Source: China News Network
Beijing, August 14( China News Network Client Title: (East and West • Chinese Athletes) Dialogue | Li Wenwen: With her grandfather's last wish, she won the Olympic championship as she wished
Author Bian Liqun
Li Wenwen, a "post-00s", is known as the "big baby" in the Chinese weightlifting team.
Because of her young age, Zhang Guozheng and Wu Meijin initially called her "baby", and then gradually became "big baby".
After winning the women's 87 kg or higher competition at the Tokyo Olympics, Li Wenwen became the "golden baby" of the Chinese weightlifting team.
From being selected for the national team in September 2018, to holding three world records in 2019 when she debuted on the international stage, to winning the championship at the Tokyo Olympics with a huge advantage of 37 kilograms ahead of the runner-up, Li Wenwen's road can be described as a rapid advance.
After returning to China, she had a conversation with a Sino-Singapore sports reporter to tell the story of her and weightlifting.
On August 2, Beijing time, in the Women's 87 kg or more competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, China's Li Wenwen won the championship with a score of 140 kg in snatching, 180 kg in deadlift, and a total of 320 kg.
ST Olympic champion, so associated with weightlifting
Sino-Singapore Sports: What made you choose the path of weightlifting?
Li Wenwen: At that time, a bicycle coach and a weightlifting coach from Anshan Sports School came to our school to select materials, and the physical education teacher recommended me to the weightlifting coach, but he said that I was too fat to be selected.
Later, our physical education teacher told my family that I had not been selected, and that my academic performance at that time was not very good, and my father said to me: "I can't do anything, I know how to eat every day, it is difficult to come to the selection, and I have not been selected yet." "I was angry at the time and wondered why I could say that.
Then I contacted a classmate selected by the bicycle coach, asked for the coach's phone, and the coach helped me contact the principal of Anshan Sports School, and the principal asked me to go.
After the meeting, the principal recommended me to practice weightlifting, because he was also from weightlifting before, so he gave me to another coach and became my enlightenment coach, so he began to practice.
Li Wenwen at the Tokyo Olympics.
My dad said to me, "Don't come back when you're out." I said, "If you don't come back, you won't come back." "Just going down the road of weightlifting, it's actually my own choice."
I remember that after the first competition for the national team, I lamented to Wu Dao (Wu Meijin) that if I hadn't practiced weightlifting, I might be a chef now, after all, I like to eat.
After winning the championship, my dad called me and he said, "Girl, you're awesome." I "Versailles" for a moment and replied, "It's okay." ”
I also called my grandmother and I said I won the championship and showed you the gold medal. Grandma said, "Shall I see if it's pure gold?" If you take it back in pure gold, give me a pair of bracelets. "I said I'll get a bracelet and I'll go back and buy you a pair (laughs)."
Li Wenwen showed off her gold medal on the podium.
The rapid growth of the show has an untold story behind it
Zhongxin Sports: Since joining the national team in September 2018, your growth has been particularly fast, what is the main reason?
Li Wenwen: Mainly because after the postponement of the Olympic Games last year, my grandfather suddenly found out that the cancer was advanced and could not be treated.
This was a big blow to me, the outside world, including my family did not know how difficult I was during that time, only Wu Dao knew, he did not say anything at that time, silently accompanied me, watched my training, and adjusted the training in time according to my situation.
I spent two months thinking about why this was the case, and finally figured it out, thinking that I shouldn't get into this state, because then I might not get anything, and my grandfather wouldn't see me winning the Olympics. Since then, I have grown up rapidly and fought for the Olympic champion.
Before this, I actually didn't have such a deep understanding of the Olympic Games, and I was always in a state where I could compare the qualifiers and auditions first, but after experiencing my grandfather, I felt that I had to go to the Olympics, I had to win the championship, and showed my grandfather that I could do it.
Brilliant moments, memories of the Tokyo Olympics victory
Sino-Singapore Sports: What does this Olympic gold medal mean to you?
Li Wenwen: My grandfather passed away in September last year, and his wish was to see me win the Olympic championship.
In fact, if the Tokyo Olympics were not postponed, my grandfather would have seen me win the championship last year, and this desire has always existed until the day he died. After winning this Olympic champion, for me, it means that I have finally fulfilled my grandfather's wish.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What was the most memorable thing during the Olympic Games?
Li Wenwen: What impressed me the most was the process of waiting for the game every day, always looking forward to hurrying to my game, and every day I was in a state of mental tension.
I waited in the Olympic Village for almost 14 days, because the competition was on August 2, and I was mentally prepared before leaving, but after arriving at the stadium, watching my teammates win the championship one after another, it was inevitable that I would be anxious.
I said to Wu Dao at that time: "Oh my God, it's so uncomfortable. "Especially before I played, we already had the first people back home, and it was too difficult.
