Text: Zhiwei
Pioneer Valley
No one will remember the second place unless he is Lee Chong Wei.
In 2019, Lin Dan and Li Zongwei staged the "Lin Li War" again.
It's a pity that in the 40th match between the two, Lee Chong Wei still ended in failure.
And he can only end his badminton career in regret.
Although in his career, he has never won an Olympic gold medal.
Li Zongwei has always been burdened with the title of "the second oldest in 10,000 years".
He has participated in the Olympics three times, but he has lost to Chinese players three times.
In his 19-year career, he never won the world championship.
But it does not prevent him from becoming a "legend of the feather world" in the hearts of the audience.
It's a pity that he had to say goodbye to the arena when he was hit by illness.
The invincible Lin Dan has finally become a mountain that he can't cross.
And he retired for only one year, and Lin Dan also chose to retire after him.
What is the story between Li Zongwei and Lin Dan, the "old rival"?
Li Zongwei, who was deeply afflicted by illness, how did he live later?
Lin Li battled, although defeated, he was still glorious
Li Zongwei and Lin Dan seem to be natural rivals.
The two of them are badminton masters.
And Lee Chong Wei was named Dato' of Malaysia.
But every time I met Lin Dan, I could only regret the end.
In 2008, Li Zongwei defeated Bao Chunlai.
Won the championship in Indonesia.
This was the beginning of his glory, but it was also the beginning of his loneliness.
Because in the subsequent Sudirman race, he met Lin Dan.
The first time the two faced each other, Lee Chong Wei lost 1-4.
At the Olympic Games in the same year, Lee Chong Wei passed the test and entered the finals.
It's a pity that he was still defeated by Lin Dan and could only become the runner-up.
At that time, Li Zongwei was 26 years old and thought that he would have many opportunities in the future.
But he never imagined that Lin Dan in front of him would be his biggest obstacle.
In the All England Championship the following year, Lee Chong Wei lost to Lin Dan.
Asian Games in 2010, World Championships in 2011, Olympic Games in 2012.
Lee Chong Wei put all his efforts into second place.
Even if he has been canonized in Malaysia, he can only admit defeat in front of Lin Dan.
Every match between the two is enjoyed by the audience.
Every fight is unreserved, from the first point to the last moment.
This is where the sportsmanship of never giving up is demonstrated.
But the most brutal part of sports competition is to distinguish the winner from the loser.
From 2008 to 2018, the two played each other for 10 years.
The match between Li Zongwei and Lin Dan was evaluated as the "Lin Li War".
Lin Dan has an absolute advantage with a record of 28 wins and 12 losses.
And Lee Chong Wei seems to be forever playing the role of a chaser.
Same game, same win.
It seems to inadvertently prove Li Zongwei's "backwardness".
As a matter of common sense, losers are ridiculed.
Moreover, he is still the one who competes with China for the championship honor.
But Li Zongwei has only been admired from beginning to end.
Whether it is the opponent Lin Dan, or the audience regardless of nationality.
When it comes to Li Zongwei, it is always a "regret".
And the basis of regret is actually "recognition".
Lee Chong Wei is so special, not only in terms of strength.
The ball is outstanding, and the character is valuable
When it comes to Lee Chong Wei, he is already a talented badminton genius.
At the age of 17, he won the national championship, and at the age of 18, he was regarded by the country as "hope for the future".
At the age of 23, he became a "Malaysia male single brother".
He has won countless championships, and even became the third consecutive champion of the Badminton Federation.
It's just that in the face of Lin Dan, which is in full swing, it is always unsatisfactory.
He lacked a bit of luck and the courage to break through.
But Lee Chong Wei's never-say-die spirit still infects everyone.
Even in the face of repeated defeats in China, he still gained a lot of fans.
And Lee Chong Wei has also become a sports idol with good character and ball quality.
An invincible opponent who has failed one after another, who can always maintain a calm mind?
But Li Zongwei did it, whether it was true or not, he was decent on the surface.
Maybe it's the numbness brought about by failure, or maybe it's the admiration for Lin Dan.
Although he missed the championship again and again, he never lost his demeanor.
