Preface
She started practicing badminton at the age of 8 and won the championship for the national team at the age of 20.
She should have a bright future, but she was fired by the leader because of her height of 1.64.
Frustrated, she was fortunate to be invited by France, and then started the road to winning the championship.
Her badminton life is nothing short of exciting.
Who the hell is she? Let's take a look.
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Badminton dreams
In an ordinary family in Wansheng, Chongqing, on January 25, 1979, a girl named Pi Hongyan fell to the ground.
Children's childhood is almost all stumbling, and Pi Hongyan is no exception.
She was not in good health and was often sick, much to the concern of her parents.
In order to give Pi Hongyan a strong physique, they decided to let Pi Hongyan try some sports, and among the many options, badminton became their first choice.
At the age of 8, Pi Hongyan was introduced to badminton for the first time.
At first, Pi Hongyan played badminton for exercise.
However, when the little Pi Hongyan held the racket for the first time and heard the crisp sound of the badminton ball colliding with the racket, her eyes flashed with a strange light.
The sport seemed to be a natural fit for her, and Pi Hongyan soon showed extraordinary talent.
Over time, badminton has gradually become an integral part of Pi Hongyan's life. She can't wait to run to the court every day after school, sweating it out and practicing various skills.
In this process, Pi Hongyan not only found happiness, but also discovered her own potential.
When Pi Hongyan was 12 years old, an opportunity to change her life came.
The coach of the Sichuan Provincial Sports Team discovered this little badminton talent during a tryout.
Pi Hongyan's ball sense, reaction speed and tactical awareness are far beyond her peers.
In this way, 12-year-old Pi Hongyan left her hometown to join the provincial team and began systematic and rigorous professional training.
National
In 1997, 18-year-old Pi Hongyan finally entered the national team with her outstanding performance in the provincial team.
In the national team, the training intensity is much higher than that of the provincial team, but Pi Hongyan did not back down, but faced the training with a more positive attitude.
Here, Pi Hongyan sees stronger opponents, she doesn't want to be left behind, and similarly, she has ambitions to go to a bigger stage.
Therefore, if you want to gain a foothold in the national team, you have to put in more effort than others.
1999 was a turning point in life for 20-year-old Pi Hongyan.
That year, Pi Hongyan represented the Chinese team at the U.S. Open Badminton Championships
At the U.S. Open, facing the top players from all over the world, Pi Hongyan was not stage frightened at all.
Pi Hongyan relied on her flexible pace, tricky ball path and tenacious will to pass all the way, and finally Pi Hongyan won the championship.
You must know what a glorious thing it is to win the championship for the country, and what awaits Pi Hongyan should be flowers, applause and a smooth road.
But the truth poured cold water on her.
After returning to China, coach Wang Junjie told Pi Hongyan that since she was only 1.64 meters tall, she was considered to be uncompetitive in future international competitions, so it was decided to transfer her back to the provincial team.
At that moment, Pi Hongyan's brain crashed instantly, she had predicted many results, but there was no one, and she wanted to retire directly at that time.
But Pi Hongyan's persistence for many years made her calm down.
Struggles in the trough
After returning to the provincial team, Pi Hongyan found that the situation was very different from when she left.
As an athlete who has been "returned" by the national team, Pi Hongyan felt an obvious cold reception.
The provincial team, which once focused on developing her, will now allocate more resources to young players who have the potential to make it to the national team.
The most immediate effect is the drastic reduction in competition opportunities.
When she was in the national team, Pi Hongyan often represented her country in various international competitions, but after returning to the provincial team, she was able to participate in only a handful of major competitions a year.
This situation not only affected her to stay competitive, but also deprived her of the opportunity to show herself in the tournament and improve her ranking.
The reduction in training resources also frustrated Pi Hongyan.
The professional guidance and state-of-the-art equipment she once enjoyed were now out of reach, and she had to work hard to maintain her skills under limited conditions.
The daily training became monotonous and tedious, and the lack of challenging exercises made her feel that her technique was slowly regressing.
The deterioration of economic conditions has made matters worse.
Pi Hongyan went from the preferential treatment of the national team to the monthly salary of only 600 yuan for the provincial team, and this huge gap made Pi Hongyan feel pressured.
This meagre income is not even enough to cover her daily expenses and training needs.
In order to make ends meet, she had to work hard and even considered taking on some part-time jobs to support her family.
However, what made Pi Hongyan feel the most painful was the inner torment.
Pi Hongyan clearly knows her strength and deeply understands her love for badminton.
Whenever she sees other athletes on TV winning glory for her country on the international stage, she feels a wave of loss and regret.
The huge gap between dreams and reality often makes her fall into self-doubt.
Despite this, Pi Hongyan has not given up, and she has maintained a rigorous self-training, hoping to return to the international arena one day.
Just when Pi Hongyan was about to be crushed by the weight of life, an unexpected opportunity appeared.
Head north to Denmark
At the beginning of 2000, the Danish Badminton Club invited Pi Hongyan to play.
This made Pi Hongyan's long-dull heart jump again, and she decided to go and chase her badminton dream.
When she first arrived in Denmark, Pi Hongyan's first challenge was the language barrier. Her English is limited, and she knows no Danish.
On the training ground, she often needs to understand the coach's instructions through gestures and body language.
In order to adapt as soon as possible, Pi Hongyan uses every free time to learn the language, and even looks through the English dictionary before going to bed.