At that time, Wu Dao reassured me: "Don't be in a hurry, it will definitely come to you, and you can't change anything in a hurry." ”
People who finish the game can also understand my mood, for example, Chen Lijun said to me: "Brother Bi is finished, take you to relax your mood." "He told me to play games or something like that and helped me decompress.
There were also a lot of teammates who would talk to me, the leader would take me for a walk, and everyone was helping me.
Infographic: The bed of the Olympic village athletes is supported by a leg made of cardboard.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What was the decision to sleep on the ground during the Olympic Games?
Li Wenwen: Weightlifters waist is not very good, especially I am a big level, plus there are injuries on the waist, so I can't sleep in a soft bed, because sleeping on a soft bed waist will always be stressed, can't be recovered, fatigue will be aggravated. So every time I play, I basically sleep on the ground.
And in case the bed broke, it wouldn't be worth it to throw me down, so before the Olympics, I told the team to sleep on the ground, and added two quilts and mattresses.
Zhongxin Sports: How do you usually cooperate with Wu Dao in training? Were there any interesting experiences?
Li Wenwen: Wu Dao is a very careful person, and it is difficult for me to imagine a man who can be so careful.
When I first trained with him, I was very resistant and didn't want to contact him, because he was a male coach, and it was female coaches who took me before, but Wu Dao was very patient in watching my every move and listening to my opinions and ideas. The two of us were very good at working together, there was no argument, he was helping me plan something and I was very cooperative with him.
Usually in training, I will also tease him and make jokes. For example, I will say some online buzzwords, Wu Dao and Zhang Guozheng head coach did not know what it was at first, and later they would also be taken by me to say various buzzwords.
Li Wenwen and coach Wu Meijin (left).
Post-Olympic life, how to adapt to the "star" identity
Sino-Singapore Sports: After winning the Olympics, how do you feel different in your daily life or training? Now that many people know you, how do you adapt to a new life that has been exposed to the spotlight for a long time?
Li Wenwen: Coach Zhang Guozheng and Wu Dao have always told me that to enjoy this process, don't resist, this is not what everyone can have.
They also told me not to be shy when interviewing, "This is your stage, like a weightlifting competition, just let it go." ”
So I enjoy it now, and I often say to myself, "Be happy, after all, so many people like me." ”
Li Wenwen was on the podium.
Zhongxin Sports: I look at social media, you interact with netizens a lot, are you also enjoying the process?
Li Wenwen: Before the interaction was more, now because there are more netizens, some can't come back, and there are fewer returns. Because the return to this is not back to that, the netizens who have not been replied to may be lost.
Recently, many netizens have drawn comics for me, sent them to me through private messages, and I will save them after seeing them.
Zhongxin Sports: How has you spent your recent quarantine life?
Li Wenwen: After winning the Olympics, I didn't sleep for nearly 30 hours, which was a lot more than after the end of the game, and at the time of the last interview, I fell asleep in the studio.
After returning home on August 4th, I adjusted for two days, in fact, I did not rest too much, and there were various things in these two days. If it wasn't you calling me just now, I'll have slept with it again (laughs).
Because there will be a National Games after that, I have not relaxed and am still in a tense state. We can now train at a specific location, at a specified time period, for three or four hours a day. After that, it is necessary to fully start the preparation for the National Games, and train in the morning and afternoon.
After the Olympic Games, there will be a great sense of psychological fatigue, and now it needs to be adjusted as soon as possible, because the National Games are also a domestic competition, which is very important, so now I just want to know how to quickly convert it.
Li Wenwen in the game.
There are more ambitious goals for the future
Zhongxin Sports: What are your plans for the future?
Li Wenwen: Let's win the National Games in front of us first, because it may be relatively simple to lift weights to win a world championship, but it is actually more difficult to win the national championship. There are many strong athletes in China, like my level has Rio Olympic champion Meng Suping, the competition is very difficult.
I still have a little pressure, although I know that I can, but I can't take it lightly, in case I am self-righteous, what if I lose the game?
Li Wenwen in the game. Image source: Visual China
Sino-Singapore Sports: If the National Games win the championship, will you win all the championships you can take, and complete such an achievement at the age of 21, will you feel that there is no challenge, no motivation?
Li Wenwen: This will not be, although the current world record is her own, but Russia's Kashlina predecessor lifted 193 kg (75 kg or more in the snatch), the next step is to surpass this result.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Do you have confidence in dominating the next Olympic Games?
Li Wenwen: I don't want to think so much, just like before this Olympic competition, my coach showed me the news that the 2032 Olympic Games will be held in Australia. At that time, I said to the coach, I haven't compared it in 2021, you show me 2032 (laughs). (End)