Whenever the game is over, Li Zongwei will always walk to the net as soon as possible and shake hands with Lin Dan.
The two hugged each other, and Li Zongwei even let go of winning or losing, and sent sincere blessings to Lin Dan.
The frustration on the face cannot be ignored, but the respect given to the opponent and the respect given to the game cannot be faked either.
At that moment, it seemed that victory or defeat no longer mattered, and the spirit of sportsmanship had already been transmitted to many spectators.
The "old enemies" Li Zongwei and Lin Dan on the field cherish each other in life.
They respected and appreciated each other, and together they wrote the golden age of badminton.
When Lin Dan mentions Lee Chong Wei, he will only regard the gold medal as a criterion and has nothing to do with winning or losing.
He doesn't think Lee Chong Wei has failed, and even needs to learn from his opponents sometimes.
In interviews, Li Zongwei is always humble and polite, neither humble nor arrogant.
He will answer every question carefully, never complaining, and never shirking responsibility.
When the reporter asked about Lin Dan, Li Zongwei's admiration was revealed from his words.
"Lin Dan is a great opponent, but also a good friend of mine, and I'm happy for him!"
Why can the "loser" Li Zongwei be liked by everyone? Maybe that's why.
Even in the midst of a low point, he remained optimistic and positive.
He never complains, but sees every failure as an opportunity to grow.
Constantly challenge yourself, break through the limits, and finally get the chance to succeed.
Defeat Lin Dan and lose to fate
In 2016, the Rio Olympics became a badminton venue.
The two sides against each other are two old rivals, Li Zongwei and Lin Dan.
Can the 34-year-old Lee Chong Wei succeed in winning the gold medal?
"Lin Li War", can there be a reversal of the situation?
Even if you look at it 8 years later, the badminton duel at the Rio Olympics can still be a god.
Lin Danbaodao is not old, and he is still domineering; And Li Zongwei is calm and steady.
The two sides go back and forth, the score rises alternately, and every point touches the hearts of the fans.
By the time it came to the tiebreaker, the atmosphere became even more tense, and the crowd was afraid that the shouting would affect the players.
At the critical moment, Li Zongwei's strength completely exploded.
defeated Lin Dan 2-1 and entered the semifinals.
At this time, the Olympic gold medalist is not yet clear.
But the fans cheered wildly, excited by Lee Chong Wei's victory.
Because it took him 8 years to finally defeat the "enemy of life".
At that moment, the whole arena was boiling.
Lee Chong Wei is only one step away from his Olympic champion dream.
It's a pity that fate makes people.
After all, they are all geniuses to be shortlisted for the national team.
After defeating this, there will soon be the next one.
And Li Zongwei also encountered the second fierce rival Chen Long.
Chen Long is young and vigorous, full of impact.
Li Zongwei is naturally "powerless to resist".
The other party is 27 years old, and he is already 34 years old.
Physical strength and energy cannot be compared.
And Li Zongwei's focus is on Lin Dan.
The offensive of others is a little unfamiliar.
In the end, Li Zongwei lost two games in a row and once again missed the Olympic gold medal.
When the game ended, the audience felt sorry for Lee Chong Wei.
He tried his best, but he still couldn't change the arrangement of fate.
has been in the industry for nearly 20 years, but he has not been able to win his own championship.
Does he still have a chance as he gets older? Can you wait until the next Olympics?
Fortunately, for Li Zongwei, he is very calm about the result.
To be able to stand on the Olympic stage and compete against the strongest opponents is already a victory.
Although he did not stand on the top podium, he has long been a champion in the hearts of fans.
It's a pity that the recognized "champion" couldn't wait for the moment to become a real champion after all.
Wife accompanied, overcome the disease
2018 is destined to be an extraordinary year for Lee Chong Wei.
This year, he encountered the most difficult "game" in his life.
The opponent is not a fierce opponent on the field, but an irresistible disease.
After the news broke, everyone was praying for Lee Chong Wei.
At this time, fans have long had no nationality.
Everyone just hopes that the hero in their heart can be healthy.
The news of the diagnosis of esophageal cancer is unacceptable to ordinary people.
Not to mention an athlete whose dream is still unfulfilled?
