Huang Wei, special correspondent of the Paris Olympics
On the evening of August 2, Beijing time, in the overwhelming shouts, cheers, and cheers, the first gold medal in badminton at the Paris Olympics was born. The two protagonists are familiar faces of the Olympic Games, but they are "new" Olympic champion faces - Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong (IELTS combination).
Mixed doubles was the first gold medal in badminton at the Paris Olympics. The significance of this gold medal is far less than the gold medal itself, which is a persistent belief and unyielding spirit. For the IELTS pair, the Olympic gold medal has been waiting for seven years, albeit late. Believe in a Chinese proverb: the emperor will not fail anyone.
Three years ago, at the Tokyo Olympics, the "IELTS combination" was smooth sailing, and finally lost in the championship and runner-up matchup. This hit them so hard that they lost to their opponents at the National Games a little more than a month later. You know, it's not a matter of strength. In terms of strength, in the badminton mixed doubles event, they are frequent visitors to the "world No. 1". If you lose, you will lose in your mentality, and you will lose in your spirit. They were frustrated for a while, which meant that the results of four years of Olympic preparation were greatly reduced.
It's okay, wait for the next one! This is Zheng Siwei's heart, and it is also Huang Yaqiong's wish. In the past three years, they have hesitated and hesitated. Because of the common goal, I finally persevered.
Zheng Siwei said that because of the loss of the Tokyo Olympics, he proposed to his girlfriend and used happy events to relieve the depression and pressure in his heart. Subsequently, it was logical to have a child and become a super dad.
Zheng Siwei said that his identity and role have changed, but his love for badminton has not changed, and his pursuit of Olympic champions has not changed.
In fact, the process of chasing dreams is not smooth.
After 2021, Huang Yaqiong was in a bad state for a while, and because of her age, she was afraid that she would "not be able to go to the Paris Olympics". At that time, the national team fully communicated with Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, and decided to temporarily split them and regroup their partners. After a few games, the situation was not ideal. After all, the "IELTS Combination" has long been integrated from a career point of view, and the partners for many years have made them more and more tacit in everything they do. After weighing it repeatedly, the "old partners" regrouped, and they cherished and worked harder.
Badminton is a highly professional sport in the world, and there are many competitions every year. Almost half of the time of the "IELTS Combination" is in competition or training. Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei are particularly reassuring, and they are extremely dedicated to what they say and do. The 27-year-old Zheng Siwei looks big and youthful, but he is very careful. At 30 years old, she is the oldest in the national team. She always leads by example and often guides and helps the team members.
There is a goal in the heart and strength in the feet. Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei know too well that there are still very strong opponents in this project. Therefore, for them who are getting older, they need more effort and dedication. As a result, coaches deploy training programs that are very full and stressful, but still often work overtime on the training ground. Especially before the Olympic Games, it is very hard to prepare for the competition, and I usually contact my family to report good news but not bad news.
The "IELTS Combination" has a long time of matching, tacit cooperation, and rich experience in the competition. At the same time, the opponent has studied their skills and tactics more thoroughly, "people are in the dark, I am in the light", so every game is not easy to play. Zheng Siwei said with emotion, fortunately, every game was fought down. That's strength!
Seven years of waiting is a long time, and it seems to be in the blink of an eye. The "IELTS Combination" has never slackened or given up, and has always persisted. This Olympic gold medal is the meaning of "perseverance".