01
In 2016, Ai Fukuhara was 28 years old, and this year she vowed to have a big turnaround in her life at the Rio Olympics.
Because of this Olympic Games, in addition to the lack of Wang Nan and Zhang Yining, the two "big devils", Fukuhara Ai herself is also in a very good state, and she has cut through thorns all the way to the semifinals.
Just when many media speculated whether Ai Fukuhara would raise his eyebrows this year, he never expected that within 20 minutes, Ai Fukuhara would cry and walk out of the semi-finals.
She said with red eyes: "I didn't expect this to be the result, my opponent felt even more terrible than Zhang Yining, this is really a difficult game."
Seeing a look of grievance on Fukuhara's face, the media reporters could not say anything other than comfort.
After all, the opponent Fukuhara Ai encountered this time was too strong.
The opponent not only ended the game with 20 minutes, but also played Fukuhara Ai without any ability to fight back, 4 games, Fukuhara Ai scored a total of 9 points, except for the first set of 4 points, the second set of 3 points, the remaining two sets are 1 point each.
People who understand table tennis understand that the last 2 innings are 1 point each, which is the "good virtue" of Chinese table tennis players and the "hard requirement" of Coach Liu Guoliang, and no athlete can "shave his head" to foreign friends.
As a result, the media reporters once again had a brain, surrounding the winner on the other side, and surprisingly, the words spoken by the winner also carried a hint of "helplessness".
Just listen to the other party sincerely said: In my heart, Fukuhara Ai is a very powerful player, for this game, I am not only ready to fight 7 rounds, but also ready to lose, but I did not expect the game to be so simple.
Hearing this, the reporters also showed a smile of understanding, sighing that Chinese athletes are indeed more and more able to talk, and look at what was said this time, it is much better than Zhang Yining's "suicide serve" acting skills in the past.
And this person who "cried" Fukuhara Ai and was better than Zhang Yining's "acting skills" was no one else, but Wang Nan and Zhang Yining's classmates, Li Xiaoxia.
Speaking of Li Xiaoxia, many people know that she is the 3rd "Grand Slam" brought out by Coach Li Falcon, but what many people don't know is that the growth process of this athlete is equally legendary and wonderful.
Even in the eyes of Coach Li Falcon: taking Li Xiaoxia is more "headache" than taking Wang Nan and Zhang Yining, and the "headache" is so "headache" that he was about to collapse at one point, but Li Xiaoxia's success is also his proudest thing.
In the end, behind Li Xiaoxia's growth, how many stories and heartaches are there? And after retiring from the army, what is the current situation?
Today, let's walk into the life of Olympic champion Li Xiaoxia and see the legend and excitement behind her.
02
In 1988, Li Xiaoxia was born in Anshan, Liaoning Province, an ordinary family, no one in the family is playing table tennis, even before the age of 7, Li Xiaoxia never thought that she would be involved with table tennis.
In the interview, Li Xiaoxia said that when she was a child, her personality was like a boy, and the sports she was most interested in at that time were basketball and playing football, because there were many people, and she could "run crazy" with many children.
And the reason why she finally played table tennis, now looking back, is both a coincidence and a predestination.
One very accidental day, Li Xiaoxia went to the factory where her mother worked to play, and happened to pass by the table tennis training center opened in the factory, when she saw many children holding rackets and bouncing the ball, some of them were not good, and they were scolded by the teacher.
Seeing this scene, Li Xiaoxia felt funny, but this "funny", she did not find the ball funny, but the children who were about to cry were funny.
Just when Li Xiaoxia was enjoying it, the teacher came over and asked Li Xiaoxia to try it too, but unexpectedly, Li Xiaoxia picked up the beat and turned six or seven in one breath.
Seeing Li Xiaoxia, who was quite talented in the ball, the teacher asked Li Xiaoxia to try to pick up the beat and play, but she did not expect that Li Xiaoxia really played a few with the teacher.
At this moment, the teacher was excited, calling out that this was a genius, and soon the teacher found Li Xiaoxia's mother, hoping to let Li Xiaoxia learn to play table tennis.
At that time, no one expected that this girl, who only began to pick up the ping-pong racket at the age of 7, would later have an indissoluble relationship with ping-pong all her life.
