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Cover news reporter Zhong Yuheng Photography Chen Yuxiao
In Chen Longcan's living room, a four-story bookcase was erected, filled with trophies and medals from different periods, large and small. He pointed to one of them, and with just a little recollection, the past became clear. He can almost accurately say the score in every key game from youth to fame, every game. In Chen Longcan's view, the biggest charm of table tennis is that every time a good ball is played, it is worth remembering forever.
Chen Longcan's trophy corner
32 years ago, he and Wei Qingguang won the first Table Tennis Olympic Gold Medal for China, which made the most brilliant moment of his career in the eyes of the outside world. In fact, facing the camera, talking about the Seoul War in 1988, Chen Longcan seemed particularly calm. For him, the most memorable image that has flashed in his mind over the years, the most memorable ball, did not happen in that Olympic game.
Decisive moments
Win the old tile "life and death points"
In the 1980s, it was a heyday of Chinese men's table tennis, and in those years, many rising stars emerged in the Chinese table tennis world, and Chen Longcan, who was good at straight board fast attack, was one of the representatives.
In 1985, in Gothenburg, a famous port city on the west coast of Sweden, Chen Longcan, who was only 20 years old, ushered in the first World Table Tennis Championships of his career. In the final against the host, Chen Longcan had to face the first player known to Chinese fans, "Lao Wa", Waldner. "In the first set, I won relatively easily, 21:11. In the second set, it was easier to lose, 11:21", Chen Longcan recalled, when it came to the key decider, the score of the two sides was very anxious, "until the middle of the game, I pulled the score apart and hit 20:15".
Just one point away, Chen Longcan could win this game, but what he did not expect was that Waldner immediately chased 4 points in a row.
This is not the first time that Chen Longcan and Lao Wa have played each other, who has also lost to Chen Longcan. But for him, who represented the national team for the first time in the World Table Tennis Championships, this 1 point was like a thousand pounds. "I knew at the time that if I couldn't get this point, I probably wouldn't have my place in the team in the future."
In 1985, at the World Table Tennis Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Chen Longcan won the men's team championship with the Chinese team
In the final moments, tension came to an end. After several rounds of confrontation, Chen Longcan snatched the fateful "life and death point" from Waldner, won the victory, and helped the Chinese team win 5:0 in the final to defend the team gold medal of the World Table Tennis Championships. And this score, for the next 35 years, was repeatedly played back in his mind. It was this score that officially established his main position in the national team.
Since then, Chen Longcan's career has reached a new height. In 1986, he won the men's singles championship of the 7th World Cup table tennis, and in 1987, at the 39th World Table Tennis Championships, his partner Wei Qingguang won the men's doubles championship.
In the 1986 World Cup, Chen Longcan won the gold medal in table tennis men's singles
In 1987, Chen Longcan (right) / Wei Qingguang won the men's doubles title at the 39th World Table Tennis Championships
Partner Wei Qingguang
Won the first gold medal of the Chinese Table Tennis Olympic Games
Between interviews, Chen Longcan turned over some old photos that had been treasured for many years. In the old images, in front of the ping-pong arena, he and Wei Qingguang were left and right, and the ping-pong ball drew an arc in the air.
Some media commented on the duo, "One is responsible for the near station, the other is responsible for the middle and far stages, and this combination is rich in the rhythm of attack and defense, opening up a new path for Asia to deal with Europe." ”
At the 1988 Olympic Games, table tennis became an official sport for the first time. Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang, who have just won the men's doubles championship of the World Table Tennis Championships, are carrying the hope of competing for gold in Seoul. They won all seven games in the group stage to advance to the knockout stage, and in the semi-finals, they beat the hosts Liu Nankui/Ahn Jae-hyung. In the final, they had to face the "old rival" of the previous year's table tennis final, Primorats/Lubryscu from Yugoslavia.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the duo of Chen Longcan (left) / Wei Qingguang won the men's doubles gold medal in table tennis
After a year of meeting again in the final, the strength of the two sides is actually between Bo Zhong. Chen Longcan recalled: "We fell behind 12-18 in the first set, slowly chased to 20 draws, and finally lost the first set. In the second set, Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang quickly adjusted their tactics, hitting Primorats/Lubriscu by surprise, and soon won with a huge margin of 21:8 to equalize the score. In the decider, Chen Longcan and Wei Qingguang played more and more smoothly, winning the game cleanly at 21:9 and winning the gold medal in a reversal.
This is not only the first Olympic gold medal of Chinese table tennis, but also one of the only five gold medals of the Chinese delegation at the Seoul Olympic Games, which is of great significance. The night of the championship. The two of them almost didn't sleep all night, "Every once in a while I took out the gold medal and touched it, and Wei Qingguang and I talked like this all night."
From coach to professor
Cultivate successor talents for the hometown
In 2001, Chen Longcan, who had played in Japan for 10 years, returned to Chengdu. As a representative figure of the Sichuan table tennis scene, he wants to cultivate more outstanding talents for the table tennis cause in his hometown. In 2006, Chen Longcan was the head coach of the Sichuan men's team for one year. "The results this year are not bad, Wang Jianjun broke into the men's singles final of the national championships. The Super League we also succeeded in relegation", speaking of this, Chen Longcan's tone still revealed a hint of regret, because for a long time after him, Sichuan team failed to win another national gold medal in men's singles. "In fact, that year Wang Jianjun was very hopeful to win the championship, 7 match points in his hand, but in the end he still failed to grasp it."
In 2010, Chen Longcan was hired by Xihua University as an associate professor, bishop table tennis professional and general courses, and he also served as the head coach of the xihua university table tennis team, responsible for related training and competition work. Over the years, the disciples trained by Chen Longcan have won a total of 4 gold medals in table tennis at the Summer Universiade.
Entering the 55th year of his life, Chen Longcan's life is still full and simple, and in addition to teaching, he spends more time on promoting public welfare activities of table tennis. "Retirement? I haven't thought about it yet, but I definitely can't do without table tennis in this life," Chen Longcan, who has always been serious, smiled when he said this.
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