeper meaning.
Today we will talk about those exciting returns, and what has to go through behind these returns, both in sports medicine and athlete psychology. Liwen, would you please first introduce the process of Woods' return?
The tiger returned to the field after more than 500 days
Tan Liwen: Woods was in this car accident, the right leg injury was very serious, the tibia, fibula crushing fracture. During the treatment, the bones of his feet and ankles were fixed with needles and screws. He also needs to undergo surgery to deal with trauma to the muscles and soft tissues of his legs. When he came back to play the Masters, he still had a large steel nail in his left leg that had not been removed and needed surgery later. In his own words, returning to the field this time is already the biggest victory.
The legs are very important for golfers because the legs and back are important parts of their batting stability and efficiency. Listeners who have not touched golf may also see from some pictures or broadcasts that they need to maintain a very stable posture when hitting the ball in order to play an efficient club speed. Woods is 46 years old, has had five previous back surgeries, and it can be said that the life of his body parts has been almost exhausted.
How does an athlete behave after returning from a major injury?
Zhang Wen: So Woods' comeback is very inspirational. In addition to what we call inspirational, athletes' comebacks have a deep connection with sports medicine. I am running football, in the past many football players came back after injury, it is difficult to return to the top state, but modern medicine can help athletes after serious injuries such as Achilles tendons, but also can successfully come back. Tianyu, you usually explain more basketball games. Is it that the proportion of seriously injured athletes in basketball in recent years has returned, and the state that can be achieved after the comeback, is higher than before?
Li Tianyu: Durant, the superstar that everyone is very familiar with, has been seriously injured, and then after he comes back, many people feel that he may be in better shape than before the injury. In terms of the CBA, our Chinese players have also returned from serious injuries in recent years. The closest example to me is Yi Jianlian, a brother in our country now.
Yi Jianlian returned from a major injury and still played an excellent performance
Yi Jianlian was accidentally injured while playing in the finals the previous year, and later broke his Achilles tendon. At his age, Achilles tendon rupture is a very bad thing, and many people feel that no matter how much he recovers later, his next career will be marked with a very big question mark. But after more than a year of rehabilitation and preparation, Yi Jianlian returned to the team this season and led the team to the CBA semifinals. If you compare it with before the injury, it is true that his overall body, state, etc. have a more obvious decline. But for the fans, it is already a good thing that Yi Jianlian can continue to return to the stadium, can play healthy, and can play such a complete season.
Athletes comeback sad "psychological off"
Zhang Wen: In the past, this kind of comeback effect is difficult to imagine, especially Yi Jianlian's return at this age. I remember when he was injured, many people speculated that he was going to say goodbye to his career, but this season Yi Jianlian still left a deep impression on us. You just talked about the NBA, in fact, not only Durant, Klay Thompson has also performed particularly well recently, getting 40+ points. He also suffered a major Achilles tendon injury.
We do see that modern medicine has helped athletes make great strides in recovery, which means that contemporary athletes are actually a little luckier than previous athletes. I would also like to ask the two of you, when you return from a serious injury, will there be some serious impact on the psychology of athletes?
Li Tianyu: After suffering a serious injury, how to pass the psychological barrier during the recovery period is very important for professional athletes, and it is also a very difficult thing. For example, Xinjiang's national player Abdul Salam. He had injured his Achilles tendon before, which was quite similar to Clay's injury. He went to the United States for surgery, the operation was successful, and physically he entered a state of recovery. Then there's a very famous video in the process of recuperation that everyone has probably seen. When Abudu was doing a rehabilitation training, he had to jump a jump box with a height of 90 centimeters. For a man of more than two meters in stature, this is not a particularly difficult thing to do. Jokingly, I'm in better shape, and jumping this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Abdul Salam crosses the "psychological barrier"
But in that video, Abudu's feelings of hesitation and fear were all written on his face. Then, with the encouragement of doctors and rehabilitation workers, the moment he jumps on the box, his excitement and excitement make you fully feel what kind of psychological struggle the athlete has experienced. They have to overcome their psychological fears in an instant, and do such a very simple action that is originally very simple for them. So after their comeback, we only see the shining moments of their return to the field, but in the process of recovering after experiencing a major injury, how many psychological difficulties and physical pains to overcome, we can't see.