Three years later, 10-year-old Li Xiaoxia was favored by the Shandong Sports Team, who hoped that Li Xiaoxia could continue training at the Jinan Sports School.
After receiving the notice, the parents were very entangled, on the one hand, the daughter's rare talent, on the other hand, they were reluctant to give up the daughter's heartache, and under repeated measurement, the parents finally took Li Xiaoxia on the long-distance train.
Li Xiaoxia said that she always remembers the day she first arrived at the sports school, when her parents said that they were not in a hurry to leave, but when she woke up the next day, she found that her parents had already left at night.
On the spot, Li Xiaoxia did not cry, feeling that her mother was really a "cruel heart", and later Li Xiaoxia learned that her parents after separation were also very sad, her father was so sad that she did not smoke, and her mother cried all the way.
After her parents left, Li Xiaoxia told herself to be strong, but when she saw a plate of steamed buns on the table, she cried again.
It turned out that when she was in her hometown, she used to eat rice, but now she had to eat steamed buns, which made her very unaccustomed, and she could only eat a mouthful of steamed buns, drink a sip of water, and force herself to swallow the steamed buns.
Slowly, Li Xiaoxia accepted the status quo, she said, your parents sent you over, that is, they want you to play ball, not to make you cry, nor to make you blindly homesick, you are not good at playing, then I am sorry for their efforts and efforts.
When Li Xiaoxia overcame her unaccustomedness, her skills and mentality were soon greatly improved.
In 2000, 12-year-old Li Xiaoxia was pushed to the national second team, and less than a year later, she was selected to the national first team.
After coming to the national first team, Li Xiaoxia understood what is called "masters like clouds", there are not only world champions, Olympic champions, but also many big names who have only seen on TV, such as Wang Nan.
Fortunately, Li Xiaoxia not only met a strong teammate, but also met the coach who changed her fate in the future, and this coach was no one else, it was Li Falcon.
03
In 2002, Coach Li Falcon officially took over Li Xiaoxia, but at that time, Li Falcon's energy was mainly focused on Wang Nan and Zhang Yining. In this regard, Li Xiaoxia had no complaints in her heart.
In her eyes, her sister Wang Nan is encountering the "trough of the Busan Asian Games", and Zhang Yining is launching an impact on the Athens Olympic Games, which is far more important than her just entering the national team.
Therefore, although Li Falcon sometimes can't take care of himself, Li Xiaoxia still firmly follows the coach's arrangement.
In the past few years, Li Xiaoxia does not seem to have too many proud achievements, after all, this period is the stage when veterans Wang Nan and Zhang Yining are fierce.
In 2006, Li Xiaoxia finally had the opportunity to go to the international arena, she went to the Bremen World Table Tennis Championships with her teammates, but Li Xiaoxia's positioning at that time was the No. 5 player in the national team, so although she went, she did not play in the end.
In this regard, Li Falcon comforted Li Xiaoxia, don't be discouraged, you are not yet time.
In 2007, Li Xiaoxia was finally noticed.
First in the qatar open women's singles final in February, Li Xiaoxia defeated Wang Nan with a score of 4:3 to win the women's singles championship; then together with Wang Nan, she won the Qatar women's doubles championship.
Subsequently, at the Kuwait Open, Li Xiaoxia followed her sister Zhang Yining to defeat Wang Nan and Guo Yan 4:1, once again proving her strength.
Then Li Xiaoxia and Guo Yue cooperated in doubles, winning Ding Ning Liu Shiwen at the China Table Tennis Open in July, and defeating Park Mi-young Kim Jing-e at the German Open in November, and for a time Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia's doubles combination was unique.
In the words of Li Xiaoxia, during that time with Guo Yue in doubles, the opponent would feel that he would lose 2 points before he played.
But soon, Li Xiaoxia's self-confidence was "destroyed".
In 2007, in the women's singles final of the Cup of Kings, Li Xiaoxia lost to Wang Nan 3:4, this match not only made Li Xiaoxia see the gap between herself and the top strong, but also made Li Falcon realize Li Xiaoxia's vulnerability.
In the words of Li Falcon: Wang Nan and Zhang Yining are the kind, no matter what the outside world says, I will rush forward to my goal, but Li Xiaoxia is not, she feels that she can't do it if she loses.
