Wang is one of the greatest athletes in the history of speed skating in China, having won 77 gold medals and created countless glory.
He won gold medals at all four Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete in world speed skating history to do so.
Known as "Short Track Speed Skating Women's 500m No.1", it is also known as the "speed skating myth" and the representative of "Wang Meng Spirit".
Wang is China's most successful short track speed skater, winning a total of four gold medals at two Winter Olympics, and is also the female athlete with the most gold medals at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
However, Wang Meng's career has not been smooth sailing, he has been expelled from the national team three times, and even wanted to give up speed skating at one point.
Is Wang Wei qualified to be so "crazy"? How did she overcome the odds and return to the arena to become a speed skating devil?
Wang Meng's brilliant achievements
Wang Meng, a name that makes Chinese proud, a goddess who has created countless miracles in short track speed skating.
As a teenager, Wang Meng showed amazing talent and perseverance. At the end of 1997, she had reached 2.15 meters in the long jump and 57 seconds in 500 meters, the first among the same age group in Qitaihe City.
She has had a keen interest in skating since she was a child, starting short track speed skating at the age of 10 and entering the national team at the age of 13. Gifted and hardworking, the best words to describe Wang Meng, she quickly showed her amazing potential.
Wang Meng's first appearance was a surprise.
In 2002, at the World Junior Championships, she made it all the way to win the women's 500m event. This is the first time China has won a gold medal in this event, and it is also the first time Wang has reached the top.
Since then, Wang has embarked on her glorious journey.
At the 2003 World Championships, he worked with his teammates to win the 3000m relay event.
This is the first World Championship gold medal for the Chinese women's short track speed skating team, and the first time Wang has competed with the world's top athletes.
Wang made his mark in the World Cup, winning several domestic and international competitions in 2004. She is known for her agile starts, flexible turns, solid sprints and decisive overtake.
She has not only the speed and technique, but also the intelligence and courage to always take the opportunity and perform at her best on the field.
Wang Wei became the number one gold medal hope for the Chinese delegation.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, she won gold in the women's 500m short track speed skating with a time of 43.222 seconds, setting an Olympic record. It was also China's first gold medal in short track speed skating.
In the 1000m and 1500m competitions, she won silver and bronze medals respectively, which became the biggest surprise of the Winter Olympics, and Wang Wei proved the strength of the Chinese short track speed skating team to the world with her strength!
At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Wang Wei was even more outstanding. In the 500m, she broke the Olympic record twice in the heats and semifinals, and won the second gold medal for China in the final with a time of 43.048 seconds.
In the 3,000-meter relay, she and her teammates Zhou Yang, Zhang Hui and Sun Linlin went to the next city to win the second individual gold medal of the Olympic Games. In the 1,000 meters, she won the championship with a time of 1:29.213 and won three gold medals in one Olympic Games.
Together with one of her gold medals in the last Olympic Games, she won a total of 4 gold medals in the previous Winter Olympic Games, surpassing her senior sister Yang Yang to win 2 gold medals. She became the greatest short track speed skater in China and Asia.
Among all the brilliant achievements, there is also an amazing record that has to be said - breaking his own record twice.
At the 2008 World Cup, Wang broke her own world record in the women's 500m with a time of 42.608 seconds.
In the next two races, he set his own record twice more, and finally fixed the world record at 42.504 seconds. The record stood for almost 10 years until it was broken by an Italian player in 2018.
With her sweat and tears, she wrote the legend of Chinese short track speed skating. With her persistence and hard work, she showed the demeanor of Chinese female athletes.
Wang said: "I am very happy to see someone surpass my record, which shows that short track speed skating is improving, and it also shows that my results in that year are valuable. ”
Wang Meng's bumpy experience
Without experiencing wind and rain, it is difficult to see the brilliant rainbow.
Wang Meng's career has not been smooth sailing, he has been expelled from the national team three times, and has suffered unjust bans, major injuries and coaching conflicts.
In 2007, Wang won the bronze medal in the 1500m at the Winter Asian Games. However, because of the disagreement with Li Yan, the new coach of the national team at that time, he believed that his training method was improper, causing a storm, and once said that "the national team is not suitable for him".
