Author| Dududu Editor| Miriam
Malone lost again.
In the recently concluded Xinxiang WTT World Cup semifinals, Ma Long lost to Wang Chuqin 3:4.
Some people say that the 34-year-old Malone is no longer in the form of what he used to be, and he has long been old.
There is also talk of the phrase "new leader in the new cycle" to prove that the Dragons are no longer shining.
Actually, it's not a big deal.
After all, for Malone, it was just a loss.
And before becoming the Ma Long he is today, he had lost too many games before.
Malone's strength is unattainable to mortals
Now Ma Long no longer needs to prove himself by winning a ball.
At the 2016 World Table Tennis Championships in Kuala Lumpur, before the competition, the Japanese director pulled out a hexagonal radar chart of Chinese and Japanese players.
The judging criteria are divided into six parts, allowing you to directly see the strengths and weaknesses of each contestant.
For example, his Japanese player Maharu Yoshimura is full of power to serve, but only two points for experience and defense;
Zhang Jike is full of other frames, and his strength is one block worse;
And when it was Ma Long's turn to appear with a hexagonal diagram, the audience exclaimed, because every quality he had was full.
Yes, in the eyes of opponents, Malone has no weaknesses.
Japan is accustomed to boasting about people, and some of the names of "hexagonal warrior", "imperial sabotage dragon", and "the supreme masterpiece of the strongest China" all come from their mouths.
And compared to the emotional title, few people know his other proper noun: GOAT.
It's an abbreviation, spelled as greatest of all time, meaning the greatest player in history.
GOAT Malone, not the table tennis twin star Malone, not the Mastiff Python called Malon, but the world's greatest, table tennis player who surpassed his predecessors.
His fans made a picture on his 34th birthday, with three versions: Chinese, English and Japanese.
It is engraved with Malone's results, and every line is glittering with gold.
Like what.
The Olympic Games once in 4 years, the World Championships once in 2 years, and the World Cup once a year are called "Grand Slams".
In the history of men's table tennis, only Sweden's Waldner, and the mainland's Kong, Liu, Zhang, and Ma have won Grand Slams.
And Malone's Grand Slam, took it twice.
The Grand Slam is the addition of the "National Games" champion to the Grand Slam.
The National Games is recognized as the most difficult competition, even strong as Grand Slam players Liu Guoliang, Kong Linghui and Zhang Jike, none of them have ever won the title in singles.
But Malone got it.
Grand Slam players, men's table tennis is only Ma Long.
In the Olympic year, in the nine years from London to Tokyo, Malone won five championships.
He is also the only player in table tennis history to defend the Olympic men's singles title, and the person who has won the most gold medals in the history of Olympic table tennis.
It can be said that many of Ma Long's achievements are unique and unique.
Although in a certain period of his career, there are people who can be alongside him, or ahead.
But if you stretch the timeline, this man's table tennis road is farther, more stable, and more top-notch,
Only Marlon.
And the most terrifying thing about Marlon is actually dominance.
In the national table tennis competition, Ma Long is the sea god needle.
Ma Long in his peak state, four consecutive World Table Tennis Team Championships, he won 22 3:0 results.
In 56 games from 2011 to 2012, he won 56 consecutive games.
Four and a half consecutive years, more than 180 side matches, without a single defeat.
For 36 months, Malone's ranking has been the number one in the world, unsurpassed.
Source: bilibili@ arc
What is this concept?
Taiwanese player Zhuang Zhiyuan, who is ranked third in the highest ranking, once said that he has played for decades, no matter who he plays with, it is possible to win if he fights, and there is no possibility of victory only against Ma Long.
Two words, horror.
Because competitive sports is always a record-setting process, but these histories created by Ma Long are heights that have not been reached by predecessors and are almost unsurpassed by future generations.
Some people say that Ma Long single-handedly raised the ceiling of table tennis a lot.
For a long time, Malone was like a machine that could win just by turning it on.
But before reaching the peak and being worshipped by thousands of people, Malone spent a long time of attention and pain.
Marlon down
At the age of 18, at the World Championships in Bremen, the fledgling pony from Anshan won his first world championship, setting a record for the youngest world title at the time.
Later, at the Asian Championships, Ma Long won the team, men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles championships, becoming China's "quadruple champion".
In an ancient video, Marlon pointed at himself with a golden smirk:
"Anshan ponies carry forward the spirit of dragon horses, and robbing classes and seizing nests is in the present day!"
At that time, Ma Long, the world's eyes on him, magnesium lamps and flower applause were prepared for him.
The media publicized that Malone is the successor of the new generation.
Liu Guoliang also said in an interview that Ma Long can already take on an absolute responsibility, and his strength is comparable to Wang Hao.