Cultural differences have also brought a lot of impact to Pi Hongyan.
The Danish way of life and eating habits are very different from those in China. Pi Hongyan often goes hungry because she can't adapt to the local food, so she has to cook simple Chinese food on her own.
But even so, she never thought of giving up, but worked hard to adapt and integrate into this new environment.
In Denmark, Pi Hongyan is no longer ignored because of her height, but has won the respect of her coach and teammates with her strength.
She has competed in many European competitions and has gradually adapted to the rhythm and atmosphere of the international arena.
During a European tour, Pi Hongyan met a player from China.
Facing her former compatriots, Pi Hongyan was in a complicated mood but had high morale.
In the end, Pi Hongyan defeated her opponent with an excellent performance, and this victory not only made her stand out in the European badminton scene, but also regained her confidence in her own strength.
During her time in Denmark, Pi Hongyan not only made great progress in her skills, but also became more mature mentally.
The experience of living alone in a foreign country has taught her to be independent, and it has also made her cherish every opportunity to stand on the ring even more.
入法籍夺冠
In 2002, Pi Hongyan's badminton career ushered in another important turning point.
His outstanding performance at the Danish club attracted the attention of the French badminton community, and the French national team threw an olive branch to the Chinese player.
This invitation not only meant the opportunity to play at a higher level, but also included a difficult decision – to change nationality.
After careful consideration, Pi Hongyan finally decided to accept the invitation from France.
Behind this decision is her persistent pursuit of badminton and the repositioning of her own value.
Pi Hongyan knew that this could be her last chance to stand on the top stage of the world, and she didn't want to let her talent be buried.
But the process of changing nationality is not easy.
Pi Hongyan needs to learn French, understand French culture, and adapt to the new training system.
At the same time, Pi Hongyan is also facing doubts and pressure from all sides.
Some people think that she has betrayed her homeland, and others doubt that she will be able to do well in her new environment.
In 2004, Pi Hongyan officially obtained French nationality and participated in the Athens Olympics as a French athlete. It's the stage she's always dreamed of, and it's her best chance to prove herself.
However, fate played a joke on her again.
On the eve of the race, Pi Hongyan unfortunately suffered a foot injury.
Despite this, Pi Hongyan still insisted on playing with injuries, and although she failed to achieve the desired results in the end, her fighting spirit won the respect of the audience and opponents.
After the Athens Olympics, Pi Hongyan did not stop there.
Pi Hongyan continues to play for the French national team, competing in various international competitions.
As time went on, she gradually adapted to her new identity and showed more and more good performances on the field.
Pi Hongyan's technical characteristics, flexible pace and tricky ball path, are unique in the European arena and bring new vitality to the French badminton team.
In 2006, Pi Hongyan won the Dutch Open, her first international title for France. This victory not only proved her strength, but also gave hope to the French badminton community.
Subsequently, she won the Danish Open, the German Open and other important tournaments, and gradually became a rising star in the European badminton world.
With the continuous improvement of her results, Pi Hongyan's world ranking has also risen steadily.
At the peak of her career, she climbed to No. 2 in the world rankings, the highest in French badminton history.
This achievement is not only an affirmation of Pi Hongyan's personal strength, but also greatly enhances France's status in the world of badminton.
Pi Hongyan's success is not only reflected in individual events, but more importantly, she has participated in three consecutive Olympic Games.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, Pi Hongyan competed as a member of the French team.
Especially at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Pi Hongyan returned to her home country as a member of the French team, and this special experience attracted her attention.
Despite wearing the French flag, she won the applause of the Chinese audience for her tenacious style on the field.
After all, Pi Hongyan's joining a foreign nationality was not her own will, but a helpless move after being buried, so domestic fans are very tolerant of Pi Hongyan.
Badminton life after retirement
After the 2012 London Olympics, Pi Hongyan officially announced her retirement, ending her more than 20-year professional badminton career.
In the early days of retirement, Pi Hongyan faced many common confusions and challenges for retired athletes.
Years of her career have left her pace and focus around training and competition, and the sudden loss of these made it difficult for her to adjust.
But Pi chose to return to France, where she began her coaching career.
Pi Hongyan opened a badminton club on the outskirts of Paris to train young players.
As a former world-class player, her lessons quickly gained popularity, and she brings the skills and experience she has accumulated over the years to teach not only the game, but also to share her own journey and inspire young players to pursue their dreams.
In addition to daily training, Pi Hongyan often organizes teenagers to participate in various competitions.
She understands the importance of game experience for young players and creates opportunities for them wherever she can.
Pi Hongyan's coaching career is not limited to France, she is often invited back to China to participate in various badminton training and exchange activities.
epilogue
From the Chinese provincial team to the national team, to the Danish club and finally to the international stage for France, her experience has crossed national and cultural boundaries.
After retiring, Pi Hongyan did not stay away from badminton, but continued to contribute to the sport as a coach and promoter.
From Pi Hongyan's body, we deeply understand the sentence "people can't look good", and also realize that "love to fight will win".
No matter what time it is, as long as you don't give up on yourself, no one can defeat you.
Resources
China Youth Daily reported on July 2, 2024 on "Former Badminton Star Pi Hongyan: Promoting Sino-French Exchanges through Sports".
On August 11, 2021, People's Information reported on "Winning Glory for the Country: Going to the United States to Compete and Win the Championship, but Being Expelled by the Coach after the Game, the Experience is Heartbreaking".