Teng Haibin: New identity, greater responsibility

Source: People's Daily

The Tokyo Olympics is the first Olympic Games I have participated in as a coach of the Chinese gymnastics team. Watching the players fight hard for their dreams on the field, I think of my time as an athlete.

My Olympic memories are sweet and bitter. At the 2003 Gymnastics World Championships, I won the gold medal with my teammates with the highest gold content in the men's team, and I also won the Kurama single championship. I was in good shape, and then I got the opportunity to represent the Chinese team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. I'm thrilled to be on the coveted Olympic race.

But in Athens, things didn't go the way they had planned. I made a mistake in the men's team final. At that Olympic Games, the Chinese team did not win the men's team championship, which became the biggest regret in my heart. However, I was able to stand the test in the men's individual event later. I won the kurama final and won a valuable Olympic gold medal for the Chinese gymnastics team. For me, the experience of participating in the Olympic Games for the first time was a grind and a wealth.

During the Beijing Olympic Games cycle, the Chinese gymnastics team is full of talents. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to play at home, but seeing my teammates achieve brilliant results in the Olympic arena, I am proud of them and for this united and hard-working collective.

I was 27 years old at the London Olympics and a veteran of gymnastics. I was fully prepared for my third Trip to the Olympics, but an accident occurred: I was injured in pre-competition training and did not make it to the field. Unwillingness and helplessness came to mind for a while. The ups and downs on the field made me understand: life cannot be smooth, but as long as you have fought hard and struggled, there are no regrets.

After retiring, I became a national team coach. During the Tokyo Olympic cycle, the Chinese gymnastics team encountered many difficulties. Looking back at the past 5 years, we have walked through the "hurdles" hand in hand, as a coach, I am responsible for the training and life of the players, and the new identity means greater responsibility.

In the Olympic games, I will fight side by side with the players and become their strong backing.

(The author Teng Haibin is the coach of the Chinese gymnastics team, and the People's Daily reporter Ji Fang interviewed and sorted out)

People's Daily (July 29, 2021, 11th edition)