Lian Junjie, Yang Hao
On July 29, in the men's double 10-meter platform final of the Paris Olympics, Chinese player Yang Hao/Lian Junjie won the gold medal with an excellent score of 490.35 points, recovering lost ground for the Chinese diving team and winning the Olympic gold medal in this event after 8 years. This is also the second gold medal won by the Chinese diving team in this Olympic Games and the fourth gold medal won by the Chinese sports delegation. With this gold medal, the Chinese diving team has won a total of 49 gold medals in the history of the Olympic Games, surpassing the United States team to become the diving team with the most Olympic gold medals.
For the Chinese diving team, their goal in the Olympics over the years has been to win the gold medal. But three years ago in Tokyo, the only gold medal that China lost was the men's double 10m platform. At that time, the Cao Yuan/Chen Aisen combination did not play well and only won the silver medal. The reconquest of lost ground at the Paris Olympics is undoubtedly of great significance.
Entering the Paris Olympic cycle, the baton of the men's 10-meter platform double event was handed over to Yang Hao and Lian Junjie. Relatively speaking, Yang Hao, who was born in 1998, is more experienced. In fact, when preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Yang Hao was a key training player in the men's platform. At the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Yang Hao partnered with Chen Aisen to win the men's 10-meter platform doubles championship. At the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, the two won the championship together. Since then, they have won many FINA diving series, and they have won as long as they participate. However, the duo did not last until the Tokyo Olympics.
Injuries are one of the important factors, and Yang Hao's aggravated back injury makes it necessary for him to "downgrade" the difficulty when doing some movements. At the same time, Yang Hao is facing increasing competitive pressure, which makes him choose to leave before the Tokyo Olympics.
"In that environment, I felt like I couldn't hold on. The main problem was the old injury in my lower back and my ability to withstand pressure, and I felt that I was not up to the standard of an athlete who won the Olympic championship at that time. So, all I thought at the time was to give up completely, and I didn't want to get involved in the industry anymore. Yang Hao told a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily.
"Do you regret missing out on the Tokyo Olympics?" A reporter from Beiqing Daily asked Yang Hao. He replied simply, "There are some regrets, but not particularly regrets." "Yang Hao's personality is introverted, and he has never said too much.
But entering the Paris Olympic cycle, Yang Hao's technical maturity, psychological endurance and movement stability are much better than three years ago, and he has gradually become a key figure in the men's 10-meter platform. In the doubles event, Lian Junjie, who is 2 years younger than Yang Hao, became his partner.
Lian Junjie, born in 2000, is known as "Big Eyes" in the Chinese diving team. And Lian Junjie was first remembered by the outside world, to a large extent, not because of his achievements, but because of his appearance.
It was a time in the past: at the 2017 World Championships, Lian Junjie won the mixed doubles event. At that time, a reporter asked: "I heard that you are the face of the team?" Lian Junjie hesitated slightly, and then replied with a green face: "Maybe." This interview video quickly attracted the attention of the outside world and once rushed to the hot search.
In fact, in the preparation cycle for the Tokyo Olympics, Lian Junjie is relatively close to participating in the Olympic Games. "At that time, I dreamed that I was standing on the Olympic stage, and the strings in my heart were tight, but I felt that there was hope, and I forced myself to rush forward every day, and I couldn't relax." Lian Junjie said.
But in the end, considering all factors, Lian Junjie still failed to be selected for the Tokyo Olympics. He recalled, "When I first got the news, I couldn't react for a while, and I cried the next day. ”
Entering the Paris Olympics preparation cycle, starting from the second half of 2021, Lian Junjie and Yang Hao paired up to compete in the men's double 10-meter platform, and they reaped the championship all the way: three consecutive World Championships champions in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Asian Games champions, multiple World Cup sub-station champions, and domestic champions, becoming the real kings of this event.
Although Yang Hao is older than Lian Junjie and has more experience, Yang Hao said that in the process of pairing, he did not take Lian Junjie forward, but "the two rushed forward together". Relatively speaking, Lian Junjie's talent is not a very good type. "Because of height and ability, there are some movements, and I am a little slow to learn." Lian Junjie said. Some of the movements that are slow to learn include the difficult 207B (three and a half backward somersaults) in the double movement.
In fact, the action of 207B is not only for practicing Junjie, but also for other athletes to master it proficiently. Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen made a mistake at the Tokyo Olympics because of this move. And this action is undoubtedly more difficult to master for Lian Junjie, who is taller and has less special ability.
Lian Junjie was officially introduced to this movement in March 2022, when he spent about 40 days practicing it. Lian Junjie has forgotten how many times he has slapped his back to the water in order to practice this move, but he knows very well that if he wants to stand on the stage of the Paris Olympics, he must gnaw this "hard bone".
"In the Paris Olympic cycle, I just ask myself to grasp every opportunity, rely on my own efforts to get what I didn't get from the Tokyo cycle, and win it back in Paris." Lian Junjie said. Yang Hao saw this most clearly, he told a reporter from Beiqing Daily, "He (Lian Junjie) also has regrets in the Tokyo cycle, and he can feel that he hopes to achieve his goal in the Paris Olympics." ”
The two athletes, who both had regrets during the Tokyo Olympic cycle, eventually became good partners in the Paris Olympic cycle and achieved their Olympic gold medal goal together. "I think I'm very lucky to have a partner like him (Lian Junjie)." Yang Hao told a reporter from Beiqing Daily.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily Paris Special Reporter Song Xiang
Editor/Wang Fan