The Chinese women's volleyball team is a heroic collective and an honorary teacher. Being able to become a member of the national team is the biggest wish of every women's volleyball player. Being able to represent the national team in the Olympic Games, even being able to raise the national flag, play the national anthem, and stand on the highest podium of the Olympic Games is the biggest dream of every women's volleyball player. And in the final moments of the Olympic Games, not being able to make the final lineup is undoubtedly the most unfortunate person. In the case of unanimous lack of optimism, it is undoubtedly the luckiest person to be selected for the Olympic squad in the end.
Zeng Chunlei was once the best receiver of the Chinese women's volleyball team and was once the captain of the Chinese team at the 2015 Women's Volleyball World Cup. In the tense preparation stage of the Rio Olympics, Zeng Chunlei was also plagued by injuries. However, Zeng Chunlei, who has a spirit of not accepting defeat, has always insisted that he wants to realize his dream of participating in the Olympic Games. Before the end of the registration period for the Rio Olympics, as a 27-year-old women's volleyball player, it was the year of playing. No one would doubt that Zeng Chunlei would lose the Rio Olympic squad. However, in the final stage, Zeng Chunlei unexpectedly failed, but replaced him with the unknown Gong Xiangyu. For a while, public opinion was in an uproar, and fans were indignant for Zeng Chunlei.
For this reason, many years later, Lang Ping once talked about the problem of Zeng Chunlei and Shen Jingsi's failure to be selected for the Rio Olympic Team in a documentary. Lang Ping said: "Zeng Chunlei and Shen Jingsi were not in a good state at that time, and they have been on the big list, especially hoping that their state can be restored. Because Zeng Chunlei was needed at that time, Yang Fangxu's leg injury did not last long."
Since there is a great deal of uncertainty about Yang Fangxu's leg injury, Lang Ping did not bring Zeng Chunlei, who was experienced in international competitions, but 19-year-old Gong Xiangyu, who had no experience in major competitions. Didn't Lang Ping think of the risks involved? Fortunately, the Chinese women's volleyball team at the Rio Olympics "luckily" won the championship.
Watching Zeng Chunlei's bitter heart and his forced smile appearing in the walk to send the Chinese women's volleyball team to the Rio Olympic Games, many fans silently wept for it.
Gong Xiangyu entered the national team in early 2016 to prepare for the Rio Olympics, and gong Xiangyu has never been selected for the national team before. Lang Ping once said that Zeng Chunlei is obviously more experienced, and he is also the captain of the Chinese team in the 2015 Women's Volleyball World Cup. Lang Ping's final consideration is: because Gong Xiangyu is taller and bounces better than Zeng Chunlei, he has a relative advantage over European and American teams. I feel that Lang Ping's reason is a bit far-fetched, and it turns out that Gong Xiangyu did not meet Lang Ping's expectations. At the Rio Olympics, the main player of the Chinese women's volleyball team was Yang Fangxu, and Gong Xiangyu only played a substitute role. Even if you bring a substitute, don't bring Zeng Chunlei? This is something that fans do not understand.
However, no matter how the fans do not understand, after all, with the Chinese women's volleyball team winning the Rio Olympic Championship, Gong Xiangyu has also become the luckiest person of the Chinese women's volleyball team.