Under such difficult circumstances did Wang Liping qualify for the Sydney Olympics? As an athlete, she not only had to face high-intensity training and brutal selection assessments, but also had to face injuries.
However, Wang Liping still won the qualification with her tenacious will and extremely firm belief.
In fact, in the first four days of the official competition, Wang Liping's physical condition can be described as staggering. Her knees have been suffering from injuries for a long time, and the pain is unbearable just by walking normally.
"Give up, go for treatment. The doctor advised. Wang Liping also knew that it was almost impossible to win the Olympic championship in such a physical condition, but she decided to take a risk.
Because, the quadrennial Olympics are not a casual opportunity. It is like a dazzling dawn that illuminates the dream goal of every athlete.
Wang Liping is unwilling to give up, even if she will be arranged by the coaching staff to be Liu Hongyu's "escort" because of her poor condition.
When the focus of the coaches and the attention of the outside world are on Liu Hongyu, Wang Liping may feel a little sad and lost in her heart. But persistence in collective honor and selfless support for peers eventually prevailed over these negative emotions.
In the subsequent training and preparations, Wang Liping never complained, but did her best to complete the task of "running along". Whenever she sees Liu Hongyu winning the championship, she will also sincerely wish.
However, the Olympics are never as smooth sailing as we expected. When the game was halfway through, Liu Hongyu, who was in the lead, began to foul frequently, and his state was not as good as before.
The three violation warnings directly denied her a medal and she had to leave the field in pain.
Analyzing the causes, excessive stress is the main factor. As the favorite to win the championship, Liu Hongyu is carrying the expectations of the coach and the audience. This makes her cautious in the lead, and she is afraid of being blown if she is not careful.
And the overly nervous psychological state also directly affects the action and rhythm. "I have to win, I can't lose!" The pressure in Liu Hongyu's heart continued to accumulate and finally broke out.
She began to pick up the speed desperately to get ahead of the rest of the pack, but she was penalized for it.
At the same time, the coaches on the side were also anxious. They were originally full of confidence that Liu Hongyu would easily win the championship, but they didn't expect that everything would be changed now. "Wang Liping, what can she do, it's clear that she is here to make soy sauce.
I can only count on Hongyu to hold on for a little longer!" The coaches looked at Wang Liping, who insisted alone on the field, and still dismissed.
However, they were wrong! It was Wang Liping, the injured "escort" who became the last hope for the Chinese team to win the medal. Compared with Liu Hongyu's constant mistakes, she relied on a steady strategy to preserve her strength.
At this time, Wang Liping gradually caught up with the forefront. Although the coaches have long since left, she will not give up.
In the next five-kilometer sprint, Wang Liping successfully overtook several athletes and finished third. This already means a bronze medal without a doubt. But for Wang Liping, how could she let go of the gold medal dream so closely! So, she continued to chase frantically and strive for the final sprint.
Just a few hundred meters ahead, the leading Australians are also becoming more and more anxious. She was looking forward to winning the championship easily, but Wang Liping in the rear suddenly pursued fiercely and was almost about to overtake.
A little flustered, her pace involuntarily became faster. However, the violation of the rules caused by speeding was unavoidable, and soon the Australian was sent off.
At this time, Wang Liping has become a real leader!
"I have to refrain and can't foul again!" Wang Liping was extremely excited and sober at the same time. Because she herself had received a red card warning before, and another time it would be disqualified.
Therefore, although the championship is just around the corner, she is still cautious and well-behaved, for fear of being caught by the referee who is targeting.
The finish line is getting closer and closer, 100 meters, tens of meters...... When Wang Liping finally crossed the finish line calmly, the audience was silent, no one cheered for her, no one greeted her.
It turned out that in order to fully support Liu Hongyu, the Chinese coaching team left the field as early as the end of the game. Now that I suddenly learned the news that Wang Liping won the championship, everyone was shocked.
At this time, Wang Liping looked around blankly, eager to find the figure of the coach or teammates, but only looked at the indifferent camera. This scene pierced everyone's heart deeply.
Wang Liping's lonely and sad scene touched the hearts of countless people, and public opinion condemned the coaches for their dereliction of duty and irresponsibility. After the incident, the General Administration of Sports also made an important deal and determined that the coaches had made major mistakes.
Because leaving the field without reason when the athlete has not finished the game, it may not only affect the psychology of the athlete, but also have potential safety hazards.
However, these coaches never admitted their mistakes positively, let alone apologized to Wang Liping. In media interviews afterwards, they confidently claimed that everything was under control, and it was their strategy that allowed Wang Liping to win the championship.
This nonsense further hurt the feelings of the athletes, because everyone knew that Wang Liping's championship was won by her own hard work.
After this defeat and injury, Wang Liping chose to leave the arena and live a peaceful life. It wasn't until 2004, on the eve of the Athens Olympics, that the coaches suddenly approached her again, hoping that she would be able to fight for another four years.
Although she was still in the postpartum recovery period, Wang Liping still promised to return to the game. In the end, she finished eighth, fulfilling an unfulfilled Olympic dream that she had not fulfilled four years ago.
However, we know that the recall of the coaches may be more based on the use of Wang Liping's former Olympic champion glory. And the apology they owe her, which has not been fulfilled to this day.
The destruction of the award ceremony that a gold medal should have has also become an eternal pain in Wang Liping's heart.
Wang Liping's experience, we can't help but ponder: it is really sad that an Olympic hero who won the championship for the country has fallen into such a situation.
We must recognize what is wrong with the sports system in its treatment of athletes.
First of all, coaches and managers focus on results over humanistic care. In the face of athletes like Wang Liping and Liu Hongyu, who have completely different starting points, they only think about how to use them, and ignore the urgent need for encouragement and care for Wang Liping, who is seriously injured and in poor condition.
Second, they monopolize the honor when an athlete wins, and only exonerate when they lose. This attitude has put a lot of pressure on the athletes, and it has also shaken the foundation of the development of sports.
So, it's time to re-examine what athletes do. They not only represent themselves, but are the backbone of the entire nation. The acquisition of a gold medal condensed their countless blood and tears.
Their spirit of glory and sacrifice is worth learning from each and every one of us Xi. That's why athletes deserve to be respected by the whole society, not to be in the same predicament as Wang Liping.
We must understand that the ultimate goal of building a sports power is to cultivate a healthy and progressive nation. Among them, caring for athletes and valuing their feelings should also become our common responsibility.