Losing to Wang Manyu was undoubtedly a huge blow for Chen Meng. However, what is even more regrettable is that the win or loss of this game is not only a contest between two players, but also a ruthless tug-of-war of time.
Why do you say that? After changing coaches in August, Chen Meng most often talked about her fitness reserves and injury management. For a veteran over thirty, this is a priority issue. In the tiebreaker against Wang Manyu, Chen Meng was beaten by his opponent with a 0:7 disparity score at the beginning. However, she did not give up, and by adjusting her tactics and playing steadily, she managed to chase the score to 9:2.
Unfortunately, however, the importance of physical reserves is highlighted at this time. Compared with the young Wang Manyu, Chen Meng has a significant disadvantage in physical strength. Although she tried her best to mobilize and fight, her conservative style prevented her from giving her full strength. And Wang Manyu still dares to mobilize and fight on a large scale with abundant physical strength. There is a change behind the conservatism, and such a change eventually made Chen Meng lose the game and miss the final four. The passage of time was relentless and rapid, and it defeated Chen Meng and left her unsuccessful. Perhaps, if Chen Meng could be more proactive in dealing with his physical problems, perhaps the result would be different.
Seeing Wang Manyu furiously venting the joy of victory, Chen Meng was undoubtedly envious. From winning the Tokyo Olympics to now, Chen Meng has only won the title in the 2022 Singapore Grand Slam women's singles competition, and in these two years, she has only this catharsis and emotional release.
Although Chen Meng, 29, is ranked second in the world in women's singles, the Chinese Table Tennis Association may be sending a signal to her by not qualifying her for the women's singles of the Asian Games: she is no longer the second choice of the Chinese table tennis team besides Sun Yingsha. After all, considering that Chen Meng is about to turn 30, Liu Guoliang must consider the issue of age, and he hopes that Chen Meng can continue to perform well in multiple projects. For Chen Meng, now she is no longer very favored, and if she wants to get something, she must fight for herself.
After losing to Wang Manyu, Chen Meng made the most important decision. For her future, she said that she will work with her coach to fully manage her physical condition and physical strength. Chen Meng also looks forward to establishing a better tacit understanding with his partner Sun Xun and bringing new breakthroughs to the new training cycle. Obviously, Chen Meng is not willing to retire just like that.
Chen Meng is now 29 years old. Among the players of the national table tennis women's team, she can be said to be on the verge of retirement. However, Chen Meng was lucky. Because of her outstanding performance, Shandong Sports Bureau attaches great importance to her, especially to her future retirement work arrangements. As we all know, Shandong Sports Bureau took Chen Meng as the IP and created Chen Meng (National University of Science and Technology) Table Tennis Characteristic School. After retiring, Chen Meng will also return to the school to take up his position.
For Chen Meng now, if she can't catch the train to Paris, she may have a hard time waiting until the next world championship. By then, her Grand Slam dreams will be completely shattered. I believe that if such a scene happens, her mentor Marlene will definitely feel the most distressed and reluctant, because he has also experienced a step short. He definitely didn't want Chen Meng to experience the same regret.
Chen Meng's career can be described as brilliant. As a top table tennis player, she has amazing skills and excellent psychological qualities. Her performance on the field is always full of passion and determination. Her amazing performance and stable state have made her a member of the national table tennis women's team. However, as the years passed, her body gradually tired and it was difficult to maintain her competitive condition. Fortunately, she was recognized and supported by the Shandong Sports Bureau.
This not only means the work arrangement after retirement, but also means that she can pass on her experience and skills to more young people in the special school of table tennis. This is a great honor and responsibility for her. As an excellent athlete, she knows that her responsibility is to inherit the spark of table tennis, inspire more young people to devote themselves to it, and cultivate more future stars.
However, for Chen Meng, the most important thing now is to be able to catch the train that is about to go to Paris. The World Championships are a crucial event for every table tennis player and a stage for them to verify their strength. Chen Meng longs to be able to show his talent and strength on this stage and win glory for the motherland. She always uses her dreams as motivation and constantly strives to train and improve herself.
Chen Meng's road to retirement may not be as smooth as she imagined, but she will not stop moving forward. She knew she was standing at a crossroads in history, and she didn't want to miss another opportunity. Whether it is working after retirement or continuing to fight on the court, Chen Meng will go all out and live up to expectations.
Chen Meng's story tells us that the road of life is not always smooth, but as long as we firmly believe and are not afraid of hardships, we can usher in a better future. Chen Meng interprets the spirit of athletes with his own efforts and struggles, and has also become a role model admired and followed by the younger generation. No matter how her career ends up, her courage and perseverance will always shine in our hearts.