The touching moments of the 2016 Rio Olympics touched the heartstrings of countless China, the women's volleyball team embraced each other, every face was filled with tears of victory, and the light of the gold medal seemed to wash away their sweat and tears all the way.
Now, they are shining again, living up to expectations and responding to the enthusiasm of fans who have always supported them. The cheers of the fans echoed over the stadium, and one particular figure stood out on the edge of the stands.
The figure of Coach Lang Ping, like a beacon forging ahead, illuminates the road to the trough of the women's volleyball team. She molded them with sweat and wisdom, and strategized up and down the field.
That ** freeze-frame smile, like the light of victory, bright and dazzling, is the best feedback to Director Lang's endless efforts. "
Long before Lang Ping's brilliance, there was a legendary coach who led the women's volleyball team to achieve an amazing feat of five consecutive championships, and he is a unique five-time champion in the history of global volleyball.
This outstanding mentor is also Lang Ping's best mentor and is known as"Godfather of women's volleyball"Yuan Weimin, his influence is far-reaching. So, what was the life of this decorated man after he retired?
How did he spend his old age? Let's explore the story of the legend's later years.
Yuan Weimin, a brilliant athlete in the past, is now the pillar of the country's sports industry. His name symbolizes honor, from the heroic championship on the field to the strategic layout of the coach's bench, he is as solid as a sculpture, casting the Chinese women's volleyball team into an international powerhouse, making teams from all over the world fearful.
After serving as the director of the General Administration of Sports, he has never forgotten his original aspiration, poured deep affection into volleyball and all sports, and is committed to blooming the diversified brilliance of Chinese sports on the global competitive stage, vividly interpreting the global influence of Chinese sportsmanship.
During his tenure as director of the General Administration of Sports of China, the Chinese delegation achieved a historic 28 gold medals at the Sydney Olympics, an achievement that made the whole people proud and made Chinese sports take off"The sick man of East Asia"hats.
In 2004, the sporting staple retired. As for the blueprint for retirement life, he has quietly revealed in an earlier interview: "After leaving office, I will devote myself to national fitness, maintain vitality through exercise, taste life, and more importantly, I hope to make up for the lack of companionship for my family in the past and give them more love and care." ”
He did deliver on his promise, although the figure was no longer in the public eye as frequently and only briefly appeared in his farewell post. Today, most of his whereabouts are hidden in the cozy corners of his home.
According to his son, after his retirement, he enjoyed leisure time, spending time with his family as the center of his life – sharing the family table, strolling the streets with his family, immersing himself in the world of newspapers and delving into national events in his spare time, and calligraphy becoming a daily pastime for a few hours of quiet immersion.
And spending his free time in the laughter of his grandson, his life is easy and content, and his love and devotion to his family is deeper than ever.
Facing reporters' questions about the future, Yuan Weimin responded firmly: "I will take over the baton of the Chinese women's volleyball team, but the way is no longer personal." In the new era, I will step back into the background and let the power of the new generation emerge.
However, when the country and the team need me, I will not hesitate to step up. ”
Even in his retirement days, his enthusiasm for sports is like an unquenchable torch, and he pays special attention to the sports world of children in poor areas. Although the years have carved their marks on his shoulders in his 80s, his persistent love for sports has not diminished in the slightest, which is the imprint of his lifelong dedication and struggle.
Despite the numerous accolades that came with it, he paid a heavy price for it, with surgery on his knee that even removed half of his meniscus and a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right foot.
Such a deep injury limited his standing, but his heart always stood on the field of sports.
In his spare time, he carefully screened the wonderful moments of the women's volleyball team, and the scrolls of pictorials were like his volleyball memory books. Whenever his friends visited, he always shared the joys of the past.
His wife quipped, "When it comes to volleyball, his story seems endless." "Yuen's retirement life is easy, but energetic, and his years of dedication to sports have allowed him to enjoy his old age.
His achievements today are a vivid portrayal of the fighting spirit of those years.
Since childhood, Yuan Weimin has been under the pampered sun, Yuan Weimin, the smallest pearl in the family, but he has never been pampered. His heart was filled with understanding and gratitude early on. When he was a child, he was well versed in the hard work of his parents, and he never slackened in his studies, like a ship forging ahead.
In his spare time, he took the initiative to share the burden of his family and interpreted it with practical actions"Poverty produces filial piety"The true meaning of the word. He knows that the love and dedication to the elders cannot be reciprocated materially, but only the hope of the whole family is illuminated with excellent results, which is the way to repay in his heart.
Since he was a child, his academic performance has been among the best, and after entering high school, his athletic talent has emerged, especially in the third year of high school, he has stood proudly, with a height of more than 1.8 meters, which is particularly eye-catching.