Everyone expects that Malone can become a "leading figure".
But Marlon himself is still empty in his heart, the reporter interviewed him, talking about his two championships, Marlon still frowned:
"I didn't hit it myself."
However, all stories are like this, the spirited teenager will always be frustrated, and the weather-beaten general will inevitably collapse.
In 2010, in the team competition in Moscow, the female table tennis team members lost to Singapore by a difference of 1:3.
This is unimaginable for us, women's table tennis nine consecutive championships are broken, that men's table tennis must win.
However, in the team competition, the first to play, the world's youngest champion, the main force with high hopes, Ma Long, was actually reversed by Boer 2:3, and the Chinese team was very disgraceful and lost the first game.
Everyone was disappointed.
Ma Lin in the back equalized, and it was Zhang Jike who really decided the victory.
He chased three straight rounds to turn the tide and win the men's team championship.
Although the result was thrilling, Liu Guoliang said of Ma Long's ball afterwards with the word "very dissatisfied".
After missing an important goal, Malone's rising star suddenly dimmed.
At the same time, his teammate Zhang Jike in the same year suddenly rose.
It seems that it is from this game, Zhang Jike up, Ma Long down.
Zhang Jike and Ma Long were born in the same year, and the two entered the national second team almost at the same time, but Zhang Jike was later returned to the provincial team because of his mistakes.
Fate forked for the first time between them.
At the crucial moment of the athletes, Zhang Jike was returned to the provincial team, and Ma Long gradually became the main force.
Obviously, everyone has the same starting point, but now the gap is getting bigger and bigger, and Zhang Jike can only grit his teeth and chase.
And the year Zhang Jike finally defeated Kong Linghui and returned to the national team, Ma Long won his first world championship;
At the Beijing Olympics, Ma Long can already play with Wang Hao Ma Lin, and Zhang Jike is still empty-handed;
When Ma Long lost to the champion Wang Hao in the Yokohama World Table Tennis Championships, Zhang Jike did not even have the qualifications to participate.
Even if he returned to the national team, defeated Ma Lin Wang Liqin, and went to Austria with Ma Long to fight for his country, but every time he played with Ma Long, he almost ended in failure.
Zhang Jike urgently needs a chance to prove himself, and this team competition is the best opportunity to turn the tide -
Finally, in the second stage of the direct passage to Moscow in 2010, Zhang Jike won Ma Long at the final point.
He knelt on the ground and roared, roaring at his long-suppressed resentment, and roaring at his own unwillingness.
And in this team competition, he was finally seen and recognized by more people.
Zhang Jike, who has been suppressed for a long time, finally survived to the end.
At that time, Zhang Jike was very beautiful, he won Ocharov and Wang Hao all the way to win the men's singles championship at the London Olympics.
It is not an exaggeration to say "out of nowhere".
Ma Long watched the rise of Zhang Jike, watched him in excellent form, won Wang Liqin, won Boer, won Wang Hao, and won the 2012 Olympic Games -
And he himself, lost to Wang Hao for the second time and stopped in the final four.
The men's singles raised the national flag and played the national anthem, Zhang Jike stood on the podium, and Ma Long could only sit below and watch and applaud him.
Liu Guoliang once said that there is a timetable for when Ma Long will win the championship.
But just as Ma Long walked through his timeline as scheduled, Zhang Jike overtook on a curve.
Zhang Jike became more and more courageous, won the World Table Tennis Championships, won the Grand Slam, and created a miracle in only 445 days.
This uneven fate is embarrassing, and it is even more difficult to watch a teammate of the same period come up step by step, win over you, but lose to Wang Hao one after another.
At that time, everyone called Ma Long and Zhang Jike "Gemini", but when it comes to this stubble, Ma Long was very inferior for a while:
"Comparing me to Jike on the same level, I feel inferior to him in terms of grades."
After the Olympics, the gap between the two people is visibly wider.
Malone has always lacked self-confidence, and when he was ranked No. 1 in the world, he was still visibly nervous against an opponent who had played 10 times and won nine times.
After winning the ball, winning the title, fans and opponents are praising him, he is still doubting himself: am I really that good? Is it that others are not doing their best?
Losing the ball is even more fatal, and he will even sour his nose when he sees the encouragement of the fans.
The state of athletes has peaks and troughs, and in those years, Ma Long wanted to win and was afraid of losing, and repeatedly played abnormally.
For three consecutive years, Ma Long has not entered the final of the World Championships, and even Liu Guoliang, who has always praised him, can't help but sigh:
Malone has buried himself three times.
After all, for a national team full of masters, if a person always loses, the opportunity will not always be his.
Ma Long and Zhang Jike are actually extreme in personality, Zhang Jike is an unruly hot-blooded teenager, and Ma Long is a typical good student and good captain.