Because of illness, Li Zongwei could only withdraw from the World Championships.
And the subsequent Asian Games were also completely insulated from it.
But his insistence on badminton has never changed.
It wasn't until the following year that he reluctantly announced that he would retire.
Li Zongwei at the press conference burst into tears.
Not only because of the goodbye to the dream, but also because of the pain of treatment.
In order to get better treatment, Li Zongwei went to Taiwan.
No matter how advanced the treatment is, the pain cannot be avoided.
Lee Chong Wei can only struggle repeatedly in despair and hope.
33 electrotherapy sessions, each one like torture.
Lee Chong Wei's throat felt like it had been burned.
It became extremely difficult to swallow food, and the weight dropped dramatically.
The treatment cost of 9.36 million is an astronomical amount.
To be able to return to the game, to be able to continue to be with my family.
Lee Chong Wei never thought of giving up.
His wife, Huang Miaozhu, has always been by Li Zongwei's side.
Whether the outcome was good or bad, she did everything in her power to take care of her husband.
She would prepare easy-to-swallow food for him in a variety of ways.
Chat with him, cheer him on, and help him through difficult days and nights.
In the days of battling the disease, Lee Chong Wei and his family cheered each other on.
Huang Miaozhu's love has become the biggest motivation for Li Zongwei to overcome his illness.
Later, recalling the experience of fighting cancer, Li Zongwei was only grateful.
Gratitude for the care of life, gratitude for the care of his wife.
Without his wife, he would not have been where he is today.
It was the strength given by his wife that allowed him to persevere.
And he will repay his wife's efforts with all his strength in the future.
Wonderful life, fearless failure
In 2019, Lee Chong Wei announced his retirement.
At the press conference, he had tears in his eyes and his face was full of reluctance.
But the reality is in front of him, and he can only accept his fate.
As early as 2013, Lee Chong Wei thought about retiring.
But the unwillingness in his heart always drives him forward.
Survive game after game.
Fantasize about being an Olympic champion.
It's a pity that it didn't work out in the end.
Instead, he was tormented by illness and forced to end his dream.
He has never conceded defeat on the court, and he can only admit defeat to fate.
He made it through the Rio Olympics, but he couldn't wait for the next competition.
Although there is a lot of reluctance in his heart, Lee Chong Wei must retire.
In order to protect their own health, they can rest assured that their families can rest assured.
No matter how difficult his decision was, he could only give up.
After retiring, Lee Chong Wei did not stay away from his badminton career.
And his achievements have long been beyond doubt.
In 2023, Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan were inducted into the BWF Hall of Fame.
Opponents who compete with each other on the field must have success or failure.
But the two outside the arena were equally recognized.
The "BWF Hall of Fame" is the highest recognition of Lee Chong Wei's career.
It is also the best tribute to his contribution to the badminton career over the years.
And his career actually corresponds to the title of his book "The Loser is King".
Failure doesn't mean nothing, it's just the result of a comparison of the two.
Lee Chong Wei, who constantly challenges and never gives up, has won 69 gold medals.
What if he hasn't won a World Championship, he has long been respected all over the world.
Today's Li Zongwei has taken off the halo of an athlete and returned to an ordinary life.
He devotes more of his time and energy to his family.
Accompanied by his wife and three lovely children, he enjoyed the long-lost parent-child time.
The wife is gentle and virtuous, and the three sons are lively and lovely, who doesn't envy them?
"The second in ten thousand years" finally became the "first place" in life.
Even compared to Lin Dan, his family is a veritable "champion".
There are no messy scandals, no embarrassment of calculating each other.
It's best when a family works together to create a happy life.
epilogue
Compared with Lin Dan, Li Zongwei looks a little ordinary.
But because of this, he is more like a friend in life.
Be true and work hard, always in pursuit of a better life.
Faced with the ridicule of the "second in ten thousand years", he was attacked by illness.
He has never given up chasing his dreams and loving life.
If you have worked hard and persevered, you will be worthy of your heart and dreams.
Some references:
Interview with Li Zongwei
Interview with Lee Chong Wei
Sina Sports|Li Zongwei news