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Soon after bidding farewell to the battlefield, Bai Yang did not hesitate to choose to continue his military career, and in 2010, through the selection of special talents, he successfully entered the physical engineering brigade of the Political Department of the Armed Police and served as a staff officer.
With her outstanding performance, she was awarded the rank of captain, and time flies, and Poplar finally ushered in her own glorious moment! .
Looking back on that table tennis career full of challenges and opportunities, Bai Yang is full of emotion. In 1984, she was born in an ordinary family in Baoding City, Hebei Province, and since the age of 5, she has shown her extraordinary talent for table tennis, and since then she has embarked on a systematic and rigorous training road.
Despite her frailty and heavy training tasks in her childhood, her love and pursuit of the sport remained the same: "As long as I can touch that beloved racket, I feel that all the efforts become extremely precious", Poplar often uses these words to express her inner joy and satisfaction.
Whether it's waking up early at 5 o'clock in the morning for morning exercise, or high-intensity training in the afternoon, or completing heavy academic tasks late at night, she has never had half a moment of relaxation and burnout. When she was a teenager, she had perseverance and all-out enthusiasm, and this spirit of fighting to the end became a distinctive brand of her entire table tennis career.
In January 2004, when the final battle of the Athens Olympic Table Tennis Tournament was about to begin, the Chinese table tennis team, which was engrossed in intense training, suddenly received an unprecedented urgent notice: all the team members must immediately rush to the multi-purpose hall to participate in an important meeting related to fate, and there is no room for error.
At the beginning of the meeting, head coach Cai Zhenhua announced a shocking punishment decision with a grim face. He pointed out sharply: "The current love problems in our team have reached a very serious level.
Some may question whether it is too harsh to prohibit athletes from falling in love, but it is important to remember that as athletes, you have a very short period of development, so you must be doubly cherished that if you spend a lot of time in love like ordinary young people, how can you live up to the ardent expectations of your motherland?
What is jaw-dropping is that this dramatic meeting directly led to the ruthless expulsion of four extremely outstanding players from the ranks of the national team, including the basketball player Bai Yang, who was only 20 years old at the time and was in the prime of his career! Cai Zhenhua announced with great sorrow: "Because of Bai Yang, Hou Yingchao, Li Nan and Fan Ying seriously affected their competitive state and daily training because they fell into love problems, and after in-depth research and careful consideration by the team committee, the decision to return the four of them to their respective provincial teams was made.
This sudden news was like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, which shocked everyone present, especially Bai Yang and others, who were as painful and unbelievable as if they had been struck by lightning.
It turned out that Bai Yang's lover was Ma Lin, who was also a member of the national team, and Ma Lin was able to stay in the national team at this time, just because he was the core strength of the men's team.
On the day he left, tears poured out of his eyes like a flood that burst his banks, and he looked extremely confused and helpless. She couldn't believe that falling in love would bring such serious disciplinary consequences.
At the time of parting, she left the touching words "If I can win the world championship, even if I look ugly, I will be happy" to her close friend Zhang Yining, profoundly expressing her endless desire and persistent pursuit of victory.
Her heart was full of endless reluctance, unwilling to leave Ma Lin, reluctant to leave Zhang Yining, and even more reluctant to leave the table tennis arena where she had sweat and passion.
However, the love affair with Marin finally came to an end. The two finally chose to part ways, and Bai Yang turned around and entered the marriage hall with actor Zhang Ningyi, but this short marriage broke down after only one year.
In order to fight for the property, they had to engage in a fierce battle in court.
Since she was a child, Poplar has shown amazing talent in table tennis, and the enlightenment coach Tang Yinsheng praised her and praised her for "playing witty" without hesitation. The story of the clay figure Zhang told by her father has strengthened her dedication and dedication.
At the age of 13, this talented girl was finally fortunate enough to be in the first team of the coveted national table tennis team. Subsequently, at the age of 14, she participated in the World Youth Games, and won the women's team and women's doubles championships in one fell swoop, and also won the high honor of women's singles runner-up.
Then, at the age of 16, Poplar won back-to-back Grand Slam titles at home and abroad, including the Table Tennis Super League and the Swedish Open.
What is jaw-dropping is that on the day of Poplar's 20th birthday, she successfully broke the record, passed all the way, and finally climbed to the top of the national championships and won the crown!
At that time, Bai Yang had a lively and cheerful personality, and he liked to play with his friend Zhang Yining the most in private. She affectionately called Zhang Yining "Lao Zhang", and the most enthusiastic game between the two was to look at each other to see who laughed out loud first, and the loser had to admit defeat.
However, Zhang Yining, who always has an indifferent face, can always maintain his last calm.
However, as soon as he stepped into the Circle, Poplar turned into a fighter who was fully focused on perfection. "I'm the type of person who likes to put pressure on myself and always thinks too much. No matter what you do, you must give it your all and strive to achieve the best.
Poplar said frankly.
For her at this age, the impact of victory and defeat is undoubtedly huge. She weeps bitterly when she loses, and when she wins, she often loses control and bursts into tears.
Recalling the rigorous training he received in the national team, as long as he made a slight mistake, he would be punished for standing in a military posture, and Poplar often only needed to stand for five minutes, and tears would fall like rain, and even the instructor would sigh when he saw it: "It's amazing, I can cry for so long."
