A feather fluttered in the girl's hand, making a crisp slapping sound. 9-year-old Wang Yihan stepped into the hall of badminton and began to encounter the sport.
It was a hot summer day, and Wang Yihan sat in the gymnasium stands after school, waiting for her mother to finish a ball game. The sound of the racket piercing the air and the feathers flying in the sun on the court deeply attracted this energetic little girl.
"Mom, can you teach me how to play badminton?" On the way home from school, Wang Yihan couldn't help but make a cautious request.
So, on weekends one by one, my mother took Yihan to the gymnasium to teach her how to hold a racket and how to swing it. At first, Yihan always couldn't catch the ball that her mother had deducted, and it was inevitable that there was some rustiness between the racket and her little hand.
But the girl soon found the trick, she learned to use the transfer of her body to find the best position, take a few more beats at once, and happily swing the racket and shout.
That summer, Wang Yihan's physical education teacher took a fancy to her outstanding physical condition, so she suggested that her mother send her to a professional badminton interest class. Wang Yihan, who got his wish, was overjoyed.
Under the guidance of Coach Wang Pengren, she quickly integrated into the training. Although her teammates are a few years older than her, Wang Yihan never lags behind in the running event. "I'm only in 3rd place after 10 laps!" Every time, Wang Yihan's face was filled with a proud flush, which made the coach like it very much.
After the interest class, Wang Pengren personally visited Yihan's parents, hoping to continue to guide this talented girl. Thus, Wang Yihan's badminton road began.
In her youth, she took the first step full of anticipation with her love for the sport.
Wang Yihan entered her youth, and in her opinion, badminton was her choice without hesitation. Even if the road is full of thorns, she will not hesitate to do it.
At first, the pace of life of semi-cultural classes and semi-professional training was a bit difficult for 13-year-old Yihan. At the end of the day, sweat and fatigue are intertwined. The sisters on the team are skilled and can always easily beat her sweaty.
"I'm going to surpass them!" Wang Yihan swore to herself with red eyes. So the extra training became her norm.
Participating in the National Youth Competition for the first year, Wang Yihan has been looking forward to it for a long time. Who knew that after round of competition, she always came home with a feather. "You've only been fighting for a few years, and it's not enough!" The coach's words, though simple, were enough to open her knot.
Wang Yihan understands that this is the beginning of hardship.
Sweat is her most loyal partner on the court. The new shoes always blister Yihan's feet, but even if she is scarred, she never asks the coach for leave. Even though his feet were already blurred with flesh and blood, Wang Yihan just gritted his teeth and endured it silently.
It is this hard-working quality that has made her extraordinary perseverance.
In the years of fighting, the young Yihan gradually faded into immaturity and was replaced by arrogance and tenacity. The road knows the horsepower, and time is enough to prove everything. Finally, in a tough battle, Wang Yihan defeated a veteran player.
This victory is the best reward for her hard work. Since then, the teenager has embarked on her own journey.
In 2006, Wang Yihan, who had just turned 18, was selected for the first team of the national team. This is undoubtedly a great honor for this aspiring girl. However, a heavy burden also weighs on her shoulders - she needs to prove that she is worthy of the main position in the team through her strength.
Not long after joining the first team, at the Chinese Badminton Tournament, Wang Yihan and her senior sister Xie Xingfang went head-to-head. This match is destined to be a historic turning point. Yi Han knew that if she wanted to fight for more opportunities, beating the top players in the team was the only way.
So the young women's singles players quickly adjusted to their best competitive state, and faced the senior sister who had dominated the first sister for many years with stubborn momentum.
That day, Wang Yihan shocked the four with his courageous performance. defeated Xie Xingfang by a small margin in two consecutive games and successfully won this decisive victory. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time......" Wang Yihan said excitedly after the game.
And this also indicates the rise of the national feather women's singles rookie, and a dynasty change belonging to the new generation is quietly unfolding.
In August of the same year, Yihan, who had just passed his 18th birthday, ushered in another opportunity. The two players who were originally scheduled to withdraw from the World Invitational squad due to injury, allowing Wang Yihan to fill in the position.
For this young girl who is not deeply involved in the world, it is a dream come true to be able to compete with the world's top masters. In the first round, Wang Yihan swept Zhang Ning and entered the semifinals.
On the day of the finals, the 18-year-old birthday girl was transformed into the invincible god of war. She defeated two world champions to win her first world-class title.
"I believe this is just the beginning!" Wang Yihan, who was extremely proud, said.
In 2009, 21-year-old Wang Yihan officially completed the gorgeous transformation from a rising star to a superstar. This year, she won the women's singles championships in the All England, Japan and France competitions, and was officially crowned the new ruler of the international women's singles world.
