Another bad news came, the 17-year-old national feather player Zhang Zhijie suddenly fell to the ground and convulsed on the playing field, and finally died due to ineffective rescue.
When the news spread all over the Internet, everyone fell into deep grief, why did they fall to the ground in the next second, even though they were still alive in the last second.
However, many netizens found that there are many doubts about the details of Zhang Zhijie's death.
Reversal of fate
On the badminton court, Zhang Zhijie's name has shone like a rising star, and he has shown extraordinary athletic talent since he was a child.
At the age of 15, Zhang Zhijie won the men's singles championship in the 15-year-old group in the U15-17 finals of the national U series badminton competition, an achievement that made him stand out in the domestic youth badminton world.
In 2023, he won the men's singles and men's team championships in Group B of the National Youth Badminton Championships, showing his all-round personal ability and excellent teamwork spirit.
At the beginning of 2024, Zhang Zhijie's momentum is even more fierce, first winning the men's singles championship in the Dutch Youth Badminton International Championships, and then winning the men's team championship trophy again in Group B of the National Youth Badminton Championships.
This series of victories not only proved Zhang Zhijie's strength, but also gave people a glimpse of the hope for the future of Chinese badminton, with coaches admiring his all-round skills and quick reactions, and his teammates admiring him for his hard work and never giving up.
Fans cheered for his unlimited potential, and in the eyes of many, Zhang Zhijie is the future Lin Dan and Chen Long, and the leader of the new generation of Chinese badminton men's singles events.
However, fate played a cruel joke on him at the most brilliant moment of this 17-year-old boy.
On June 30, 2024, at the Asian Youth Badminton Championships held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Zhang Zhijie represented the Chinese team in the mixed team group stage.
The game reached a stalemate, the score was tied 11-11, and the atmosphere on the field was tense and enthusiastic.
At first, people thought it was just an ordinary physical exhaustion or mistake, but soon everyone realized that the situation was far more serious than they imagined.
After falling to the ground, Zhang Zhijie began to convulse violently, and although he tried to stand up with his head up, he eventually fell into a coma.
There was an uproar at the scene, the coach rushed to the field to check the situation, the referee signaled a suspension of the game, the medical personnel were urgently called, and the stretcher was rushed into the stadium.
In just a few minutes, the arena that was originally full of passion and expectation instantly turned into a stage of sadness and anxiety.
Despite emergency rescue measures at the scene, Zhang Zhijie was quickly taken to a local hospital, however, fate seems to have made a ruthless arrangement.
At 23:20 that night, the bad news came, Zhang Zhijie, who was only 17 years old, left this world forever, left the badminton court he loved deeply, and left the motherland and people who had high hopes for him.
The news hit everyone's hearts like a hammer, his teammates were in disbelief, coaches were heartbroken, and fans were in tears.
Zhang Zhijie's departure is not only a huge loss to the Chinese badminton community, but also a wake-up call for everyone.
The Golden Four Minutes: Controversy and Reflection in Rescue
In emergency medical care, the concept of the "golden four minutes" is very important, it refers to the best time to rescue after cardiac arrest, and within this short window of time, timely and effective first aid can save a dying life.
However, in the tragedy of Zhang Zhijie, whether this precious golden time was fully utilized has become the focus of controversy and reflection after the fact.
On the night of the incident, the Asian Badminton Federation and the Indonesian Badminton Association quickly issued a joint announcement.
According to the announcement, after Zhang Zhijie fainted, the doctors and medical team at the scene immediately began treatment and sent him to the hospital in less than two minutes.
This official statement was supposed to reassure the public that the tournament organisers reacted quickly and handled the situation appropriately.
However, things are not so simple, with the leak of the scene of the incident, a series of doubts and controversies followed, the video shows that from the moment Zhang Zhijie fell to the ground, to the moment he was carried off the field, the whole process lasted about 2 minutes and 26 seconds.
This time is far more than the "less than two minutes" mentioned in the official statement. What's even more worrying is that during this time, the rescue process at the scene does not seem to be as professional and efficient as expected.
Zhang's family also questioned the rescue process, with his sister posting on social media that her brother had convulsions after he fell to the ground, and then it took a long wait for paramedics to arrive.
