Chen Long grew up in Jingzhou, Hubei Province, the famous cradle of badminton in China, which has excellent sports genes. Chen Long's parents were active in the Wuhan Military Region basketball team when they were young, and later became sports workers in the Jingzhou area.
"Nickname is the only child in the family and is very much loved by his parents.
At the age of 6, Chen Long was as tall as 1.38 meters, which attracted the attention of Ding Qihong, the badminton coach of Shacheng Sports School. Ding Qihong recommended Chen Long to practice Xi badminton, and his parents also supported this decision.
Initially curious about badminton, Chen was quickly drawn to the challenging sport.
However, due to the doting of his family, Xiao Chen Long has a cowardly personality and lacks patience and perseverance, making it difficult to persist in long-term high-intensity training. For this reason, the mother Zhang Yuxia made up her mind to domesticate her son by strict means and correct his weaknesses.
She not only increased the amount of Chen Long's training, but also let her son reflect under the scorching sun in the hot summer. Zhang Yuxia's hard work was not in vain, Chen Long's character gradually became tenacious, and his badminton skills also improved rapidly.
Chen has experienced many ups and downs on the road of badminton, but each time he has been able to get back on his feet and move towards higher goals.
In 2003, Chen Long, who was expelled from Xiamen Sports School in Fujian Province for being naughty, chose to return to his hometown. At first, Zhang Yuxia tried to get him back on his feet, but Chen Long resisted and resisted.
Finally, with the encouragement of coach Lin Jiangli, Chen Long returned to Xiamen and set off again.
In 2007, Chen Long, who was less than 16 years old, shone at the World Youth Championships and won the men's singles championship. For a while, the public and the media have turned their attention to this rising star.
This was the first highlight of Chen Long's career.
In 2011, the 22-year-old Chen Long was selected for the national team for the Olympic Games for the first time and finished third in the men's singles event at the London Olympics, shining at the top level for the first time.
This laid the foundation for Chen Long's impact on higher peaks in the future.
2014 can be said to be a watershed in Chen Long's career. This year, he finally won the first men's singles gold medal at the World Championships and became the real standard-bearer of China's national feather.
In the same year, Chen Long's world ranking also reached No. 1 for the first time.
This was the peak of Chen Long's career. He is no longer the player whose strength is questioned, and he is starting to really enter the people's field of vision and become one of the superstars in the world of badminton.
In the past few years, Chen Long has maintained a good competitive state and strong combat effectiveness.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chen Long and Li Zongwei met in the finals and staged a classic duel. Finally, Chen Long defeated his long-time friend 2-1 and won the men's singles gold medal at the Rio Olympics.
After the game, Chen Long couldn't help but burst into tears. This is not only the best reward for his years of hard work, but also washes away the doubts and prejudices of the outside world.
In the second year after winning the Olympic gold medal, Chen Long ushered in another peak of his life - he tied the knot with his girlfriend Wang Shixian, who had been in love for 11 years. The two have known each other since they were teenagers and have been with each other until middle age.
In 2021, at the age of 35, Chen Long will return to Tokyo Olympics, this time aiming to defend his Olympic men's singles gold medal. However, time has passed, and the rookies have risen.
In the face of the onslaught of a new generation of players like Momota, Chen still fought with all his might, showing amazing explosiveness in the semi-finals and the first two games of the final. Although he only won the silver medal in the end, Chen Long had no regrets, looked around the stands, and shouted "I am proud!".
After this battle, the 35-year-old Chen Long announced his official retirement from the national team. This was the end of his career. Chen Long, who retired from the firing line, did not have the slightest melancholy, he looked forward to retiring from the rivers and lakes with his wife Wang Shixian and living a plain but sweet life.
Perhaps, this is where he really longs for.
In his 28-year sports career, Chen Long has left countless wonderful moments. He has been chasing his badminton dream since he was a teenager, and now, it's time to stop and enjoy life.
Chen Long has had a legendary athletic career. He is known as "the last fig leaf of the national feather men's singles in the post-Lin Dan era".
This reputation is not easy to come by. In terms of achievements, Chen Long is second only to the "Super Dan" Lin Dan, and the two can be described as twin stars of the same era. But Chen Long has never been a player with great talent, and he can only climb up from the ground step by step with the help of almost crazy hard work and sweat, and gradually reach the top.
Chen Long does not have the natural explosiveness of Lin Dan, nor does he have the outstanding physical flexibility of Li Zongwei. However, relying on his tenacious perseverance and hard-working spirit, he broke through the upper limit of his physical fitness and hit the top of the rankings.
Chen Long's success comes more from his inner persistence and belief, which is a typical characteristic of Chinese sportsmen.
Chen Long, who won the gold medal in 2016, and Zhang Yuxia, mother and son, who have always paid silently, touched the hearts of countless fans and showed the simple and unpretentious feelings and virtues of Chinese athletes.
This spirit is deeply rooted in the cultural genes of the Chinese nation's unremitting self-improvement, and is worthy of Xi and promotion by the vast number of young people.
Now, Chen Long and his wife Wang Shixian have retired behind the scenes. They have been working hand in hand for more than 20 years, and even when they get to the end of the day, they are still very affectionate. This kind of true love that can endure loneliness and waiting is the most precious destination in life.