The Busan World Table Tennis Championships is Ma Long's ninth time participating in the team competition of the World Table Tennis Championships. On the previous eight occasions, he and his teammates had won the Swaythling Cup. It can be said that the name "Ma Long" is closely associated with the World Table Tennis Championships champions, without exception.
In 2006, at the age of 18, Malone went to Bremen and won the first team world championship. On the podium, standing beside Ma Long were Ma Lin, Wang Hao, and Wang Liqin, who were in full swing at that time. At that time, no one might have thought that such a childish face would become the "leader" of the Chinese table tennis team and even the sport of table tennis in the next nearly 20 years. Now, 18 years later, at the age of 36, he is the only player to achieve both a "double Grand Slam" and a "Super Grand Slam". A career that continues to be a highlight is awe-inspiring.
Stepping on the stage of the World Table Tennis Championships team competition again, Ma Long's role quietly changed. He is no longer the "one single" who rushes to the forefront on the battlefield, but the "three singles" who play the role of "fortress". When the two team-mates in front of him won comfortably, his task was to secure the win as soon as possible for his team. And once the front battle situation is not ideal, the victory or defeat of the "three singles" will affect the entire battle situation.
But no matter what role he plays, Malone is always the most down-to-earth presence in the eyes of his teammates. The young Wang Chuqin has regarded Ma Long as a learning goal and role model since he was a child, saying that he will be attracted to Ma Long inside and outside the arena; Fan Zhendong, the frontrunner in the men's table tennis world in the Tokyo and Paris cycles, has also said more than once that the passage of time does not seem to have left any traces on him, and Ma Long is getting stronger and stronger.
Actually, time is fair for everyone. Later in his career, one change that was noticeably perceived by those around him was that Malone became more relaxed. When he was young, in order to focus on his own table tennis world, more often than not, Ma Long was in a relatively closed state. It was as if in the body armor he had built himself, he could devote himself wholeheartedly to eliminating all distractions and distractions. But now, the tempered mentality gives him the freedom to deal with everything around him. Occasionally, he prefers to open himself up to the outside world, and his whole person looks much softer - like a sharp knife that has turned into flowing water.
But when it comes to the arena, Malone is still the one who "competes" with himself, no different from the 18-year-old him. When you come to the training ground, you can always easily catch Malone swinging the racket. If he doesn't find him, he's going to the dressing room to change – usually his jersey gets soaked at least twice after two hours or so of training. Before coming to Busan, Hainan training, the national table tennis training arrangement reached three times a day, gathering at the stadium at 9 o'clock in the morning, and the end of the day was close to 11 o'clock in the evening. The 36-year-old Marlon, along with athletes who are 10 or even 20 years younger than him, is no exception.
Even during the short journey from the training ground to the competition field, Ma Long's hands often repeat the action of swinging the racket. With a 30-year career in table tennis, this seems to have become an instinct for him. Extreme self-discipline and almost demanding diligence have given him a well-rounded skill set that has ensured him to be at the top of the sport for many years.
It's not without struggles. In the semifinals, in the cheers of the tsunami in the host mountain, Ma Long lost to South Korea's Lee Sang-so. This is a dilemma that he rarely faces in team competitions. Walking off the field until the interview after the game, Ma Long's eyes seemed a little wandering. His left eye, which had been with him since the start of the tournament and was red due to conjunctivitis, was particularly glaring that night. Ma Long, who has always been accustomed to self-digestion of defeat and bitterness, rarely reveals a trace of imperceptible vulnerability after a team victory for the rest of his life. It's not that he's having self-doubt, it's that he's too eager to use victory to make himself more determined.
A day later, in the final, we saw the memory of Malone again. With his strong ability to adjust, he once again proved that he is the person who can be trusted in the decisive moment, the "hexagonal warrior" - the ultimate self-discipline, comprehensive technology, and stable mentality. In the finals of the competition, the grasp of the key points is very important, and Ma Long is the "key" gentleman.
When Malone greeted the audience with the national flag, the sporadic light in the stands reflected in his eyes. Although he has long said that he is not a person who can release his emotions wantonly, at that moment, you can clearly perceive his emotion.
In previous interviews, Malone has said more than once that he is nostalgic for this arena. "It's hard and painful at times, but when you don't know if you're going to be in this stadium next time, it's like saying goodbye to every arena. ”
After sealing the win for the team and lifting the Swaythling Cup for the ninth time, Malone said goodbye to the World Championships - "The last game of the World Championships, I was perfect to be able to finish the World Championship journey with a victory. ”
In the stands, Malone responded to the fans who had followed him for 20 years or more. They held up purple banners, Marlon's favorite color, and on them were written their most sincere and best wishes: Marlon, see you in Paris.