Fortunately, this was only a small storm. After full contact and running-in with the coach, Wang adapted to the new training method, and then won the 500m gold medal and established a close mentor-apprentice relationship with Li Yan.
The State General Administration of Sports was very dissatisfied with Wang Meng's remarks, announcing that Wang Wei would "deeply reflect on his mistakes, write a written examination, and read it to all athletes and coaches at the plenary meeting; Check published in the media; Stop Wang from qualifying for this year's Short Track Speed Skating World Championships and World Team Championships."
This is the first time Wang has been expelled from the national team.
On the evening of July 24, 2011, due to dissatisfaction with Wang Chunlu, the leader of the Chinese short track speed skating team, who repeatedly withheld, misappropriated athletes' bonuses and used them for personal purposes, he had a serious conflict with Wang and several teammates at the Qingdao training base, resulting in Wang Meng's hand injury.
In this process, although head coach Li Yan had a personal conflict with Wang Chunlu, he did not come forward to protect the self-interests of the athletes.
On the evening of August 4, 2011, the Winter Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sports of the People's Republic of China announced the removal of two-time Olympic champion and short track speed skating star Wang Wei as captain of the national team.
Along with Liu Xianwei, another national team member involved in the conflict, he was disqualified from the national team and transferred back to the local team, where he was banned from participating in domestic and foreign sporting events without a specified time limit.
This is the second time Wang has been expelled from the national team.
On September 16, 2012, Wang was officially allowed to make a comeback. On September 21, he returned to the competition after a 13-month ban and made his comeback debut at the second leg of the National Speed Skating League (Harbin).
won the short track speed skating 500m in 44.408 seconds; After that, he led the Heilongjiang team to win the short track speed skating 3000m relay championship.
In 2012, Wang won the women's 500m gold medal at six stops at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup, becoming the first athlete in history to do so.
Another major injury worth mentioning in Wang's bumpy experience was at the 2009 World Championships, when she collided with South Korea's Lee Eun-hye in the women's 1,000m final, resulting in a fracture in her right ankle.
It was the worst injury of her career and missed the World Cup finals that year.
However, Wang did not give up treatment and training, and she persevered for half a year of recovery and recovery, and finally achieved the feat of three gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
She said: "This injury has made me cherish my body and opportunities more, and it has also made me stronger and braver. ”
Wang Meng's wild personality
Wang Wei is not only a speed skating demon king, but also a wild and unruly personality woman. Her words and deeds often attract controversy and attention, and she does not care about the eyes and evaluations of others, and only does what she wants.
Wang Wei once said in an interview: "I just like madness, I just like excitement, I just like adventure." "She likes to try all kinds of new and exciting things, besides speed skating, her favorite thing is all kinds of extreme sports.
She once wrote on her blog: "I am such a person who does not like a dull life, does not like the unchanging image, does not like the feeling of being bound. ”
Wang Wei is also a woman who dares to love and hate, has made her relationship public, and is not afraid of public opinion pressure.
While in love with fellow short track speed skater South Korean Ahn Hyun-so, he openly kissed his lover at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin to celebrate.
This scene was filmed by the media and caused an uproar. Some people criticized Wang for being unpatriotic, and some questioned whether Wang was influenced by Ahn Hyun-so to give up the 1500m race.
Wang didn't care about this, she said: "I'm just an ordinary girl, I have the right to choose the person I like." ”
In 2011, Wang fell in love with Li Jiajun, also a short track speed skater, and married in 2013. They had a son and a daughter, and they were happy.
Wang Wei is also a woman who dares to express her views and emotions, she often expresses her views and feelings on the sports system, social phenomena, political events and other aspects on Weibo, and is not afraid of controversy and criticism.
"I'm not afraid of what others say about me, I'm just afraid of what I've done to be sorry for myself."
She also once imitated the songs of singers such as Jay Chou, Lin Junjie, and Jacky Cheung in the show, and sang quite well.
"I love music and music can bring me joy and strength. I also like to imitate others, and imitating others allows me to understand myself better. ”
Wang Meng's legendary transformation
On February 18, 2014, at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Wang announced his retirement: "I have no regrets, I have achieved all my goals. ”
This is not Wang's farewell to speed skating, but a new beginning.
