Sheng Lihao: A cool-faced shooter on the field and a straightforward boy off the field
2024-08-12
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Sheng Lihao took a photo holding the long scroll "From Beijing to Paris" produced by Beijing News. Photo by Beijing News reporter Zhao Xue
At the age of 19, Sheng Lihao participated in the Olympic Games for the second time. He first won the gold medal in the mixed team 10m air rifle shooting with his partner Huang Yuting (the first gold medal in the Paris Olympic Games), and two days later he won the gold medal in the men's 10m air rifle. He was calm at the critical moment of the game and remained calm after winning the championship. Sheng Lihao's image as a "cold-faced shooter" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts.
Recently, Sheng Lihao accepted an exclusive interview with a Beijing News reporter at the Shooting and Archery Management Center of the State Sports General Administration. Off the field, he is very straightforward and has an unusual sense of humor. When talking about winning two gold medals, Sheng Lihao repeatedly said "good luck"; when asked why he didn't look nervous during the competition, he quickly denied it, "Of course I was nervous, I was nervous throughout the whole process"; when talking about the next Olympic cycle, he returned to being calm and relaxed, "Do your best."
growing up
In the past three years, I have not only grown taller, but also gained valuable competition experience.
The Paris Olympics was not Sheng Lihao's first time competing in the Olympics. Three years ago in Tokyo, he won the silver medal in the men's 10-meter air rifle in his first Olympic trip, and became the youngest medalist in the Olympic shooting event at the age of 16 years and 233 days.
From the age of 16 to 19, Sheng Lihao was at the age of rapid growth. Compared with the Tokyo Olympics, he has grown significantly taller now. "I am about 1.81-1.82 meters tall now, nearly 10 centimeters taller."
At the end of 2020, Sheng Lihao was selected for the national training team for the first time. The Tokyo Olympics was the first official international competition in his shooting career. When talking about the different feelings of the two Olympic Games, Sheng Lihao said frankly that "the difference is not very big", but with the first Olympic experience, he was obviously able to better cope with different situations in the competition when participating in the Paris Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Sheng Lihao also participated in the men's 10m air rifle and mixed team 10m air rifle events, but the first gold medal at that time was the women's 10m air rifle. The first gold medal at the Paris Olympics became the mixed team 10m air rifle, and Sheng Lihao was one of the four players representing the Chinese team.
Unlike other air rifle events at the Paris Olympics, the mixed team 10m air rifle qualifying and final were held on the same day, leaving very little time for the athletes to adjust.
In the final, Sheng Lihao seemed calm, but he was actually very nervous. He was able to win the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation together with Huang Yuting. He said frankly that it was inseparable from the competition experience accumulated in recent years, especially participating in an Olympic Games. "These competition experiences are very valuable."
close up
I scored 10.9 points in the final and shook my head because it was unbelievable.
Sheng Lihao's trip to the Paris Olympics was very tight. After winning the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation on July 27, he had pre-match training for the men's 10-meter air rifle on the same day. On July 28 and 29, he participated in the men's 10-meter air rifle qualifying and finals, ranking first in the qualifying round and winning the final.
When Sheng Lihao won the men's 10-meter air rifle championship on July 29, his final score was 0.8 rings ahead of the runner-up, and his advantage in the competition once reached 2.2 rings. He shot a total of 24 shots in the final, and the 14th and 15th shots scored 10.9 rings in succession. These two full rings undoubtedly laid the foundation for his victory.
A detail in the final puzzled many viewers. When Sheng Lihao scored 10.9 rings, close-up shots showed that he shook his head slightly after seeing the result, and his facial expression was even a little dissatisfied.
So what was the "shaking head brother" thinking at the time? Sheng Lihao said: "It is really very difficult to score 10.9 in a competition. Especially to score two 10.9s in a row. I shook my head because I also felt incredible."
Looking back at Sheng Lihao's results in the men's 10m air rifle qualifying round, there was only one score of 10.9 (the 39th shot) out of 60 shots. As for the mixed team 10m air rifle qualifying round with 30 shots and the final with 14 shots, there was no full score.
Sheng Lihao further explained that he was indeed surprised to score 10.9 points in a row. "The competition really tests my on-the-spot state, because there are still many shots to come. Shaking my head was also a reminder for me to calm down immediately."
Preparation
I've long been accustomed to "noise" during training. Not wearing earplugs is a personal habit.
Unlike many shooting athletes who wear earplugs, Sheng Lihao doesn't wear them. In his opinion, whether it is the target position that is easily disturbed by noise in the qualifying round, or the music and cheers of the audience in the final, the sounds on the scene have no effect on him.
It was reported that during the preparation for the Paris Olympics, the Chinese shooting team specially invited nearby residents to watch the competition on site, allowing everyone to applaud and cheer freely during the competition. Sheng Lihao also confirmed this, "The audience can make any sound, and the staff will also let them be as cheerful as possible."
It has long been a common practice for Chinese shooting teams to improve their ability to resist noise interference from outside the field through similar methods. Sheng Lihao said that during the preparation period, such anti-interference training was indeed conducted quite frequently.
Therefore, even though the shooting competition at the Paris Olympics allowed the audience to applaud, cheer and cheer rhythmically, Sheng Lihao, who did not wear earplugs, was able to remain "unmoved".
Original Intention
Knocked on the door of the national team 4 years ago and set off again in the National Championships in September
Faced with the extremely high expectations from the outside world, Olympic double gold medalist Sheng Lihao said frankly that there is "no pressure". All he can do is to continue to maintain his competitive form and play well in every future game.
Next, Sheng Lihao plans to spend more time with his family during the holidays. "The main thing is to play with my family, but I haven't decided where to go yet." After resting and adjusting, he will soon return to the training ground to prepare for the next competition. The next competition will be the National Shooting Championship in September this year.
In a sense, the national competition was Sheng Lihao's stepping stone to the national team.
In 2020, after the Tokyo Olympics was postponed, the Chinese shooting team updated its selection method and expanded the scope of selection. It held another "open audition" through the National Championships and National Championships in the second half of 2020. It was at that time that the young Sheng Lihao stood out and was selected for the national team for the first time at the end of that year. He accumulated points from scratch and won a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics as a "dark horse".
There is no doubt that Sheng Lihao's current achievements are not just due to what he calls "good luck". Standing at the new starting point of his shooting career, the 19-year-old Sheng Lihao still has a long way to go, and there are more achievements waiting for this young man to create.
Reviews
Who is the most inspiring? "It must be Pan Zhanle"
During the period after returning to China, Sheng Lihao, who claims that he "doesn't talk much", has not only accepted many interviews, but also paid attention to the competitions of other teammates of the Chinese shooting team, such as the championship won by veteran Li Yuehong. At the same time, he was also very happy about the wonderful performances of athletes in other events of the Chinese delegation.
When asked which championship moment of the Chinese delegation was the most exciting, Sheng Lihao blurted out, "It must be the men's 100m freestyle, Pan Zhanle."
Sheng Lihao may not realize that he and Huang Yuting won the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation, which was equally exciting. As of August 8, he, Pan Zhanle and Quan Hongchan, three young athletes born after 2000, are the few Chinese athletes to win two gold medals in the Paris Olympics.
Among all the Olympic champions of the Chinese shooting team, only Yang Qian has won two gold medals (women's 10m air rifle and mixed team 10m air rifle) in a single Olympic Games (Tokyo). The 19-year-old Sheng Lihao tied Yang Qian's record in Paris and is naturally regarded as the current leader of Chinese men's air rifle.
Beijing News reporter Xu Bangyin Zhao Xue