Zhang Jike once advised Ma Long: "Don't be so well-behaved, you can only do things if you are bad." ”
Malone responded: "Don't be so shouting, play well." ”
In 2014, the national table tennis twin stars finally met in Düsseldorf.
Two people you chase me, the big score is 3-3, the last game Zhang Jike originally fell behind, followed by chasing 4 goals in a row, won two championship points, won Ma Long.
The audience cheered and screamed for him, Zhang Jike clenched his fists and roared, went around the field, and kicked two billboards in a row in ecstasy.
At that moment, no one paid attention to Ma Long, who left silently.
Later, someone commented on Zhang Jike: "This kick shattered not only the baffle, but also all the pride of Ma Long." ”
Pain and persistence
At that time, when Marlon was in pain and had the most emotional breakdown, Marlon once asked his mother after drinking: "Why did you send me to learn table tennis?" ”
When he was a child, Malone couldn't fight, he could only play ball, and if he couldn't fight, he cried and fought.
Coach Xiao once said that he was "very well-behaved, really, no one will not like him".
Later, when he grew up, when the pressure of the game was too high, Ma Long could no longer cry, his eyes were dull and his eyes were empty, the game was not played well, and the coach took the initiative to talk to him, and he also answered mechanically.
Malone, Scorpio, habitually suppresses himself, digests pain and sadness by himself, and then shows his perfect side in front of others.
If he loses, the head of his analysis in front of the camera is Dao, in fact, when he goes back, he will gamble and not eat.
At the lowest point, the people in the subway were bustling, Marlon lowered the brim of his hat, went against the flow of people, and his teammates saw this and pulled him, Marlon said:
"I really want someone to come and hit me, I beat him hard."
Someone asked Qin Zhijian which ball Ma Long lost the most painfully, Qin Zhijian thought about it and said that he hurts every time he loses, and he cares.
For Malone, winning may be a win, but losing is losing for a lifetime.
It seems that there are two paths left in front of him, either retire or persevere.
However, on the first day he made up his mind not to play again, and the next day he was the first to go to the training ground and the last to go.
When others practice one pot, he practices two, and even if his return ball is as standard as a textbook, Malone still asks the sparring partner to continue to increase the size.
Cui Qinglei, who lives in the same room as him, said that Ma Long always comes the earliest, leaves the latest, and the quality of the return ball is so high that he must pay full attention to every beat.
Once, even the sparring partner almost cried: "It's all practiced like this, it's not enough, I want to continue!" ”
The national table tennis team will always be a place where top geniuses compete, and those who are more genius than you work hard than you, and those who work harder than you are more genius.
The national tennis team has a widely circulated motto:
"Isn't it a world first, what is there to be proud of? Who is not the number one in the world here? ”
Because of injuries, the training volume of athletes will decline to some extent, only Malone will not.
In the high temperature of 34 degrees, Ma Long felt tired enough after practice, so he added physical strength to himself and continued to run 10,000 meters.
Marlon is used to shooting with his right hand, and under the daily exercise, his right arm is 3 centimeters thicker than his left arm.
But in order to fight, he still practices eating with his left hand, playing ball, and using the mouse.
Xu Xin also said that Ma Long, his technique may not be the best, but his preparation must be the most comprehensive.
Because for Malone: "When you are in the abyss and there is no way back, there is only one road left in front of you." ”
The back of love, actually love
Therefore, in the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships in Suzhou, the moment Ma Long defeated Fan Zhendong, defeated Fang Bo, and won the men's singles championship, the big stone on everyone's chest was finally put down——
Malone jumped on the table, greeted the crowd, and even signaled for louder cheers around him.
This was too rare for Marlon, who had always been repressive and self-sufficient, and he desperately needed cheers because he had waited too long and too long.
From this point on, Malone ushered in his heyday.
In the Rio final with Zhang Jike, Ma Long almost stood on the pile, leading 3-0, and shouted every goal he won in the fourth game.
His hair is waxed, standing upright, his eyes are firm, his aura is tough, and he is no longer the self he was four years ago.
In the moment of victory, he raised his hands to his chest and sweat ran down his forehead and cheeks.
The background voice of the commentary said: "From the day he lost to Zhang Jike four years ago, Ma Long began to prepare for the Rio cycle..."
Image credit: bilibili 星色の夜sky
That year, he was 28 years old, no longer young than his predecessors. He became famous at a young age, but became a late bloomer.
After that, Ma Long was like a sharp blade of the Chinese team.
As long as it represents the five-star red flag raised in the game, Shangmaron is always the safest option, and the team competition and the formation are based on the premise that Malone can win to the greatest extent.
Liu Guoliang also once said: "No matter who you go to, we are Ma Long." ”
Because he did not lose 180 foreign battles, his victory seems to have become an objective axiom.
No one is worried, but except for Ma Long himself: "Outsiders will win no matter how they fight, because outsiders are not worried, so they are more worried." ”
Because all eyes are on him, all opponents are studying him, studying his style of play, studying his textbook serving routines.
In order to play a game with him, Mizutani Hayabusa prepared for a month, and after losing, he cried excitedly.
Liu Guoliang once said that Ma Long's tactics are like wrapping rice dumplings, wrapping others in an airtight manner, and such tactics must always be prepared more.
Some people say that Ma Long and Ding Ning are very similar, the more injuries they have, the better their results will be, and this time, they really can't hold on hard.
In 2019, he won his third consecutive championship, but his body really couldn't stand it.
His knees had been calcified, and he finally traveled to the U.S. for surgery, which he shaved all his hair before surgery, which he said meant starting over.
It had been less than a year since the Tokyo Olympics, and he wasn't sure how he had recovered or if he would miss the Olympics and do this surgery just because he wanted to play for a few more years.
Failure, despair, injury and illness can't stop him, and just as no amount of honor does mean it's the end.
Ma Long said: "Because I love table tennis too much, I will continue to play if there is no Olympics." ”
When the original passion became a responsibility, a task, and a pain, he actually wanted to continue.
He has won all the accolades he can get, and he still wants to play.
Marlon loves the back, or loves.
For eight months after the operation, Malone did not participate in international competitions.
He needs to get to the stadium on crutches, and he needs to learn again little by little, starting from walking.
Exercise strength alone, practice by yourself after training sessions, and silently rehabilitate physiotherapy by yourself.
One Sunday morning, Liu Guoliang had a whim to go to the venue to see who was taking advantage of the weekend to add classes.
As a result, he saw Ma Long, the men's table tennis team, and only 31-year-old Ma Long.
Ma Long practiced silently, Liu Guoliang silently counted behind him, 30 rushed down and spun, and Ma Long hit 29.
This is the legendary genius.
Genius is not terrible, what is scary is that genius works harder than you.
And when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed and he defeated Xiao Fat, an Olympic men's singles champion, he leaned against the wall and muttered into the air:
"Like a dream."
Not a dream, this is what Marlon deserves.
In fact, throughout Ma Long's story, it has never been a cool article with a golden finger.
He is rigorous, self-reliant, and restrained, and at the top of the master like a cloud, he fights with the most talented people and works harder than the hardest working.
He became famous at a young age, but he became a late bloomer.
The most difficult time is always gritting his teeth, it seems that he can only silently discharge some pain, and the rest has been bearing, and then, quietly waiting.
Image source Weibo: @No other dogs
One of Malone's fans said that his story is not like a heroic narrative, the kind of "as long as I want, I can step through thousands of mountains and rivers";
Rather, it is a simple sincerity that "even if I know how difficult the road ahead is, it is still difficult for me to completely let go of my love".
Thinking back to 2014, Wang Liqin Ma Lin retired, and the national table tennis team listened to "You Raise Me Up" together, and Ma Long burst into tears.
At that time, he said that he felt that he could go to the Olympics for two years, and that Rio must be his last.
At that time, he may not have imagined that in Tokyo in 2021, he is still there.
And now when it comes to the Paris Olympics, Ma Long will still say to foreign media reporters, I hope I can go.
Even if injuries and age will not spare anyone, even if the future is uncertain, it is still difficult for outsiders not to pay respect and blessings to such a tenacious athlete.
Because there have been too many high-spirited teenagers in this world, they became famous at a young age, and they were momentary.
But they will more or less encounter their own life boundaries, and some people fight hard with themselves, but regretfully fall halfway through;
There are also a few people like Malone, gritting their teeth and persevering, and finally reaching the other side.
Marlon, your wonderful life has just begun.
After all, "when an era opens, it will not end easily." ”
Source:
1. Douban user Zzzzz.Douban period group "Zhang Jike x Ma Long".2022-10-03
2.CCTV5.Tokyo Olympics pre-competition documentary "Departure: No Question About the Finish".2021-07-17
3. Chen Sijing. Boping.com. "Marlon is finally powerful".2010-12-13
4. "Ping Pong World". "Malone: Pony's Chips Called Youth".2009-09
5. Qilu Weekly. "Ma Long Zhang Jike: Gemini on the Cusp of the Storm".2017-07-08
6. Wang Yiwei. "Old Cadre Ma Long: Only after crying is he worthy of the champion".2016-08-20.
7. Tencent Sports. "Big Man - Malone: 10 years! How the Chinese captain is refined"
8. "Closed Training in Memory"
9. "Malone, the Late Crown"