How can I help players recover faster?
Zhang Wen: The psychological disorders of athletes after injury should be more difficult to regulate than ordinary people. Because you used to be very confident in it, and then you are now very afraid of it again. When athletes recover from major injuries, they must go through a difficult process. One of the very important things is to complete the mental adjustment and re-believe in your body. Tianyu understands what new ways of rehabilitation and rehabilitation can help athletes come back as soon as possible with a higher percentage?
Li Tianyu: Before the 2019 Men's Basketball World Cup, the national team went to Las Vegas to play the Summer League, and we used to shoot it. During this time, we went to Los Angeles, and the UAE Did not go to Las Vegas with the men's basketball team, but did private rehabilitation training in Los Angeles. We went to the personal studio in charge of ALAD rehabilitation. It is located in a very humble cottage on the edge of Venice Beach, and the equipment inside is not even as good as that of many similar rehabilitation centers in the country. But even in such an environment, the UAE is still able to adjust its physical condition to a very good state. After Yi Jianlian's teammate Zhou Peng was injured, he also went to the same rehabilitation institution to train, and after returning, he was in a very good state, helping the team win the CBA League championship.
Sports therapist
In my opinion, rehabilitation equipment is only one aspect. How to find a good rehabilitation method and find a rehabilitation practitioner who arranges a reasonable rehabilitation plan is a more important thing.
How do you see the two sides of the player's eagerness to come back?
Zhang Wen: After the athletes have suffered very serious injuries, they definitely want to do their best and return as quickly as possible. However, sometimes it is too anxious, and the desire for speed is not reached, resulting in a shortened sports career. We have seen many such cases, how do the two of you think about this phenomenon?
Li Tianyu: The biggest example of the basketball arena is Yao Ming, chairman of Yao. He has a high sense of responsibility for the Chinese men's basketball team, so when he first played in the NBA, he has been shuttling between the NBA and the Chinese men's basketball team. Later, after an injury, he returned to the game after a short recovery. This is one of the main reasons why he chose to retire when he was not particularly old.
And now we see a lot of players who aren't in such a hurry to come back and come back to the field after they've completely recovered from injuries, or taken a little longer, when they're ready physically and mentally. I think a lot of players are more cautious now than some players used to be, hoping to extend their athletic life.
Playing with injuries or extending your career?
Zhang Wen: After an athlete is injured, if you want to make up for your regrets, if you want to pursue higher, faster and stronger, you must come back in a very rapid way at a specific time. But being too impatient does have a big impact. Liu Xiang may be a more typical case, and high-intensity training may be unbearable for his Achilles tendons, ankles or other parts of his body. Between coming back and prolonging professional life, many athletes have to make a choice, which is also a very troublesome thing.
Tan Liwen: This matter really needs to be looked at dialectically. On the one hand, there is a good chance to compete, such as a major competition such as the finals, which may be only once in our careers, and we can understand the mood of athletes who come to the court with injuries. On the other hand, the impact of the sequelae of appearances with injuries on the career of athletes, especially in closed competitions, should not be underestimated.
I was most impressed by Ding Yanyuhang. In 2016, the CBA Shandong team and the Guangsha team competed for the top eight seats, and Ding Yanyu airline closed the competition. In the end, the results of the Shandong team were not very ideal, and Ding Yanyuhang also suffered a career turning point, which was a bit stagnant at one point, and this season slowly improved. But he missed a crucial period of ascent after all, and his entire career was greatly affected by this injury. At first, Ding Yanyuhang wanted to impact higher altitudes and made his own choice. In my opinion, whatever reason they use to explain their approach, it is reasonable, and we should respect their choice. Including liu xiang you said, looking back now, he is also doing his best.
Ding Yanyu was seriously injured several times
Zhang Wen: Maybe fans should be more patient and wait for athletes to come back, rather than using their expectations to bring reverse pressure to athletes. We see that Zhu Ting recently had wrist surgery and is now in the process of recovery. We also want more athletes to have longer careers, and we hope they are making a bloody comeback rather than a hasty comeback. But we also understand that in the face of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the athlete's impulse and passion that is not willing to miss. Finally, I wish all the comeback athletes can return to the top. Thanks to both of you for participating in our topic, we will meet again in the next episode.