On March 1, 2016, Wang Wei was appointed as the head coach of the Chinese short track speed skating team. It was an accident and a challenge.
The accident was because Wang Meng did not have any coaching experience and did not receive professional training. The challenge was because the Chinese short track speed skating team was at a low ebb, with poor results, talent disconnection, and team turmoil.
Wang accepted the task, saying: "I want to do something for Chinese short track speed skating, and I want to pass on my experience and insights to young athletes. ”
Wang Wei led the Chinese short track speed skating team out of the difficult situation and back to the top in his own way. She has reformed her training methods, increased her training intensity, increased her training items, and paid attention to the quality of training.
While focusing on cultivating the psychological quality of athletes, enhancing their confidence and fighting spirit, she also cares about the lives and emotions of athletes, and establishes a close teacher-student relationship with them.
"I'm not only their coach, but also their friend and their sister," she said. Under the leadership of Wang Meng, the Chinese short track speed skating team has achieved remarkable results in the international arena.
In 2017, at the first World Championships coached by Wang Meng, the Chinese team won a total of 5 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes, ranking first in the gold medal list;
At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the Chinese team won a total of 2 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes, ranking first in the short track speed skating gold medal list;
In 2019, at the third World Championships coached by Wang Meng, the Chinese team won a total of 6 golds, 4 silvers and 1 bronze, creating the best in history;
In 2021, at the fifth World Championships coached by Wang Meng, the Chinese team won the championship again with a total score of 6 golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze.
Wang has proved that he is an excellent coach and a legendary figure with his actions. "I never regretted anything I did, I just did what I wanted," she said. I feel like this is my life. ”
In the process of Wang's transformation, he also received an invitation from the United States.
After the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Team USA offered her an olive branch in the hope that she would serve as Team USA's head coach.
Wang expressed his gratitude and respect for this, but finally refused the invitation of the American team and chose to stay in the Chinese team to continue coaching: "The Chinese team is my home, and the Chinese team is my root. I can't betray my country and my teammates. I want to create another brilliant glory for the Chinese team. ”
Wang's outlook for the future
Although Wang Wei has retired, she has not left speed skating, but continues to contribute to the Chinese short track speed skating team as a coach. She said: "I love speed skating, speed skating is my life and I can't live without it. ”
The Chinese short track speed skating team will create another brilliant victory at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and win glory for the motherland and the people.
"The Beijing Winter Olympics have a special meaning for me, this is my first time participating in the Winter Olympics in my hometown, this is my first time participating in the Winter Olympics as a coach," she said. I hope to bring joy and pride to Chinese people. ”
While succeeding in her career, Wang Wei also has a happy family, she and her husband Li Jiajun support each other, and accompany each other with 2 children. "My family is my harbor and my family is my motivation. They gave me infinite love and warmth. ”
Wang Wei's spare time is divided among her hobbies, she likes to listen to music, travel, etc. "I want to enjoy life and experience different cultures and landscapes. I want to expand my horizons and knowledge. ”
Wang is a multi-faceted woman, she is both a speed skating demon and a wild woman, a legendary coach, and a happy wife and mother. She lived her wonderful life in her own way.
This is the story of speed skating king Wang Meng, a story full of glory, ups and downs, wild and legendary. She once said: "I don't want to be an ordinary person, I want to be a legend." ”
She did what she said she said and became a legend.
Bibliography:
[1] "Speed skating queen" Wang Wei: I have won 77 medals, but I have been "expelled" by the national team three times
https://www.toutiao.com/article/7062265312250905096/?channel=&source=search_tab
[2] "Speed skating devil" Wang Meng: Won 77 gold medals, but was expelled from the national team 3 times, why is she so crazy
https://www.toutiao.com/article/7062962156043551239/?channel=&source=search_tab
[3] He was "expelled" from the national team three times, fought with the team leader, and bombarded the coach, why is Wang Wei so proud?
https://www.toutiao.com/article/7061858656220135950/?channel=&source=search_tab