In the early morning of August 3, Beijing time, Chinese players Wang Zisai and Yan Langyu won the silver and bronze medals in the men's trampoline final of the Paris Olympics with 61.890 points and 60.950 points respectively, with good results.
Chinese men's trampoline, Dong Dong has been a leader for many years, he has competed in four Olympic Games. After winning silver at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Dong Dong ended his career as an athlete and is now working as an assistant coach for the Chinese trampoline team. During the Paris Olympic cycle, Yan Langyu gradually took over the banner of this project.
Born in Liling, Hunan Province in 1999, Yan Langyu is not a very talented athlete, especially compared to another Olympian, Wang Zisai, Yan Langyu belongs to the type of late bloomer. Yan Langyu only entered the national team in 2018, when he was more than 18 years old. At this age, compared to many talented and potential players, it is obviously late.
"Dong Dong and Lu Chunlong are all 14 or 15 years old when they go to the national team, and for athletes with higher talents, they should be called into the national team at this age." Yan Langyu's coach Li Lun told a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily, "But Yan Langyu is different, he entered the national team very late." In fact, I applied for him to be called up to the national team in 2017, but the team didn't agree at that time, and it wasn't until 2018 that he was transferred. ”
When he first arrived at the national team, Yan Langyu felt a lot of pressure, after all, his strength and level are very different from those of the national team as world champions and Olympic champions. At the same time, he is not a very talented athlete, and some of the younger athletes have been with the national team for several years.
"Not long after he came to the national team, he told me that he wanted to go back to the provincial team to adjust. I said at the time, you are actually in good condition, and you can get more training on the platform of the national team. Li Lun recalled to a reporter from Beiqing Daily, "After that, there was another time when he wanted to retreat, when the team participated in the World Championships in 2018, and the players returned to the provincial team to rest for a while. I didn't agree at the time. ”
Li Lun is Yan Langyu's mentor, and it is no exaggeration to say that without Li Lun, there would be no Yan Langyu today. Li Lun selected Yan Langyu to enter the Hunan provincial team in 2010, and at that time she thought that Yan Langyu's biggest characteristic was that he had good execution.
"Trampoline is called aerial ballet, and it requires a lot of athletes' toes, knees, legs, etc. But Yan Langyu was relatively short at that time, and his physical condition was not good. Li Lun said, "But I come from the same place as Yan Langyu, and I know his situation better, and the biggest advantage of this kid is that he has good execution, and he can complete the things assigned by the coach well, which is also an important reason for his rapid progress in the future." ”
Next, Li Lun took Yan Langyu from the provincial team to the national team, and helped him achieve a self-breakthrough step by step. In fact, at the time of the Tokyo Olympics, Yan Langyu's strength was close to that of the main player, when he was selected as a P card player. Entering the Paris Olympic cycle, with the retirement of Dong Dong, Yan Langyu gradually moved to the center of the stage.
Yan Langyu's first performance was at the 2021 World Championships, when he won the first world championship in his career. In the 2022 World Championships the next year, Yan Langyu was actually very well prepared, he wanted to defend his title, but this mentality had the opposite effect. "In the month leading up to the game, a lot of his training was messed up." Li Lun recalled.
The mentality is unbalanced, and the result of the game is naturally difficult to achieve. Yan Langyu failed to defend his title at the 2022 World Championships. Li Lun told a reporter from Beiqing Daily, "This is also a step in his growth process, and only after failures can he summarize and avoid repeating similar mistakes." ”
In the winter training of 2022, Yan Langyu fell into a period of depression. At this time, Yan Langyu's back injury worsened, which made his state decline again.
"During that time, almost a month, I could only rest, not practice." Yan Langyu recalled. can't practice, Yan Langyu is very anxious, but this time is also the stage for him to temper his heart. With the passage of time and the recovery of injuries, Yan Langyu gradually improved his condition. After the World Cup trials and the World Cup, Yan Langyu's state gradually improved, and his self-confidence was also regained. At the 2023 World Championships, Yan Langyu reached the top again.
The 2023 winter training, in Yan Langyu's words, is "the best and most systematic training in these years", and he also has a clearer goal for the Paris Olympics. At the Paris Olympics, although he unfortunately failed to win the gold medal, Yan Langyu's performance was definitely worthy of his dedication and persistence over the years.
Li Lun also practiced trampoline when he was an athlete, so he has a deeper understanding of athletes. "Actually, I want Yan Langyu to realize my unfulfilled dream as an athlete, and I hope that he will take every step in different time periods and eventually reach the top." Li Lun said.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily Paris Special Reporter Song Xiang