Sure enough, in 2008, at the Olympic Games in front of her home, Li Xiaoxia only got a P card and did not have the opportunity to play.
This year, she watched her sister Wang Nangong retire, watched Zhang Yining become the "Great Devil King", and watched Guo Yue win the Olympic bronze medal, but she could only become an audience member silently off the field.
Although she did not qualify for the Olympic Games, Li Xiaoxia soon proved her strength.
In September, at the Table Tennis World Cup, Li Xiaoxia won the singles championship, and then at the Chinese Table Tennis Grand Prix, Li Xiaoxia defeated Guo Yue and won the singles championship.
In the face of these singles victories, Li Xiaoxia's confidence seems to have recovered, but coach Li Falcon sees her more serious problem, that is, "lack of mentality".
Coach Li Falcon once said that Li Xiaoxia's biggest opponent is actually not someone else, but herself, and she is a typical "fear of losing". Even because of "fear of losing", Li Xiaoxia had a very broken day.
During that time, as long as Li Xiaoxia participated in large-scale competitions, her body would soon turn on a "red light", fever, stomach pain, toothache, and pain everywhere.
At first, Coach Li Falcon thought that Li Xiaoxia was not in good health, so he took Li Xiaoxia around to see a doctor, to which Coach Li Falcon joked: Where the pain looks, where to go.
Slowly Coach Li Falcon began to wonder, how Li Xiaoxia had a fever as soon as she arrived at the game, in order to be able to find out the cause, Coach Li Falcon took Li Xiaoxia to the hospital to find an expert, after a series of examinations, the expert told Li Falcon, "Li Xiaoxia's illness is not on the body, in the heart." ”
Hearing the expert's words, Li Falcon suddenly realized, since then he began to "give a hard hand" to Li Xiaoxia, and after the game met Li Xiaoxia's fever, Li Falcon let her "continue to insist", but did not expect that after two days, the high fever instead retreated.
Originally, Coach Li Falcon thought that after overcoming physical reasons, Li Xiaoxia would have a breakthrough, but he never expected that Li Xiaoxia had encountered greater difficulties.
This time, Li Xiaoxia's body was not sick, but her heart was more and more afraid of the game.
Especially in 2009, Li Xiaoxia fell into a low ebb, looking at her several major competitions, almost singles always lost.
Yokohama Lost to Guo Yue in the semi-finals of the World Table Tennis Championships; Women's Singles at the National Games lost to Guo Yan eight-in-four; World Cup lost to Ai Fukuhara, Asian Championship final lost to Ding Ning...
Seeing that she had lost again and again, Li Xiaoxia was very devastated during that time, and her emotions were out of control for a while.
Li Falcon recorded in his diary: Now Li Xiaoxia has a black face every day, and as soon as I look at her, I know that she is still fighting with herself, at this time, you are calling her "aunt and grandmother", and she does not pay attention to people.
On the other side, Li Xiaoxia was also very painful.
Sometimes when she practiced, she felt that there was no hope, and then she couldn't help but cry, and slowly she felt that it was not good to cry in front of everyone, so she secretly covered the quilt herself and shed tears without making a sound.
In 2011, the "Great Demon King Zhang Yining" officially retired, many people comforted Li Xiaoxia, her opportunity came, after all, Wang Nan retired, Zhang Yining retired, and now Coach Li Falcon can guide her wholeheartedly.
But what everyone did not expect was that it was in this year that the "misunderstanding" between Li Xiaoxia and Coach Li Falcon became heavier.
04
In 2011, Ding Ning became Li Xiaoxia's "heart demon", and in several competitions, Li Xiaoxia always lost when she met Ding Ning.
First in The World Table Tennis Championships in Rotterdam in May, Li Xiaoxia lost to Ding Ning, and then in the World Cup in October, Li Xiaoxia lost again.
At that time, the media ridiculed: as long as Li Xiaoxia met Ding Ning in the competition, it seemed that she would always be one step away from the championship trophy.
Seeing Li Xiaoxia like this, although Coach Li Falcon was anxious in his heart, he also comforted Li Xiaoxia: The mentality should be stable and you must believe in yourself.