Despite this, the young Poplar has always been steadfast in his ping-pong dreams. Unfortunately, in the mixed doubles final of the 2003 World Table Tennis Championships, she and her partner Liu Guozheng made it all the way to the final, but they lost to the golden pair of Ma Lin/Wang Nan and failed to realize their dream.
After the game, Poplar burst into tears, blurring her beautiful face.
After leaving the national team, Poplar once fell into a period of confusion in his life. Of course, her deepest wish is to once again wear the red tracksuit, which symbolizes the honor of the country, and once again represent the motherland on the world stage.
In order to achieve this long-cherished dream, she devoted herself to arduous training.
Although after returning to the Hebei provincial team, the training environment is far from the superior conditions of the national team. The training hall is dimly lit, the equipment is outdated, and the cold wind often invades through the cracks in the doors and windows.
Despite the sweat-soaked sportswear turning gorgeously in the cold wind, and the cold frost surrounded like armor, Poplar never gave up the belief in his heart, gritted his teeth again and again, and sweated with all his might.
"For active athletes, the peak period they have is so short and precious. Cai Zhenhua once revealed this fact harshly and sharply, and Bai Yang felt the same way.
She knows that if she misses this golden period, it will be extremely difficult to return to the national team, so she must seize every fleeting opportunity and give it her all and fight hard.
However, when she finally stepped foot on the door of the national team again, she found that she had no choice but to find her place in the new squad. The former "Grand Slam" heroes Wang Nan, Zhang Yining and others have long been firmly in the top spot, and the younger generation of Guo Yue and other new stars have also begun to emerge and shine.
As much as Poplar longs to be at the pinnacle of that glory again, she also understands that her most glorious moments have stayed in the energetic and passionate youth before the age of 20.
Today, in addition to occasionally winning people's admiration by relying on past honors, she can no longer shake the dominance occupied by those emerging forces in the fierce actual combat.
At the 2005 World Table Tennis Championships, Bai Yang and his former partner Liu Guozheng once again teamed up in the mixed doubles event, and they fought all the way to the final, but still regretfully missed out on the world championship and finally settled for the runner-up.
This is undoubtedly the closest she has come to the title of her dreams.
However, in 2007, shortly after Poplar returned to the national team, she was sent to Croatia to play in the local club league. This seems to indicate that the door to the national team has been permanently closed for her.
However, it was at this crucial turning point that Poplar received an enticing offer from the Japan Table Tennis Association. They promised a generous salary package and qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
For the 23-year-old girl, this is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, Poplar firmly rejected this temptation, and she replied categorically: "The motherland has poured countless efforts into me, and my table tennis career is only for China."
Although she has lost her chance to reach the top of the podium, with Poplar's perseverance and perseverance, she will write a wonderful chapter of her life in her own unique way.
In just two years since returning to the national table tennis team, Poplar has devoted himself wholeheartedly, but has never won the long-awaited championship glory.
In the 11th National Games in 2009, Bai Yang joined his teammate Niu Jianfeng in the women's doubles competition as a representative of the Hebei team, but reluctantly fell to third place. Although this result is indeed regrettable, it is destined to be the last precious gift of Poplar to the table tennis world.
After the National Games, the 26-year-old finally made a firm decision to retire after careful consideration, leaving the arena where she had shed countless sweat and tears.
This decision was not suggested or influenced by others, but was entirely of her own heart's will.
After leaving his status as an athlete, Poplar fell into confusion and confusion for a while. As a former sports superstar, she had planned to follow the example of her predecessor Li Ying and transform into a professional commentator for table tennis events, contributing to the sport.
However, after attending a short-term commentator training course organized by the Communication University of China, Bai Yang was deeply aware of his lack of theoretical knowledge and cultural background, and found that he was simply not up to the job.
"Perhaps from the beginning, my vanity covered my eyes. She said self-deprecatingly.
"As an athlete, I have become accustomed to the hectic pace of life, but now I am suddenly idle, I have lost the goal of my struggle, and it has become extremely difficult to even get by. Poplar said frankly that he was indeed young at this time, and the road ahead was long and challenging.
Just as she began to re-examine the direction of her life, she finally put on the green military uniform that symbolized honor through the special recruitment of the Armed Police Physical Engineering Brigade. While there is still a long way to go, one thing is certain, and Poplar will continue to do so with all his strength and unrelenting as before.
Poplar's table tennis career came to an end, and she waved goodbye to the former stage in her own unique way. Looking back, she may have regretted not living up to her World Champion dream, but she never regretted her choice.
Perhaps, one would think that Poplar "wasted" his remarkable talent. After all, with her appearance and temperament, she may be able to achieve more if she devotes herself to other fields.
However, for Baiyang, table tennis is her all-round ideal and endless pursuit, and she has never had the slightest regret for her choice.
Life gives each of us different opportunities and destinies, and the winding paths and quiet roads or the broad roads constitute this rich and varied road picture. Although Poplar has been hit by various hardships and setbacks such as being expelled from the national team, falling out of love and not being able to win the World Championships, she has always written her own chapter of life with great strength and perseverance.
After bidding farewell to her career, she was once in a state of confusion, but in the end, with firm belief and unremitting efforts, she regained her passion to fight for her dreams.
Now, when people once again mention the "first beauty" who once made the entire table tennis world enthusiastic, perhaps we should not only focus on her beauty, but also deeply remember her persistent pursuit and courageous table tennis career.
Her name is Aspen, an aspen tree that never stops climbing.