As he approached graduation, a pilot recruitment message lit his path like the dawn. Without much thought, Yuan Weimin quickly applied for the application because of an attractive condition - passing the assessment will not only exempt him from high tuition fees, but also provide a stable job arrangement after graduation.
For him, this is undoubtedly to relieve the burden of his parents and pave an ideal road for his future.
Fate once ruthlessly closed a door, and the success of the political trial and the initial examination did not stop him, but the challenge of arthritis was revealed in the re-examination. The dream seems to be shattered in an instant, but there are always surprises at the corner of life, and the eyes of the sports coach are like a torch, discovering his talent, leading him to the Provincial Sports Institute, opening a new chapter in sports.
Coaches from all walks of life were fascinated by his talent, and finally he firmly chose volleyball, devoted himself to training with great perseverance, leaving early and returning late every day, surpassing ordinary people's efforts, writing tenacity and brilliance.
With his innate talent and unmatched determination, he quickly rose to become the core pillar of the team. In the eyes of Zhang Ran, a coach who is as strict as the devil, he is a rare exception, and he has received praise at all times.
Zhang Ran's harsh rebuke did not intimidate him, but stimulated his fighting spirit. Under Zhang Ran's recommendation, he stepped into the hall of the national team. His debut on the international stage was a sensation with his ferocious style of play and fearless fighting spirit, and he was unanimously called"Fierce on the pitch, dare to challenge"。
Despite his top-notch skills, he unfortunately failed to win the trophy in his career. However, his championship dream was carried on by coaching the women's volleyball team. After retiring, he did not leave the volleyball stage, but continued to dedicate himself as the head coach of the national women's volleyball team.
Facing a team that was once the world's third-rate and repeatedly defeated, the fire of revitalization burned in his heart. He was deeply touched by the setbacks again and again, and he vowed to lead the women's volleyball team to rise and win glory for the motherland.
Since then, he has devoted himself to tactical study and is determined to write a glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese women's volleyball team.
Soon after, he carefully selected a group of elite teams who were the best of the best. Afterwards, they threw themselves into a harsh ordeal, and the high-intensity training tested them like purgatory.
Witnessing the girls' tears and sweat intertwined, his heart was full of contradictions, but he knew that he had to be ruthless in order to share that dream. When they face their limits, he will firmly motivate: "Don't give up, we must strive for excellent technology, but also forge steely perseverance." ”
Despite his constant encouragement, the power of youth was accompanied by occasional rebellion.
During an all-out training session, he took off his sweat-soaked suit and set it aside. Unexpectedly, when he returned, he found that there was a tear in his shirt. It turned out that his teammates borrowed his clothes to vent in the depression of emotion, and the friction caused such a "grinding work".
In the face of the facts, he chose to be tolerant and understanding, and when he came home, his wife asked about the torn clothes, and he said lightly that they were accidentally torn. The girls of the women's volleyball team felt this tolerance, they unloaded their worries and devoted themselves to training, just to chase the gold medal in their hearts.
Their hard work finally paid off, and in the opening match of the 1977 World Cup, they finished fourth. However, the 1980 World Championships fiasco, failing to qualify for the round of 16, left him feeling powerless to face the efforts of the women.
After careful consideration, he sought advice from senior mentors, and finally realized the key to the lack of a soul figure in the Chinese team. This realization was engraved in his mind, and he looked like a torch on the training ground, looking for the missing leadership.
Then, a figure came into view, she was his future proud ** - Lang Ping. Her ball skills are as bold as when he was younger, with sharp attacks and crisp movements, and it is clear at a glance that she is a bright new star.
He devoted himself to cultivating Lang Ping, who lived up to expectations and shined at the World Cup, thus establishing Yuen's reputation as an exceptional coach, and their achievements reflected each other.
The Chinese women's volleyball team has experienced ups and downs in the follow-up journey, with the peak of victory and the trough of setbacks. In this regard, Yuan Weimin decisively carried out an eight-month in-depth training, during which his figure was almost inseparable from the team and went all out.
He stuck to the training ground like an iron heart, and in those days, people's confusion about him was almost there"Demonic"to the extent that he gave up his comfortable home only for his beloved volleyball.
However, his persistence paid off in abundance, and the women's volleyball team skills soared like a rocket. What followed was a brilliant victory, and the Chinese women's volleyball team won glittering honors around the world.
He broke the cocoon into a butterfly with practical actions, and now, ** Lang Ping took over the baton and defended the glory in the arena with the women's volleyball players, which is a continuation of the spirit. We firmly believe that after Lang Ping, the Chinese women's volleyball team will have more outstanding leaders to lead the way and write a new glorious chapter.
Yuan Weimin devoted his life to national sports, leaving a profound mark on the development of China's sports, and he is a meritorious figure of the country. May his retirement life be full of joy, health is our greatest hope, and I hope that he can spend more time with his family to make up for the guilt and neglect he once had.