"I finished second at the 2012 Olympics, and I was so upset and frustrated that I haven't looked back at that final yet. Even the 2016 Olympics I don't want to see, maybe this not so good memory doesn't want to be so impressive, but it's also possible that I will go to see it many years later, not sure..."
In the women's singles final of badminton at the 2012 London Olympic Games, Wang Yihan lost to teammate Li Xuerui in three sets and failed to win gold. The lack of an Olympic gold medal also prevented her from becoming a "Grand Slam".
"When I play between my teammates, I am more familiar with the ball path, but my mentality is not put well. It's usually easy to hit the ball, and then it blocks the net. In the third set, 17:17, the next 4 points were not caught, less calm, less lucky, more impatient. The Olympics always put invisible pressure on people, I was in particularly good shape at that time, 24 years old is the golden age, and I am the number one in the world, I just went to the championship, but there was no way, the result was just a little bit worse. ”
9 years have passed, when it comes to the most regrettable battle in his life, Wang Yihan can still seriously review it, and even admit that "can't put it down" is frank and frank. This is a tough and brave girl, and her heart is so strong that I admire her. And what she is more courageous is that she persists for another 4 years.
"After others lost, they retired and left the circle. But I, the most uncomfortable thing is, the two of us are still competing in the team, and we have to face it every day, which invisibly reminds me of that game. At that Olympic Games, the Chinese badminton team won 5 gold medals, and my defeat had to be digested by myself, and I needed to accept and face it calmly. Even so, Wang Yihan continued to insist on training, in order to realize a gold medal dream.
"There are so many excellent players in the Chinese badminton team, everyone has the desire to win, but sometimes when injuries come, it is particularly painful and uncomfortable. At that time, my feet hurt, I hurt when I stepped on the ground, I was singles, I had to run all over the field, and I had to maintain the quality of training. After training every day, I put an ice pack on the soles of my feet, and I couldn't help but shed tears while applying them: What am I for, in fact, it is to be able to stand on the highest podium in the competition, which is my dream. I told myself to cherish every moment I stood on the pitch, and every ball could be the last training session and game. ”
Finally, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Wang Yihan won a women's singles spot. This time she fell in the quarterfinals, but after fighting, she no longer regretted it. "I have done my best in both Olympic Games, and in the Chinese badminton team, I have been lucky to have two opportunities to participate in the Olympic Games." After Rio, Wang Yihan withdrew from the national team.
Her national team farewell statement wrote, "Here I have felt the peak, experienced the trough; I have learned not to be insulted, and I have learned to overcome myself." Although my hard work and sweat are engraved in the medals, the inner growth and experience have created greater gains in my life. "Every word is real." 22 years of badminton career taught me a lot, when I was a child, I was anxious, but the game taught me to 'endure'; when I lost, I learned to lose, how to resolve the shadows...
Today, Wang Yihan works as a physical education teacher at China Normal University, has her own small family, and has more time to spend with her parents. Although I still often dream, I dream that I am playing again, packing my bags and preparing to go out to play... Wang Yihan said that she is very satisfied with her current state of life, she said that she lives a very Buddhist life, "simple life, good health, feel the bits and pieces of life, happy."
Source: Thoughtful