In the women's singles final of table tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Chen Meng defeated teammate Sun Yingsha with a score of 4-2 and successfully defended her Olympic title. This is not only another important milestone in Chen Meng's personal career, but also another brilliant performance of the Chinese table tennis team in the international arena. Behind this victory, there is a difficult journey that few people know.
Former women's table tennis world champion Li Xiaoxia recently revealed in a program that Chen Meng experienced an emotional downturn after winning the championship at the Tokyo Olympics. This experience not only affected Chen Meng's competitive state, but also showed us the huge pressure and challenges faced by top athletes.
In the trough period after the Tokyo Olympics, Li Xiaoxia said in the program: "Chen Mengcong finished the Tokyo Olympics, in fact, she suffered a lot psychologically, because of the current era of self-media, because she may have finished the Tokyo Olympics at that time, and then I think (also to withstand the voices and pressure from all sides), she was also a little sluggish for a while, in fact, her emotions, some emotions psychologically will cause her to play technically and tactically not very stable, so she may not be able to compete in this singles competition for a while." "
This passage sheds light on the predicament Chen Meng faced after the Tokyo Olympics. As a top athlete, Chen Meng has to deal not only with the pressure on the field, but also with a variety of voices from social media and public opinion. These external factors have a profound impact on the athlete's mental state, and even affect her technical and tactical performance.
The double-edged sword of the self-media era, the "self-media era" mentioned by Li Xiaoxia is a question worth pondering. In today's highly developed information world, athletes' every move may become the focus of public discussion. The immediacy and widespread nature of social media has put athletes under unprecedented attention and pressure.
This attention can lead to more support and encouragement for athletes; It can also be unnecessarily distracting and stressful. Especially after a major event, whether they win or lose, athletes can become the focus of public opinion, which can have a significant impact on their psychological state and career development.
From the trough to the rebirth, despite the trough period, Chen Meng finally managed to adjust his state. Li Xiaoxia mentioned: "In the end, with this Saudi Arabia, the WTT tournament just mentioned, she finally won this singles seat. So her three-year time, because Tokyo was postponed for one year, Chen Meng has matured a lot in these three years. "
This passage reflects the tenacity and growth that Chen Meng has shown in the face of difficulties. By participating in various international competitions, especially WTT (World Table Tennis Professional League), Chen Meng has continued to hone his skills and become more psychologically mature. This growth not only helped her earn a singles spot at the Paris Olympics, but also laid the foundation for her outstanding performance in the final.
The change in mentality, Li Xiaoxia also mentioned the obvious change in Chen Meng's mentality: "Because when I usually chat with her, I will not be as negative as when I came to me in the previous session, so now she comes to me every time and says how I should fight and how I should do it." "
This change reflects Chen Meng's shift from reactive acceptance to active response in the face of pressure and challenges. She is no longer plagued by negative emotions and is actively seeking solutions, and this mental maturity is undoubtedly one of the key factors in her ability to win another gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Lessons for future athletes, Chen Meng's experience provides us with a valuable example of how top athletes can stay competitive in a high-pressure environment. It teaches us that success requires not only excellent technical and physical fitness, but also strong mental qualities and adaptability.
For future athletes, especially those young players who are on the rise, Chen Meng's experience is undoubtedly an important inspiration. They need to learn how to deal with pressure from all sides, including the influence of social media and public opinion, while maintaining their competitive fitness and mental health.
Chen Meng's successful title defense at the Paris Olympics is not only a reflection of her personal strength, but also the result of her resilience and growth in the face of challenges. Her experience teaches us that even the best athletes can hit lows, but the key is how to rise from setbacks and emerge stronger.