The Paper's reporter Pu Yaolei and Ma Zuoyu were sent from Tokyo
Xie Sibei (left) and Wang Zongyuan.
After losing the men's doubles three-meter plate gold medal at the Rio Olympics, the Chinese diving team took it back in Tokyo.
The two athletes on the podium are both participating in the Olympic Games for the first time, but they are a veteran and a rising star. This heavy gold medal gave the two different feelings.
For Xie Sibei, this is the reward he finally got after experiencing great injuries and missing Rio: "Today I finally realized my dream, and I think all the hard work, sweat and tears are worth it." ”
For Wang Zongyuan, who rose to prominence after the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, this is more like a surprise. However, for the two, one thing is the same - that is, they will not relax after winning the championship, and they will also compete for the next single gold medal.
Wang Zongyuan put on the Olympic gold medal for his eldest brother Xie Siwei.
Missing Rio, he found his dream in Tokyo
The 25-year-old Xie Sibei is already a veteran in the Chinese diving men's team, but the Tokyo Olympics is only his first time on the Olympic stage.
In 2014, he suffered a fractured ankle and was unable to train normally for nearly a year. Before the 2016 Rio Olympics, his leg injury recurred again, so he missed the opportunity to participate in the Olympics.
In order to treat the ankle fracture, Xie Sibei's foot was buried with two steel nails and a rivet, and the steel nails were later removed, and the rivets remained.
In addition to this major injury, he also had many injuries on his body, but in order to make up for the regret of missing the Rio Olympics, he insisted on another five years.
He once said in an interview that he was happy for rio when he saw his teammates win gold, but he also felt lost, and now in Tokyo, his loss has finally become the excitement of winning the championship.
After locking the gold medal, Xie Sibei couldn't help but burst into tears in the arena. He then told reporters: "The process is very long, for us it is longer, for myself it is even longer and longer." ”
Mr. Xie said he had been waiting for the gold medal for nine years — meaning that he had made an Olympic gold medal his dream since he first joined the national team in 2012.
"We were all excited about the last jump and have been waiting for that result, it's really not easy." For his difficulties and efforts along the way, Xie Sibei did not have too many descriptions, but chose to express his gratitude.
"First of all, thank our country, it is not easy for everyone during the epidemic, and in such a serious situation, it is really difficult to ensure that we are in a good training condition."
The two embraced each other.
The "post-00s" champion was born, thanks to the support of his partner
Compared with the ups and downs of Xie Siwei's career, Wang Zongyuan's experience seems to be much smoother.
If the Tokyo Olympics had not been postponed, he might not have been able to get the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games - in the several Olympic trials after the postponement of the Olympic Games, he did not let the opportunity slip away, used his strong performance to qualify for the Olympic Games, and now became a gold medalist.
Looking back on this journey like "riding a rocket", Wang Zongyuan also feels a little incredible: "Three hours ago I was an Olympic athlete, and now I am an Olympic champion, and my mood is still very excited, very excited." ”
"It's my first time in the Olympics, it's my dream, and now it's come true, and it feels like the race is still very intense."
Indeed, in the fifth jump, Wang Zongyuan made a small mistake, and in the sixth jump, the American combination that chased the tightest jump jumped out of a very high-quality performance: "Because I made a mistake, I was still a little irritable." ”
But under the jump, he got support from his partner: "The coach and Xie Ge both told me that it was okay, that it was okay to skip, that there was no need to be nervous, and that there was the next action, just let go and jump, and there was no problem in doing a good job of rhythming myself." ”
Finally, in the sixth jump, Wang Zongyuan did not live up to the expectations of his teammates and coaches, and also showed a steady performance. In this regard, he is not yet 20 years old, and he also especially thanks Xie Sibei, who has more experience in the competition.
"Brother Xie's performance today is definitely 10 points, and I learned a lot of things from Brother Xie, especially his composure, the mentality and control ability when he encounters the competition, I think I have to learn these things."
The best brotherhood
Although both are participating in the Olympic Games for the first time, Xie Sibei has more experience in major competitions such as the World Championships, so he can give Wang Zongyuan a lot of support in how to maintain a stable mentality.
For this young partner, Xie Sibei was also full of praise: "Although Wang Zongyuan is younger than me, he is willing to learn, and he learns things very quickly, and he can immediately accept what I give him back." ”
"For example, sometimes technically, the coach may not understand him because of the different angles, but I may be able to tell him how I feel because I have experienced it during training or playing, and he can quickly understand my feelings and immediately make a better response."
Through the run-in of daily training life, the two have also cultivated a good cooperative relationship.
Wang Zongyuan said: "We have many similarities, and we will encourage each other in life training, and when the other party is in a bad mood, we will encourage each other to cheer up and complete the day's training." ”
However, after winning the gold medal in the double event, the two did not have much time to rest and celebrate – and then, preparing for the single-player competition became the task in front of them.
"There's a one-man event in four days, and although four days is a long time, we have to train every day to keep our competitive form and get it out at any time."
Editor-in-Charge: Ascendas