At home in Hangzhou, the Chinese men's volleyball team passed by the Asian Games gold medal.
In the final, against strong rival Iran, China suffered a reversal after winning the first game, and eventually lost 1-3.
Facing the media after the game, the young man's regret was visible to the naked eye, "The opponent in the last three games made a strain, our reaction was too slow, and the on-the-spot response was not enough, which is the next problem we have to solve." Team member Li Yongzhen said.
But then, the team had little time to adjust, and immediately plunged into the more competitive Paris Olympic qualifiers...
The day of the final coincides with the birthday of Wu Sheng (middle), the head coach of the Chinese men's volleyball team.
The whole team blames itself
In the deafening cheers of the audience, the Chinese men's volleyball team once saw the hope of defeating the opponent.
In the Asian Games, the Iranian men's volleyball team has always been a top team, and has won gold for two consecutive Asian Games.
However, just as the audience was expecting the Chinese team to win gold at home, the team suffered an unexpected blow.
"The main attacker Yu Yuantai at the back of the first game was on his feet and used Wang Bin, but it may be because the players are young and nervous, and it is difficult to play." Wu Sheng, the head coach of the Chinese men's volleyball team, analyzed.
"In the second game, Yu Yuantai's feet have not yet recovered, so Dai Qingyao was used, but receiving the serve is his short board, so the card wheel (losing points in a row) also has the reason for receiving the serve, which is my responsibility as a coach and a lesson in the future."
The Chinese men's volleyball team blocked the net during the match.
The defeat in the second and third games put the Chinese team on the edge of the cliff, but the team still showed its tenacity in the face of adversity - in the fourth game, the team caught up after falling behind and saved two match points, but unfortunately it fell short...
After taking the lead, he was reversed to lose the gold medal, and many team members also blamed themselves after the game.
'My team-mates are doing well, but I'm very unhappy with my performance.' Wang Bin said in an interview with reporters.
Yu Yuantai said, "There are indeed some opportunities that I did not seize, especially me, many strong attacks did not play well, if I can score a few more points, the outcome may be different." ”
Captain Jiang Chuan also made his own analysis, "The back did not withstand, including some senseless mistakes, so in the end I lost the game." ”
'We need to build confidence to play difficult balls, know how to play key points, and don't make the same mistakes next time we encounter this situation, and maybe we need a lot of these games to transform the team.
In addition, Wu Sheng also pointed out that the Chinese team needs to be more adapted to the more intense rhythm of the international arena and make physical reserves in the usual training.
"The high-intensity confrontation is very draining on the athletes, in fact, I think in the end our team members are a little physically exhausted, which is why sometimes they can't concentrate."
There is no time for regrets
"It's our regret that the Chinese men's volleyball team didn't reach the top in the end, but anyway, it's a good exercise for the team." In the post-match summary, head coach Wu Sheng still affirmed the team's overall performance in the Asian Games.
"Indeed, we have very few opportunities to exercise in high-intensity competitions such as the Chinese men's volleyball team, so at critical times, there will always be such and such mistakes, which puts forward higher requirements for our future training." I also hope that through this competition, the team members can have a greater improvement in all aspects, first of all, mentality and belief. ”
After the Asian Games trip, the Chinese men's volleyball team will soon face greater challenges.
Wu Sheng is satisfied with the overall performance of the team.
From September 30 to October 8, the Chinese men's volleyball team will participate in Group C of the Paris Olympic Qualification Tournament in Xi'an, with seven teams in the same group as Poland, Argentina, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Belgium and Bulgaria.
According to the rules, the tournament adopts a single-round robin format, and the top two in the group directly qualify for the Paris Olympics - a nearly impossible task for the Chinese men's volleyball team, which is in the inferior position.
But no matter how likely it is, momentum cannot be lost - "Our goal in Olympic qualification is to rush to the Olympic Games, which is our constant pursuit." Jiang Chuan said at the post-match press conference.
Due to the close timing of the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers, the teams did not have much time to rest. Head coach Wu Sheng introduced the next team arrangement, "Tomorrow we will leave for Xi'an, the adjustment time will be tomorrow day, and we will strengthen physical training after arriving." ”
"At the same time, two other players will go to Xi'an to join the team, because there are 14 people registered for the Olympic qualifiers, so there will be some adjustments in the lineup."