Beijing, China, June 19, 2020: China's all-conquering women's volleyball team is refusing to let uncertainties over the delayed Tokyo Olympics distract from its mission of retaining gold, reports the China Daily.
The much-loved national heroes are embracing the prolonged preparation time as a chance to hone their skills and fitness levels so that they are ready for whatever challenges the future may hold.
Due to the sport's coronavirus-enforced competition shutdown, the 18-player roster, led by legendary coach Jenny Lang Ping, has spent the past four months training in isolation at the national base in Beijing. Lang's demanding programme has put particular emphasis on strength conditioning, fundamental skills and defence drills.
Working for so long without a battle in sight has mentally worn out her charges but Lang insists that only by going the extra mile when everybody else slows down can a champion become stronger.
"Of course, everybody is a little bit tired after sticking to the routine for so long," Lang told the media after an open practice session in Beijing earlier this month.
"But, whatever challenges the uncertainty might bring us, our strategy is and always will be the same - to focus on wherever we can improve and just go for it," added Lang, a world-famous spiker known as the "Iron Hammer" during her prime as a player in the 1980s.
Lang has built the Chinese team into the dominant force in the women's game, boasting a packed trophy cabinet that includes Olympic gold from Rio 2016 and back-to-back World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
Young talents handpicked by Lang to the national programme, such as team captain Zhu Ting, middle blocker Yuan Xinyue and wing spiker Zhang Changning, have risen to international stardom; the influence of Zhu and Zhang has even expanded to the political realm after the pair joined China's top legislature.
Source: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn