1. The glory of the past is now forgotten in the long river of history
When the name Chen Ruolin is mentioned, I am afraid that most people will only associate it with the controversial coach Quan Hongchan. However, how many people can imagine that this woman, who has experienced countless verbal and written criticisms, was once the "diving queen" who attracted worldwide attention? Her brilliant achievements are even comparable to Guo Jingjing and Fu Mingxia, and she has led the glorious era of the Chinese women's 10-meter platform with her light body.
In those glorious years, Chen Ruolin's demeanor was unmatched. Every time her sturdy body jumped into the arena and showed the graceful arcs that flipped out of the air, the audience at the scene was all overwhelmed by her, cheering one after another.
Her charm has fascinated the people of the whole country and she is revered as the "Queen of Diving". Fans flocked to her in droves, eager to catch a glimpse of the goddess.
However, who would have expected that just when Chen Ruolin's peak moment had just passed and her brilliant achievements were still clearly visible, she was suddenly forgotten in the depths of her memory. The reputation of "Diving Queen", which once caused a national sensation, quietly disappeared in the long river of time.
When Chen Ruolin stood on the springboard of the training ground and looked into the distance, her eyes revealed deep loss and helplessness. She sighed softly, a self-deprecating smile on her lips. Indeed, the glory of the past seems to be just a dream, fleeting, forgotten in the corner by the world.
However, it doesn't matter, she has never fought for fame and fortune, and being able to live a peaceful life after retiring is already the greatest satisfaction for her.
Second, the abandoned children have finally found a warm harbor
Looking back, we find that Chen Ruolin's life path was not all smooth sailing. On the contrary, she suffered a major blow in her life since she was three years old – being ruthlessly abandoned by her biological parents.
Like the common plot in many family ethics dramas, when she was young, she instantly lost the love of her parents in the quarrel of her parents.
The decision after the divorce was shocking. The father resolutely left, leaving the "burden" of his daughter to his grandmother to take care of. The mother immigrated to Canada with her brother, leaving her daughter alone by her biological mother's side.
Since then, Chen Ruolin has followed her grandmother's surname Chen and started a new journey in life.
Looking back on that bumpy and lonely childhood, Chen Ruolin's uncontrollable feelings surged with deep pain. She clutched the thin corners of her clothes, as if trying to pull those shadowy memories of the past out of her heart.
At that time, for her, why not yearn for a warm and comfortable haven where her tired body and mind can be put away.
Fortunately, grandma and grandpa poured infinite family love into her without reservation. Every time she thinks of the loving eyes of the two old men, Chen Ruolin's tears can't help but flow down.
It is with their meticulous care and companionship that she can stay strong and optimistic and survive the loneliest and most confused days in her life.
Grandma and grandpa loved her so much that she was nervous, and she was doted on like a treasure. Their greatest wish is that this once fragile and squeamish granddaughter can grow up safely and happily.
Whenever Chen Ruolin recalled this, the corners of her mouth would involuntarily rise, overflowing with a happy smile.
Third, the coach's unique vision quietly changed the trajectory of her life
In order to strengthen her physique, Chen Ruolin was sent to a local children's sports school to learn to swim at the age of four. When she first set foot in the pool, she still maintained a well-behaved and cute appearance, and had little interest in the swimming sports she had just come into contact with.
However, no one expected that this fortuitous opportunity would determine her future career.
When a diving coach named Gao Feng watched the competition, he was attracted by Chen Ruolin's beautiful and coordinated posture at a glance. He narrowed his eyes and looked at it carefully, and decided that this child was undoubtedly a good talent in the diving world.
So, Gao Feng began to make continuous observations, and the more he looked, the more he admired Chen Ruolin's talent, and he was determined to personally train her to become a talent.
"Chen Ruolin, are you willing to follow me to learn diving?" Gao Feng bent down and squatted, staring at Chen Ruolin's big clear and bright eyes, and asked seriously. The little girl was stunned at first, then nodded shyly.
In this way, after obtaining the consent of Chen Ruolin and her family, Gao Feng led her on a difficult diving training journey. At first, Chen Ruolin was not completely willing, but reluctantly agreed under the persuasion of her family.
It wasn't until she watched a wonderful diving competition that her eyes instantly lit up, and that little dream in her heart sprouted.
"I want to stand on the podium and become a champion!" Chen Ruolin's sparkling eyes gradually filled with fighting spirit and confidence. Gao Feng saw this and had a relieved smile on his face, and he was shocked by the potential of this little girl.
Fourth, embark on the glorious journey of the top of honor
On this arduous and hopeful road, Chen Ruolin quickly rose to become the dazzling star of the national diving team. Since the beginning of her youth, she has made a name for herself in major competitions and has become the focus of global attention.
Back in 1999, a high-profile junior competition was about to kick off, when Chen Ruolin was not yet 7 years old, but unfortunately, her arm was accidentally injured and she was tightly wrapped in a cast.
A week before the competition, Chen Ruolin did not hesitate to find a doctor and insisted that the plaster cast be removed and the "orthopedic" treatment was performed. "I have to fight this game!" her eyes sparkled with determination.
The process was undoubtedly extremely painful, and she burst into tears as if she were going to cry out her whole lungs, but when the bone was over, she begged her father not to tell her grandmother, insisting that she had no pain.
In the end, although her arm had not fully recovered, Chen Ruolin still relied on her tenacious willpower to successfully win the fourth place in the junior group for the national team. Despite the gap to the gold medal, she has planted a dream seed deep inside.
Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, in 2004, Chen Ruolin's outstanding performance in the National Diving Championships attracted the attention of national team coach Zhou Jihong. Although she didn't win the title that time, it was a rare achievement to stand out among the top players in the national team.
Zhou Jihong couldn't have predicted that he would receive such a talented disciple.
After entering the national team, Chen Ruolin was not overshadowed by the brilliance of other outstanding players, but became a source of pressure for others. In her debut at international competitions, she became a rising star who won an Olympic gold medal at the age of 16, and the people of the whole country cheered.
In the center of the stage, she waved her arms to the warm applause of the audience, held up the golden medal, and her eyes were full of confidence and pride.
In the subsequent career, Chen Ruolin can be said to have dominated the women's 10-meter platform diving. However, the bitterness behind the victory cannot be ignored. The long-term high-intensity training has caused her to be severely overdrawn, especially the cervical spine.
However, she always stood true to her beliefs and never gave up.
Until the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the 24-year-old Chen Ruolin sweated hard and won the last Olympic gold medal in her sports career!
She walked slowly and calmly off the podium with a relieved smile on her face, as if a long nightmare had finally come to an end.
Fifth, there will be a period later, and the mother and daughter will finally reunite
Great moments are always short-lived, and Chen Ruolin slowly walked down from the glorious podium and officially bid farewell to the athlete's stage. However, to her surprise, at that haunting moment, her biological mother suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, with tears in her eyes, staring affectionately at this daughter who had been abandoned by herself.
Chen Ruolin's inner defense line almost collapsed. Although after years of hard work, she thought she had succeeded in burying that painful memory in her heart, but when her mother's face resurfaced, a complex emotion surged deep inside her - as if the flesh in her heart had been hollowed out, then filled with cotton wool, and finally watered with a bucket of cold water.
She deeply understood her mother's helplessness at that time, but this did not make her completely relieved and unreservedly forgive her mother's abandonment. Chen Ruolin stood in place, her mind constantly flashing the scene when she was abandoned by her parents in the past, and the feeling of helplessness and confusion she still vividly remembers.
At this moment, she felt lonely and helpless like she had never felt before. After retiring from the army, her life became extremely difficult, and she didn't even know how to move forward.
At this time, her mother reached out to her, gave her endless love and support, and helped her rediscover the value of life.
Chen Ruolin took a deep breath and slowly walked towards her mother, her eyes revealing a hint of relief. Mother and daughter are finally reunited, and she decides to let go of her past grievances and try to reconcile with her mother, but this is only the beginning.
After all, time flies, and the connection between them has long been unable to be restored.