At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the weightlifting event was in full swing, and the eyes of the audience were focused on the oriental face on the stage, he was Zhan Xugang from China, the champion of the Atlanta Olympics four years ago.
But Zhan Xugang's state today is not optimistic, even the usual easy to grasp the 165 kg has lost twice, and the Greek mitro has become a dark horse in the arena, and even successfully lifted 202.5 kg, looking at his spring breeze smile, the championship medal is like a bag.
To beat Mitro, Zhan Xugang can only challenge 207.5 kg, which is a weight he has never tried. The moment his hands were on the barbell, everyone held their breath, could he defend his title successfully?
In 1974, Zhan Xugang was born in Zhejiang. The parents found that the child's body was strong and strong. However, at the age of seven or eight, he could easily carry a bundle of firewood on his shoulders to hurry, and the 50-kilogram rice bag could be carried with one hand.
When sports events are played on TV, Zhan Xugang watches attentively, especially likes to watch weightlifting. Watching the athletes laboriously lift the huge barbell, the appearance of sweat on the face of the green tendons bursting out, the parents on the side were terrified, and shook their heads repeatedly: "This kind of competition is too hard, too cruel!" ”
Zhan Xugang looked at it with two eyes shining, and his eyebrows fluttered and said, "I also want to be such a Hercules and win glory for the country!" ”
Weightlifting has a long history, the first Olympic Games when there is a men's weightlifting event, participants to challenge the barbells of different weights, both hands must be raised above the head, complete the prescribed grasping and lifting action, barbell layer by layer, approaching the limit of human body tolerance, to determine the outcome.
Seeing that his son's goal was firm, his father sent Zhan Xugang to the Kaihua Children's Sports School to study, and he had excellent quality and diligent practice, and soon stood out from the crowd.
The coach told Zhan Xugang that there was a small weightlifting superstar in Bulgaria named Suleimanolgu, who began training at the age of 11 and won the world championship in the adult group at the age of 15, known as the "prodigy of the altar". In 1984, at the age of 17, Suleimanolgu had already set several world records and won the World Cup.
Sulaimanorgu became a benchmark in Zhan Xugang's heart, although he was young, but he had great ambitions and trained harder.
In 1986, Zhejiang Province hosted the 8th Games, and 12-year-old Zhan Xugang was not old enough to participate in the official competition. But he excelled in the test, setting three provincial records in the 40 kg age group. Such results shocked the Zhejiang Provincial Weightlifting Team, and the next year, they controlled this good seedling and focused on training in the past, and Zhan Xu's brilliant but arduous professional athlete road really began.
Weightlifting is a sport with special characteristics and extremely high requirements for physical skills and psychological qualities. Because to lift a weight far beyond your own weight in an instant, the risks in training and competition are very large.
I once watched a video of an outdoor weightlifting competition. Only to see the athlete take a deep breath, forcefully raise the barbell above his head, the audience cheers just began, a terrible scene occurred: the athlete's stomach burst like a balloon blowing enough, blood flowed to the ground, he fell to the ground and groaned in pain, the audience was frightened like a wooden chicken, and many people wiped their tears.
Although the authenticity of the video is questionable, accidental injuries have occurred frequently in weightlifting events over the years. Long-term lifting action will cause damage to the wrist and elbow muscles, the spine is too heavy when lifting weights, once the body loses its balance, it may fall to the ground, waist wear and even tear and limb fracture phenomenon.
If it is a skin injury, it is already lucky, and weightlifting may also hurt the lungs and endanger life. Chinese female weightlifter Tang Gonghong, in order to win the gold medal in the Olympic arena, opened up to challenge the limit and lifted a weight of 182.5 kilograms to win the championship. However, Tang Gonghong's body load was too heavy during the competition, and after winning the championship, his mouth, ears, and nose were bleeding, and he was rescued urgently to retrieve a life from the ghost gate.
In January 1994, Zhan Xugang was selected for the national team. Prior to this, he had broken the Asian record and was listed as one of the "Outstanding Young Weightlifters of Asia".
In 1996, the 22-year-old Zhan Xugang debuted in the Olympic Arena in Atlanta, such as a fierce tiger descending the mountain unstoppable, breaking 3 consecutive world records and successfully winning the championship, he was called "The King of oriental power" by foreigners.
Four years later, Zhan Xugang entered the Sydney Olympic Games, a fierce battle. The first round of grasping 160 kg, Zhan Xu just successfully completed. But in the second move of 165 kilograms, he did not lift it abnormally. Obviously, he was under a lot of pressure.
In order to overtake the opponent, the deadlift competition Zhan Xugang can only challenge higher difficulties. Greece's Mitroch successfully lifted 202.5 kg, which was extremely unfavorable to Zhan Xugang, and he had to lift 207.5 kg to win the total score by weight advantage.
Everyone sweated for him, but Zhan Xu just did it, he completed the earth-shattering move, turned the plate against the wind and won the crown. He became the first weightlifter in China to win two consecutive world championships, and also let the world see what is called "liba mountain and qi qi".
Athletes have limited careers, they are afraid of punching less, and the same is true for weightlifting. The back wave of the Yangtze River pushes the front wave, and there is no eternal champion.
In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Zhan Xugang failed to defend his title, he chose to retreat from the rapids, retreating from the battlefield to the rear, and exerting his residual heat for the country's sports cause.
Athletes spend their youth training and competitions, relatively limited education, and lack of livelihood skills, so some athletes retire and live a sloppy life, even the national champion is no exception.
For example, Zou Chunlan, who won the national women's weightlifting championship in 1990, she won 9 gold medals, but after retiring from the army, she fell into financial difficulties, because of the lack of livelihood skills, she only found a job in a public bath, and worked as a bather with a monthly income of less than 500 yuan. Later, with the support of all walks of life, a small dry cleaning shop was opened.
As a weightlifter, Zhan Xugang's fate was much better. After retiring from the military, he joined the Zhejiang Sports Vocational and Technical College, and became the dean all the way, enjoying the treatment of deputy department level.
This is inseparable from the contribution of Zhan Xugang, he used his own weightlifting skills and practical experience to train many outstanding athletes for the country, the famous athlete Shi Zhiyong is Zhan Xugang's personal disciple, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, 23-year-old Shi Zhiyong won the championship in one fell swoop, he excitedly jumped and jumped on the stage with Bruce Lee's signature posture, Zhan Xugang as a coach, waved to him continuously offstage, meaning Shi Zhiyong calm and low-key. But the corners of his mouth can't help but rise, the champion cultivates the champion, and the torch is passed on, which is a good story in the sports world!
Zhan Xugang is not only proud of his career, but also proud of his love field. His first love is a beautiful flight attendant named Yao Jian.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, when Zhan Xugang was struggling on the stage, Yao Jian cheered for him offstage. In 2005, the two entered the palace of marriage, and the family life was happy and happy.
In recent years, many people have proposed the abolition of weightlifting and wrestling, which look "barbaric" and "cruel", believing that it violates the original intention of sports to strengthen the body.
But they don't understand the mood of athletes standing on the field, especially participating in international competitions, for the honor of the motherland, for the bright five-star red flag to rise in the arena, they are really willing to give up their lives to fight. At the moment of the game, they were no different from the hot-blooded soldiers of the frontline charge flame array.
When the DDR returns, we should respect and welcome it. They are the pride of the country and convey a valuable spirit: determination, hard work, and courage to move forward. People like Zhan Xugang deserve to have a happy life.
Author: Linglong Xin