But such a comforting word, once, twice, listening to it may still be comforting, but in the face of reality, Li Xiaoxia finally collapsed.
She asked herself over and over again, I worked hard, why did I still lose, I had practiced hard, why I always couldn't win the championship.
During that time, Li Xiaoxia was really practicing hard, her body was injured, she took advantage of the rest time to apply ice packs, as long as her hands could take a pat, she would never stop.
In addition to technical hard work, Li Xiaoxia also studied the video of her loss to Ding Ning in accordance with Li Falcon's requirements.
Whenever she watches the video of her failure, Li Xiaoxia feels that this is pouring salt on the wound, but Li Falcon firmly tells Li Xiaoxia that when you dare to face your failed self, you can really come out of the shadows.
Even Li Falconjiao also set a "hard indicator", watching the failure video at least 3 times a day.
I thought that Li Xiaoxia would bottom out under the pressure, but I didn't expect Li Xiaoxia to completely collapse, she found Coach Li Falcon, and the two quarreled a "mess".
Li Xiaoxia cried and shouted: Are you looking down on me, I am not as good as Wang Nan, nor can I compare to Zhang Yining, are you already trying to give up on me!
Li Falcon also shouted: If I give up on you, why should I still care about you! I tell you, your technology is not worse than Wang Nan, Zhang Yining, what you are bad is the mentality, you are too negative!
Hearing the coach say this, Li Xiaoxia cried even more, she choked and said: Wang Nan, Zhang Yining are all Grand Slams, it is my turn to be so bad, I feel that I have ruined your name.
Seeing Li Xiaoxia, who collapsed and cried, Li Falcon was even more angry and shouted: What have you ruined me, you won the championship, you got the gold medal, it was for yourself, I am still me, what work should I do, you can't ruin me.
Later, in the interview, Li Falcon said: Can I not know what the child's mind is? She was afraid that she would not win the championship, which would affect my reputation, and the pressure on the child was great.
Fortunately, after this quarrel, the "estrangement" between Li Xiaoxia and Li Falcon disappeared.
In Li Xiaoxia's words, it is easier for the two to open their hearts after this, because she knows that even if everyone does not look at themselves, Coach Li Falcon will believe in herself.
Since then, Li Xiaoxia's training has become more active, perhaps the heart knot has opened, Li Xiaoxia's state is getting better and better, even if she loses in the game later, Li Xiaoxia will not collapse.
Seeing Li Xiaoxia's state, Li Falcon had a bottom in his heart, and he wrote in his diary: Recently Li Xiaoxia has walked faster, this is a good start, as long as she adheres to this state, I believe that she has no problem taking the Olympic championship this time.
Finally, the 2012 London Olympics came, and Li Xiaoxia made great progress and reached the women's singles final.
Before the formal confrontation with Ding Ning, Coach Li Falcon came over to cheer up the beloved disciple and said bluntly: You remember two points in this game, first, you go up and "fight" with her, second, you have to be fierce, no matter what the situation, remember, the last ball does not land, then you will never give up.
Hearing Master's words, Li Xiaoxia nodded firmly, and she secretly told herself that this time, I was open-minded!
When she got to the arena, sure enough, Li Xiaoxia "went crazy" at the beginning, and every time she scored a point, she would raise her fist high, like the ancient "Li Yuanba", pick up a 400-pound sledgehammer, smash hard, smash hard.
Because Coach Li Falcon told her: how to play simply, how to play, clearly tell the opponent where you are going to fight, but let her not catch it, this is your "Li Sledgehammer" Li Xiaoxia.
After seeing Li Xiaoxia's state, Coach Li Falcon in the audience had a firm face, and someone asked Li Xiaoxia if she could win, and Coach Li Falcon firmly replied: This time, you must win.
But Wan wan did not expect that even though Li Xiaoxia was in excellent condition, an accident on the field still happened.
During the game, the referee judged Ding Ning several times to foul, and seeing Ding Ning with a face of tears, Li Xiaoxia's mentality was also affected.
She even felt a little unbearable, but soon she told herself that she must be fierce and steady.
In the end, Li Xiaoxia won, Ding Ning left the table crying, and everything was like a dream.
