In-depth｜Going beyond winning or losing and reaching people’s hearts, reflecting the beauty of human nature is the true interpretation of the Olympics
2024-08-14
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As the Paris Olympics came to an end, the Chinese delegation won an outstanding result of 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in this Olympics.
But the charm of competitive sports goes far beyond the medals themselves: the figures of athletes giving their all and fighting bravely on the field are still shining, and the scenes of them appreciating and encouraging each other off the field are still moving. When these moving scenes inside and outside the field come together, they become a vivid interpretation of the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger - More United".
The power of inheritance
The Olympic Games arena is always full of the power of inheritance. It is the inheritance of generations of athletes that gives Chinese sports an endless energy.
After the men's singles table tennis final, the champion Fan Zhendong hugged his head coach Wang Hao tightly. Wang Hao couldn't help but kiss Fan Zhendong on the forehead and held Fan Zhendong high in his arms.
In 2004, Wang Hao lost the gold medal in the Athens Olympics; in 2024, his disciple Fan Zhendong won the Olympic championship. From Athens to Paris, in 20 years, Wang Hao lifted not only the new Grand Slam player, but also the younger self. This gold medal is not only the perfection of the master and apprentice spanning 20 years, but also the persistence and inheritance of a generation of national table tennis players.
Also in the table tennis arena, in the women's singles round of 32, 23-year-old Chinese player Sun Yingsha played against 61-year-old Luxembourg Chinese veteran Ni Xialian. After losing the last ball, Ni Xialian smiled and turned around, then shook hands and hugged Sun Yingsha, giving her most sincere congratulations. This is the inheritance of the "world's first" and "world's only" torch.
It is worth mentioning that before the Chinese team's mixed doubles match, Ni Xia Lian was invited by the Chinese team to serve as a sparring partner for the "Shatou" combination and provide assistance for their mixed doubles match. Ni Xia Lian said: "I am very happy to have such an opportunity to repay my motherland and the Chinese team and to remove a little bit of obstacles for them on the road to winning the championship."
In the men's 4×100m medley relay event, after Sun Jiajun, who came on as a substitute, won the gold medal with his teammates, he took out a banner with a photo of his senior Yan Zibei. Sun Jiajun said emotionally: "I want to tell my coach Zheng and team leader Yan that I did it."
Three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, Yan Zibei burst into tears after winning the silver medals in the men's and women's 4×100 medley relay: "This may be the closest I've ever been to a championship. It's a pity that my coach didn't become the coach of an Olympic champion."
Three years later, Yan Zibei missed the Paris Olympics due to injury. Sun Jiajun, who was from the same school as Yan Zibei, took over the baton from his senior and fulfilled their common dream.
Sports without Borders
In this Olympics, the competition among athletes on the field did not affect their mutual respect off the field.
At the mixed doubles table tennis award ceremony, South Korean player Lim Jong-hoon raised his phone to take a selfie, while Sun Yingsha enthusiastically called North Korean player Kim Geum-eun to stand next to her, and then invited South Korean player Shin Yu-bin to join. As North Korean male player Lee Jung-sik took his place, Lim Jong-hoon counted down three times, and the six players from China, North Korea and South Korea smiled at the camera together, leaving this precious group photo.
This scene made netizens sigh: "This is the meaning of the Olympics. The small ball pushes the big ball. The world should be so beautiful!"
In the semi-finals of the women's singles badminton at the Paris Olympics, Carolina Marin of Spain sprained her knee in the middle of the second round of the fierce battle with He Bingjiao of China and had to withdraw from the game. At the award ceremony for the women's singles badminton, He Bingjiao, who won the silver medal, stepped onto the podium holding a badge of the Spanish Olympic Committee. In an interview after the game, He Bingjiao said that the badge was given to her by the Spanish team, "I hope Marin can see it, and I hope she can be with us on the podium."
When Chinese male gymnast Wang Zisai won the silver medal in the trampoline competition, Litvinovich, who won the gold medal, walked through the crowd, came to Wang Zisai, gave him a big hug, and gave him a "pat on the head" to show his encouragement. The two Chinese athletes also opened their arms and gave Ivan the most sincere hug.
Litvinovich from Belarus participated in the Olympics as a neutral athlete. He successfully defended his trampoline title. However, after winning the championship, he did not have the national flag, national anthem, or team uniform, and no one even cheered for him. Until the last group photo session, the Chinese athletes Wang Zisai and Yan Langyu, who won the silver and bronze medals, hugged Litvinovich tightly, and all three of them showed smiles from the heart.
At this moment, there is only mutual respect and appreciation among the competitors, which is the Olympic spirit that transcends national boundaries.
More than a champion
In the story of competitive sports, success is important, but it is equally important to look at victory and defeat more rationally.
In the men's 73kg weightlifting competition, Shi Zhiyong failed to complete three clean and jerks despite leading his opponent by 10kg in the snatch, and missed the podium. In an interview after the game, Shi Zhiyong apologized to everyone with tears in his eyes: "When I lifted 191kg in the third set of clean and jerk, I flipped over and found that my muscle was broken. I heard a 'click' in my muscle. It seems that my left leg adductor muscle was broken. I'm sorry everyone."
Throughout the Paris Olympic cycle, Shi Zhiyong has been affected by injuries. He has received more than 50 injections, and the acupuncture needles filled a 5-liter beverage barrel.
In the post-match comment section, netizens consoled: "Why do you have to apologize? You didn't do anything wrong!" "You are sorry for everyone, but you are sorry for your own body!"
In the swimming competition, Ye Shiwen, who stood on the Olympic stage again after eight years, failed to win a medal, but she was all smiles when she was interviewed: "I don't think I have any regrets this time."
When sprinting for the Tokyo Olympics, Ye Shiwen chose to make a comeback after retiring, but ultimately failed to get an Olympic spot by 0.01 seconds. In the Paris Olympic cycle, Ye Shiwen, who made her second comeback, was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, but she still made it to the Paris Olympics with her 200-meter breaststroke performance.
After the Paris Olympics, Ye Shiwen wrote on social media: "Perhaps this result is not perfect in the eyes of many people, but for Ye Shiwen herself, who has experienced the life of Ye Shiwen, it is enough to enjoy and be happy enough to start again when the next opportunity comes."
"12 years have passed, and I have swum from London to Paris. Where will 'Old Leaf' be after 12 years? I don't know. But what is certain is that I will still be in the swimming pool, floating up and down, and moving forward."
Lang Ping once said: "A foreign reporter once asked me why you Chinese people attach so much importance to winning or losing a volleyball game. I said, because our hearts are not strong enough. One day when our hearts are strong, we will not regard winning as the only value of the game."
Today, we are no longer limited to the "gold medal theory", but instead magnify the personalities of athletes, allowing the public to see their true nature, just like ordinary people.
When athletes can look at failure maturely and tolerantly, and when netizens send their care and blessings to athletes who compete with injuries, these are all reflections of the progress of the social environment, the truly glorious aspects of human nature, and the true meaning of the Olympic spirit.
The Paper reporter Hu Jie and intern Liu Jiahe
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