During the Olympics, it was customary to stay up late.
When I woke up this morning, I received a message from my old father: "Did you watch the women's volleyball game?" It's wonderful! ”
"It's been 20 years, and finally won the United States at the Olympics!"
Me: "I stayed up all night watching it, it's really exciting!" ”
My father actually cared very little about sports, and he didn't even watch the full basketball games of James and Curry.
But for the Chinese women's volleyball team, there has always been a special emotion.
2024 is the 40th year that my old father has watched the women's volleyball team, and it is also the 20th year that I have "entered the pit" of the women's volleyball team.
Today, I don't want to sing the praises of last night's victory, but through my father's and my real experience of watching the game, I once again tell young fans and friends, why did the women's volleyball team win this group stage and cause such a big sensation?
It's really more energetic than winning gold in many projects...
And, let's talk about what is the spirit of the women's volleyball team that we always talk about?
The first time I watched the Chinese women's volleyball team was in 2004.
To be precise, I was watching a replay.
In the women's volleyball final of the Athens Olympics, the Chinese women's volleyball team completed a big reversal after falling behind 0-2 and won the championship 3-2.
I watched the recording with my family during the day.
The adults around me were blowing how awesome this ball was, and I didn't understand it at the time, and I couldn't experience or feel it.
In my vague memory, there are two major points that I will never forget in my life:
1. The last ball landed, and the players on both sides cried. I was impressed by the tears of the big tall man in Russia, and I later learned that her name was Gamova.
Second, a group of players such as Feng Kun, Zhao Ruirui, Liu Yanan, and Zhou Suhong came into my sight, and of course, there was also the smiling and friendly coach Chen Zhonghe.
In addition to Liu Xiang winning the championship in 2004, the most sensational gold medal is probably the Chinese women's volleyball team.
Since that day, I have been listening to many stories of the Chinese women's volleyball team from my fathers.
For example, "Iron Hammer Lang Ping", "Tiananmen City Wall Zhou Xiaolan", "Desperate San Lang Chen Zhaodi"...
My father watched the Olympics for the first time in 1984, when the Chinese sports delegation returned to the Olympic family for the first time, in Los Angeles.
It is said that the people of the village watched it in front of the only black-and-white television in the production team.
The Chinese women's volleyball team defeated the United States team represented by and won a valuable Olympic gold medal.
But in fact, since the 1981 Tokyo World Cup, the Chinese women's volleyball team has begun the legendary road to becoming a god, and has shocked the world with 5 consecutive championships.
Women's volleyball has become a symbol of the Chinese spirit and has penetrated into all walks of life.
Sports at that time were really more than just sports.
Like my father, people who have gone through that period of time remember that China has just experienced ten years of turmoil, at the beginning of reform and opening up, when the whole people were confused, the Chinese women's volleyball team shone like a lighthouse in people's hearts.
At that time, the slogan of "learning from the women's volleyball team and revitalizing China" could be seen everywhere.
One champion after another has inspired the Chinese who have just opened the door to bravely go to the world. At that time, the People's Daily's commentary was written like this, and the weight was too heavy:
"Use the spirit of the Chinese women's volleyball team to carry out modernization, why worry that modernization cannot be realized?"
Why is the Chinese women's volleyball team so special? A flag.
A generation has a generational mission.
We no longer need a victory in a sports game to prove the rise and strength of the country, Shenzhou Feitian, Jiaolong diving into the sea, Beidou Changming.
Brother Di also often said: "With the development of the times, we are more and more able to look at winning and losing, and looking at sports." ”
I still remember that in 2008, under the guidance of Lang Ping, who served as the head coach of the United States team, he led the team to defeat the Chinese women's volleyball team, and was scolded miserably at that time, and even saddled the name of "traitor".
In 2024, I believe that everyone will be able to watch sports more correctly, and many things will change with time...
Do you still remember the movie about the women's volleyball team a few years ago, "Winning the Championship"?
Coach Lang Ping's sharing:
"A foreign reporter once asked me, why do you Chinese attach so much importance to winning or losing a volleyball game?"
"Because our hearts are not strong enough, and when we are strong in our hearts one day, we will not regard winning as the only value of the game."
Today, the two points that the women's volleyball team wants to say are:
First, don't win the spirit of the women's volleyball team, and turn your head to scold when you lose.
Although the start was good and the win over United States was exciting, we don't know what the outcome of this year will be.
Second, national self-esteem and self-confidence no longer need a sports champion to maintain, but the younger generation of athletes also need to think about one thing: "What is the purpose of playing?" ”
The older generation has the feelings of the older generation, and the new generation also needs the enthusiasm of the new generation.
No matter whether the time span is 40 years or 20 years, some things have not changed, and they cannot be lost.
Regarding the spirit of the women's volleyball team, our country has already officially summarized it, and it is all condensed in these 16 words:
The motherland is supreme, unity and cooperation, tenacious struggle, and never say die