This is in stark contrast to the quick response described in the official statement, and the family's questioning not only related to the on-site rescue, but also to the subsequent messaging, according to the family, they only contacted the coach and learned about Zhang Zhijie's situation nearly two hours after they learned of the incident.
In the face of these controversies, an emergency doctor at a tertiary hospital in Chongqing pointed out in an interview that judging from the video, the rescue response at the scene did appear to be a little sluggish.
He stressed that for sudden sports-induced death, the most critical thing is to rescue at the first time, and after judging that the athlete is unconscious, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be carried out immediately in accordance with the first aid procedure and AED should be used.
Another director of the emergency department analyzed the problems in the rescue at the scene in more detail, and the scene missed three key life-saving links.
First, the patient was not assessed in the first place.
Second, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and AED defibrillation were not performed.
Third, he did not grasp the golden 4 minutes for first aid, and did not continue to perform chest compressions during the transportation process.
These professional opinions further highlight the possible shortcomings of on-site rescue.
Glory and risk coexist
In the world of competitive sports, athletes are like modern fighters, fighting tirelessly for honor and dreams, their figures soar on the field, their names are called by thousands of spectators, and their achievements are recorded in history.
However, beneath this glossy façade lies a double-edged sword hanging over the head of every athlete, where great glory coexists with risks that cannot be ignored.
Zhang Zhijie's story is a true portrayal of this double-edged sword.
High-intensity training is a must in competitive sports, especially for young athletes, who often need to put in unimaginable effort to stand out in the fierce competition.
Hours of physical training, technical exercises, tactical drills, and frequent competitions every day put a lot of strain on the athletes' bodies.
This high-intensity, high-frequency training mode can improve the athlete's competitive level in a short period of time, but it can also cause potential damage to their body.
Sudden exercise-induced death is one of the most serious of these potential risks, and it usually occurs during or shortly after strenuous exercise, often due to cardiac arrest.
Although the overall incidence of sudden sports-induced death is low, its threat to young athletes cannot be ignored.
Studies have shown that the occurrence of exercise-induced sudden death is related to a variety of factors, including congenital heart disease, myocarditis, substance abuse, etc., but overtraining and sudden increase in exercise intensity can also be triggers.
In fact, long before the tragedy, the General Administration of Sports of China had already issued the "Specifications for the Prevention and Control of Heart Disease in Athletes" in 2018, requiring regular heart examinations for athletes.
In the process, the development of technology has opened up new possibilities for the search for this balance.
For example, wearable devices can be used to monitor athletes' physical condition in real time, big data analytics can be used to predict potential health risks, or artificial intelligence technology can be used to develop personalized training plans.
Zhang Zhijie's death is not only a tragedy, but also a wake-up call, reminding us that in the pursuit of brilliant achievements in sports, we have neglected the most precious life itself.
In the future development of sports, how can we better protect these young lives, so that they can not only shine, but also be safe and healthy on the road of chasing their dreams.
Learn from the tragedy
This 17-year-old badminton player was supposed to sweat on the court and fight for his dream, but it came to an abrupt end at the most brilliant moment of his life.
The Asian Badminton Federation (AFBF) quickly convened an emergency meeting to discuss how to strengthen the medical security of the event, and they proposed a series of improvements, including the provision of professional medical personnel and first aid equipment at each venue, regular first aid training for staff, and the establishment of a better emergency response mechanism.
At the same time, this incident has also raised concerns about the public's awareness of first aid, and in emergency situations, the first correct response can often save lives.
At the level of the sports management system, the Zhang Zhijie incident has also triggered a deep reflection, and how to better protect the physical and mental health of athletes while pursuing excellent results has become an important issue faced by the sports management department.
High-intensity training and competition not only put pressure on athletes' bodies, but also may have an impact on their psychological state, so some sports associations have begun to introduce professional psychological counselors in their teams to help athletes better cope with stress and maintain a good psychological state.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, we have seen a positive response from the world of sports, the world of medicine, and society as a whole, however, reform and progress do not happen overnight, and we need long-term efforts and persistence to truly translate these lessons into practical improvements.
In the future, how can we better protect the young athletes who are striving for their dreams, and how can we find a balance between the pursuit of excellence and the safety of athletes?