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Text|Reading Entertainment
Editor|Reading Entertainment
preface
If Ma Long, who is called the "Empire Destruction Dragon" by the Japanese media, is the pride of Chinese men's table tennis.
Then Zhang Yining, known as the "big devil", is one of the "greatest players" in the history of women's table tennis.
At the age of six, Zhang Yining had an "indissoluble bond" with table tennis because of his love.
She chose table tennis, and table tennis also chose her.
From 1993, when she joined the national team until her retirement, she won a total of 19 world championships.
Even the unspoken rule of the table tennis world "give a point" was left behind by Zhang Yining.
When he was held accountable by the coach afterwards, he also said: "I let her, and I can't help if she doesn't catch her." ”
But such a legendary player with superior strength and countless times for the glory of the country has also been questioned because of his feelings.
As a post-80s, she actually married Xu Wei, a post-60s businessman, and even chose to retire in 2011 in order to give birth.
How strong was Zhang Yining before? And why was he elected to Xu Wei's "Gentle Township"?
The arrogant "Zhang" is Zhang Yining's "Zhang"
There is a consensus that people all over the world know, that is, China's table tennis is the first in the world.
As a "table tennis country", our national team has naturally cultivated countless "table tennis masters".
It not only maintained the record of consecutive championships in Olympic table tennis, but also attracted other countries to frequently send people to "learn from experience".
Even some players in the provincial team who are "not talented enough" to get ahead, to the level of other countries are the main players of the national team.
With such a deep table tennis background, players who can stand out in our national team can be called "geniuses among geniuses".
In such a powerful national team, Zhang Yining can still achieve the level that few people can outperform, which shows how outstanding his talent is.
In 1999, Zhang Yining appeared on the world-class stage for the first time and won the runner-up of the World Table Tennis Championships with outstanding strength.
Not winning the championship does not mean that Zhang Yining is weak, because the champion that year was Wang Nan, another "demon king" of the mainland women's table tennis team.
Later, the two met again at the 2001 National Games, but this time Zhang Yining was still defeated by Wang Nan, and was even "let two chase four" by Wang Nan.
The successive defeats made Zhang Yining realize the gap between himself and the top level.
It also reflects how cruel the competition between mainland table tennis players is.
It can even be said that in the table tennis project, as long as it becomes the first in China, it will be the first in the world.
Although Zhang Yining lost to Wang Nan in two consecutive world-class competitions, she was only 20 years old at this time.
Compared with Wang Nan, Zhang Yining is three years younger, and it is this seemingly inconspicuous three years old that gives Zhang Yining the advantage of surpassing Wang Nan.
At the 2002 Asian Games, the mainland women's table tennis team played erratically that year, losing successively in except the women's singles.
This not only made the domestic audience sigh, but also affected Wang Nan's mentality a little.
The duel between masters is often a thousand miles away.
It was this little change in mentality that allowed Zhang Yining to win Wang Nan in a world-class competition for the first time.
As time passed little by little, Wang Nan gradually reached the age of twenty-five when his reaction power began to decline.
That year, Wang Nan and Zhang Yining, the two "new and old devils", met again at the World Table Tennis Championships.
Although Wang Nan still defeated Zhang Yining this time, Zhang Yining's strength is also visible to the naked eye.
From the very beginning, Wang Nan twice "let two chase four", to this time the two played seven games.
Although neither of them said anything, in fact, from this moment on, the title of "Demon King" had already fallen to Zhang Yining.
Because Wang Nan at this time is not only because of the increase in grade, but also his physical strength and reaction ability gradually cannot keep up with high-intensity competitions.
He also suffered from thyroid cancer.
Since then, the two have met twice in world-class competitions, but Zhang Yining won the competition without any surprise.
After becoming the new "Demon King", no one can stop Zhang Yining anymore.
Nicknamed "The Great Devil", she ruled the world table tennis world for several years until she retired.
According to the statistics of fans, as of Zhang Yining's retirement, she has won a total of 48 championships in world-class table tennis.
Thirty-one times far ahead of the second place Wang Nan, she has become the undoubted "first Chinese women's table tennis person".
However, Zhang Yining still met his biggest opponent in life - "time".
If Zhang Yining can overcome time, then there will be no more words "heroic twilight".
As mentioned earlier, although thirty years old is not "late" for a person.
But in the world-class competition, in the confrontation at the peak of mankind, a little decline in physical strength and reflexes brings about a losing ending.
And Zhang Yining has witnessed Wang Nan from hero to the end, how can she not know the impact of age on herself?
That's why she ignored the fans' voices about her for the 2012 London Olympics.
Resolutely chose to go through in 2011 and married a wealthy businessman outside of sports.
An unblessed but happy marriage
In 2009, twenty-eight-year-old Zhang Yining had long passed the best age to marry.
However, she is not worried about the rest of her life, because someone has been waiting for her, that is, Zhang Yining's future husband Xu Wei.
At the beginning of that year, Zhang Yining met Xu Wei, who was engaged in the financial industry, under the introduction of a friend.
Although Xu Wei is a businessman outside the sports world, he has another identity - Zhang Yining's "die-hard fan".
Long ago, he was attracted by Zhang Yining's sassy heroic posture on the field.
After being introduced by a friend, he launched a "stalking" pursuit of Zhang Yining.
Zhang Yining, who had only been in love once before, had seen this battle, and soon fell under Xu Wei's "sugar-coated shells".
Not long after, the two married in Beijing in a low-key manner.
When the two just got married, Zhang Yining had not yet retired, so he often left early and returned late to train in the team.
But in the face of his wife not being at home all day, Xu Wei actually did not complain at all, but supported his wife's approach very much.
"We've been together for a long time, but you're older now, and I don't want to disturb your last time with table tennis."
It was Xu Wei's words that made Zhang Yining resolutely choose to retire in 2011.
And a year later, he gave birth to a daughter for Xu Fu and lived a happy life.
It is said that whether a person lives happily or not can be seen from her face.
Look at Zhang Yining's recent appearances in front of the public, her face is rosy, she looks like a forty-year-old woman.
It can be seen how happy Zhang Yining's married life is, and it can also be seen how correct her original choice was.
epilogue
In the first half of Zhang Yining's forty years, she has seen too much glory.
It was precisely these far beyond ordinary people's observations that made her see that Xu Wei was a person worthy of trust.
Now Zhang Yining has also lived a happy life, and I would like to offer my sincere wishes to her.
What do you think about Zhang Yining's choice? Let's discuss it in the comments section.