Years later, Li Xiaoxia said that she couldn't remember what the situation was at that time, but only remembered that after the game, she wore the national flag and cried to find Coach Li Falcon, because there were too many people to pass, she bowed deeply to the coach.
In 2013, 25-year-old Li Xiaoxia was selected as the captain of the women's team, and she became the confidant sister of the team.
Many people thought that she and Ding Ning had been fighting for many years, and the relationship must be very tense, but they never expected that in the interview, Ding Ning directly called out that his favorite was the captain.
Because Li Xiaoxia will take care of every team member, and even cook for everyone during the training interval, there is such a captain around, everyone is very at ease.
In 2016, 28-year-old Li Xiaoxia embarked on the Olympic journey again, this time standing on the rio Olympics.
In the face of this expedition, Li Xiaoxia is obviously more mature and stable, and she cares more about it, no longer individual honor, but collective honor.
She said: The mission of our national table tennis team is to win glory for the country, no matter who it is, as long as the five-star red flag can fly on the field, it is the glory of all of us.
Although Li Xiaoxia did not defend her title this time during her trip to Rio, she did her best and had no regrets.
After the trip to Rio, Li Xiaoxia issued a retirement statement.
She said: There is no unbroken feast in the world, these years are grateful for the cultivation of the country, I also do my best to serve the country, in the future I will always be a national table tennis person, as long as the country has needs, I am obliged.
In the year of retirement, Li Xiaoxia was 28 years old, from 7 years old to 28 years old, Li Xiaoxia paid 21 years of youth for table tennis, although ups and downs, but fortunately in the end, she still became a Grand Slam.
She did not apologize to the country, nor did she apologize to Master Li Falcon, and she did not live up to everyone's expectations.
05
In 2017, 29-year-old Li Xiaoxia began a new chapter in her life.
On August 22, she and her boyfriend Zhai Yiming received a low-key license, and on September 10, Teachers' Day, she held a wedding in her hometown of Shenyang.
On the day of the wedding, the coaches and teammates of the national table tennis team all came to the scene, Li Falcon, Wang Nan, Ma Long, Xu Xin, Yao Yan, Ding Ning and others came.
Even Zhang Yining, who could not be present, also brought a message to his sister Li Falcon: We must be happy, and we must have at least 3 children.
Seeing Li Xiaoxia, who was happy at the wedding scene, Li Falcon burst into tears, he said: It is time to make her happy, she has paid too much for the country and table tennis over the years.
And Li Xiaoxia also said that no matter what time, she is a national table tennis person, as long as there is a need in the team, she will definitely stand up.
Even at the wedding scene, Li Xiaoxia also changed sports clothes with her husband to miss her sports career.
In 2018, Li Xiaoxia's happiness escalated again, she gave birth to her daughter "Little Cherry", and 2 years later, she gave birth to her second daughter "Little Pill", becoming a happy second-child mother.
In recent years, Li Xiaoxia has taught her husband and children at home and rarely appears in public.
Until 2022, Li Xiaoxia's low-key volunteering was exposed, when everyone saw a "big white" with "Li Xiaoxia" written on his body, he thought it was the same name as the Olympic champion, but he did not expect that it was Li Xiaoxia himself.
Faced with the exposure of her becoming a volunteer, Li Xiaoxia was embarrassed, she said that this is what she should do, and her daughter also supports her.
In Li Xiaoxia's video, there is a conversation with her daughter, seeing Li Xiaoxia go out, her daughter constantly advises: Mother is going to be "white" again, mother should be careful!
Seeing Li Xiaoxia like this, I have to say that the pattern of Olympic champions is really great.
Today, li Xiaoxia is a mother at the same time, but also received a new work task.
In April 2022, after Xu Xin, she officially became a member of the ITTF World Team, and since then she has a new identity and mission.
From a crying little girl to a Grand Slam through thousands of hardships, Li Xiaoxia has written a legend of her own with more than 20 years of hard work.
Perhaps, until now, Li Xiaoxia's fame is still inferior to That of Wang Nan and Zhang Yining.
But I believe that in the hearts of many national table tennis people, no matter how many years have passed, they will eventually remember that there is an athlete known as "Li Sledgehammer" in the national table tennis team, and her name is called Li Xiaoxia.