At the All England Championships at the beginning of the year, Wang Yihan went all the way to the final. "This is the first time I've had the chance to lift this trophy and I'm not going to let it slip away!" Facing reporters, she made no secret of her desire to win the championship.
Sure enough, Wang Yihan was in excellent condition in the final. After saving four match points in a row, she successfully defeated the Danish and started her first journey to the All England Championships. "I finally did it!" Yihan, who was extremely excited, burst into tears.
Since then, the BWF has officially begun to officially associate Wang Yihan with the title of "First Sister". Coincidentally, the Chinese Badminton Association also officially established Wang Yihan's status as the main force of the national badminton women's singles at this moment.
A month later, Wang Yihan competed in Japan. It had been a battlefield for her that had not achieved good results before. But this time, Wang Yihan took it in stride, overwhelmingly defeated all opponents, and won the second Super Series trophy of her career.
At the same time, the unique charm of "First Sister" also began to bloom in her. The outside world gradually realized that this 21-year-old girl is not only an excellent record setter on the field, but also has a gentle and generous intellectual beauty.
At the end of that year, Wang Yihan won the championship in France and established the status of the women's singles triple crown. So far, regardless of her record and popularity, she has entered her peak. Standing at the pinnacle of bloody battles, Wang Yihan is also gradually transforming.
From a little girl with strong blood to a calm and calm leader, she gradually has the demeanor of a champion.
In 2012, 25-year-old Wang Yihan ushered in one of the most important trips of her life to the London Olympics. She has been at the heart of the women's singles for many years, and this is undoubtedly the best chance to achieve her dream of becoming a champion.
However, a rookie named Li Xuerui has become a stumbling block on Wang Yihan's road.
In the Olympic points competition, Li Xuerui performed eye-catching and quickly became Wang Yihan's strongest contender. The upcoming Olympics have only three individual quota places and only one gold.
The battle for the title seems destined to be between the old and new women's singles flag bearers.
In order to prove his strength, Wang Yihan galloped and ran exhausted in training. But at the same time, Li Xuerui's momentum does not seem to have slowed down in the slightest. "I'm the real first sister!" Wang Yihan constantly brainwashed herself.
However, this war without gunpowder has been faintly consuming her will.
Finally, the Olympics are just around the corner. After the list was announced, Wang Yihan and Li Xuerui got their wish. But only one person will make it to the top of the podium.
This battle for the gold medal is bound to be thrilling and indistinguishable.
On the day of the Olympic women's singles final, Wang Yihan went all out. She is eager to prove that she is still in her prime. However, Li Xuerui, who is in the outbreak period, is full of spirits.
In the end, the silver medal was missed, and the dazzling golden light was so close to Wang Yihan, but it didn't belong to her after all.
"I'll be back!" On the podium, Wang Yihan said firmly with red eyes. However, in the following four years, a series of injuries prevented her from competing in the Rio Olympics...... The glory of the past is no longer repeated, and the pain of the "uncrowned king" cannot be calmed in her heart for a long time.
After withdrawing from the Rio Olympics, Wang Yihan officially announced his retirement. For this girl, who has spent most of her life on the court, it is not easy to give up her status as an athlete and become a coach.
Once upon a time, she was also admired by everyone, and she was the queen of the day. But now the legend has faded. In her first year of retirement, she was no longer in the spotlight and lost the thrill of being in the spotlight.
'I miss the days on the pitch. Wang Yihan sighed as she looked at the photos of trophies and honors on the wall. After retiring at home for too long, she gradually realized that she might not be able to create a more brilliant record in this life, but it was her mission to give back to her descendants.
In this way, Wang Yihan stepped into East China Normal University and began her Xi life as a master's degree in physical education. It was not easy for her to pick up the textbooks again, which was already a little rusty.
After the initial discomfort, Wang Yihan gradually found his state. In order to motivate the juniors, she began to appear in the badminton team training sessions, instructing everyone in the grip posture.
Gradually, the students discovered that although the teacher was not smiling, his skills were indeed top-notch.
In this way, on campus, Wang Yihan found a new way out of her career. She realized that mentoring new talent was something she would do in the future. Perhaps one day, her students will be able to win gold at the Olympics, and she will be glad that she will be relegated to the background.
At the same time, the love life is also blooming in Wang Yihan. On social networks, her relationship with Gu Zhengyun, the junior brother of the Shanghai team, gradually became public. After more than 10 years of hard work, she also deserves her own happiness.
In 2017, Wang Yihan married Zhengyun. When asked about married life, this girl, who was once devoted to her career, finally learned to smile and enjoy the beauty of life.