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Text: Ordinary heart
Edit|Ordinary Heart
Zhang Jike, this name has undoubtedly been deeply imprinted in the minds of every Chinese fan. As a legend of table tennis, he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in just a few years with his unparalleled talent and tenacious struggle.
And just when everyone thought that he would always stand at the top of glory, a series of negative news dragged the former national player into the abyss. Gambling, spending, cheating...... Zhang Jike's departure is undoubtedly one of the most shocking events in the Chinese sports world in recent years. Today, let's take a look back at the legendary life of this sports superstar with a bumpy fate.
The inspirational transformation of a gifted teenager
Speaking of Zhang Jike's story, we have to start with his family and childhood. He was born in an ordinary sports family, and his father Zhang Chuanming was the main player of the Shandong Provincial Table Tennis Team.
Perhaps immersed in this competitive environment since childhood, Zhang Jike's love for table tennis soon took root in his young heart.
The traditional oriental education concept has deeply influenced Zhang Jike's growth. His father, Zhang Chuanming, trained his son extremely strictly, even cruelly.
Even when Zhang Jike was 5 years old, when he cried and shouted to give up, his father was iron-faced and selfless, serious and never let go. It is under this kind of harsh training that Zhang Jike can consolidate his basic skills to such a solid point.
And Zhang Jike's own love for table tennis is also a strong driving force for his continuous progress. At the age of 9, he entered the professional team and began to train systematically.
At the age of 11, he won the national victory in the youth category, thus attracting the attention of the national team. In 2003, 14-year-old Zhang Jike became a member of the national second team with absolute strength, opening a new chapter in his career.
At the beginning of joining the team, Zhang Jike's first impression was that he was unruly. At that age, he was already ambitious for the future, vowing to become a World Champion. Only a year later, Zhang Jike was returned to the Shandong team for violating team rules. For a while, this hot-blooded young man who had never returned from his horse almost fell into the abyss of being lost.
Fortunately, Zhang Jike quickly regained his fighting spirit, overcame his inner troubles with the help of coach Yin Xiao, and embarked on the journey again. Just a year later, he once again entered the door of the national first team with outstanding strength and opened his legendary era.
The fastest "Grand Slam" in the history of table tennis
Once he returns to the top, Zhang Jike's invincible momentum is as unshakable as Mount Tai's Beidou. His talent and strength are undoubtedly the ecstasy of every coach, and he knows how to be generous and humble outside of the game.
The 20-year-old Zhang Jike defeated Wang Liqin and Wang Hao at the World Cup in Maseru to win the first heavyweight title of his career. Since then, his career has soared like an arrow from a string.
Just a year later, Zhang Jike won the National Games table tennis men's singles and men's doubles championships. He defeated coach Ma Lin at the World Table Tennis Championships in Moscow and made great contributions to the Chinese men's table tennis team championship.
It can be said that in those years, Zhang Jike has been in full swing and has been unbeaten. And in this most glorious period, he also created an incredible record - in a short period of 445 days, Zhang Jike completed the feat of "Grand Slam", breaking the record of his predecessors for many years, and becoming the fastest athlete in the history of table tennis to achieve a "Grand Slam".
Rotterdam World Table Tennis Championships singles champion, London Olympics men's singles champion...... Zhang Jike's honor book is constantly being added by new achievements.
At that time, he was pinned on high hopes and was regarded as the greatest hope for Chinese table tennis after Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui. And Zhang Jike at his peak, as the world's No. 1, did not live up to this expectation.
Affairs、代言...... 元老疲惫的端倪
And life is often unsatisfactory. Just when Zhang Jike seemed to be on top of the world, some clues began to be revealed in his life and career.
During 2014, Zhang Jike participated in a number of film and television, variety shows and commercial endorsement projects. Those who are familiar with him feel that Zhang Jike, who has always been strict and self-disciplined, seems to have fallen into an unprecedented "relaxation" stage in his life, and the whole person is a little tired and empty.
And the fans who watched his game at the scene also felt this way, it seems that on the court, Zhang Jike's state is not as focused and excellent as before.
There was a "civil war" between Zhang Jike and the club on the distribution of bonuses. At that time, Zhang Jike refused to play in the game, a rare move that caused great controversy in the outside world.
In the subsequent competition, Zhang Jike's results also plummeted, and he failed to win a major championship in the second half of his career.
Some analysts pointed out that the root cause of Zhang Jike's career decline is likely to be because he was too immersed in entertainment occasions, resulting in his inability to concentrate on the field. By all indications, the prodigal son's return will be extremely difficult.
Gambling-addicted life
The ensuing series of negative events confirmed this speculation. At the Rio Olympics, Zhang Jike almost lost the first game because of his poor form. This caused great controversy at the time, and it also made people see the complete indulgence of Zhang Jike's life style.
After retiring, Zhang Jike's life trajectory fell to the bottom. According to a number of reliable sources, Zhang Jike is obsessed with gambling and squandered millions of cash in major casinos at every turn.
It is said that he once lost up to 30 million gambling funds in one year, which caused a great public outcry at the time.
At the same time, Zhang Jike also began to be frequently exposed in major variety shows, and there is a momentum to start a new business in the entertainment industry. And his scandals with many female artists have also come and gone, and his ex-girlfriend Jing Tian has been involved many times.
Although Jing Tian repeatedly denied it, they broke up in a short period of time, and the romantic farce between the two parties also added another negative news to Zhang Jike.
Some netizens even revealed that Zhang Jike owed up to 5 million gambling debts, and threatened to publish his private video with Jing Tian. Both sides avoided talking about this explosive news. However, all signs show that this former national hero has now become a "scumbag" who relies on speculation to pay off debts.
The road from a young genius to a bloody life is undoubtedly the darkest experience in Zhang Jike's life. How to redeem himself is an urgent problem for him.
Start anew, hoping to rekindle the dawn
Although Zhang Jike's reputation and image have plummeted due to his shameful behavior in the past, there is no doubt about one thing: this man's contributions and achievements to table tennis will forever be engraved on the monument of sports history.
Fortunately, there is news that Zhang Jike has found an opportunity to start again. The former sports star has celebrated his 36th birthday.
Although compared with the previous grand occasion, the scale of Zhang Jike's birthday is not as good as before. The club only hosted a small birthday banquet for him, and the only attendees were a few coaches and students.
When everyone saw Zhang Jike's full attention and conscientious guidance of the students, they couldn't help but be moved. This is clearly a person who has re-reformed his mind and devoted himself to sports, and he is like a profligate person in the past.
Mr. Zhang, who already works as a technical consultant and coach at a table tennis club, has opened a high-level training camp that costs nearly 10,000 yuan per person per month. Although the scale is not huge, it is the beginning of a new struggle for an athlete who has fallen into a low point in his life.
Life is still long, and there is always hope for a fresh start. It is expected that Zhang Jike can quit gambling and other bad habits, carry forward in the front line of coaching, and become a good teacher for the new generation of table tennis athletes.
The dazzling genius boy of the year, it is the best policy to relight the spark of passionate longing, let it burn on the stage of sports, and regain the glory of the past.
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