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As he led the team to win the men's team gold medal, the question Ma Long was asked most often was whether this was his last Olympics. Ma Long said: "The Paris Olympics is my last dance."

Since being voted as the captain by his teammates before the 2014 Tokyo World Team Table Tennis Championships, the title of "Dragon Team" has been used for 10 years. In the past 10 years, Ma Long has achieved an unprecedented "double Grand Slam", leaving a strong mark on his personal honor book. More importantly, he has led the glorious collective of the national table tennis team to the top of the world time and time again, winning glory for the national table tennis team, Chinese sports, the motherland and the people. As Ma Long said in an interview with reporters before the Paris Olympics: "I still like people to call me 'Dragon Team', which proves that I can play a role in the Chinese table tennis team. Being the captain is a very honorable thing, and it is more in line with my identity as an athlete."

The Paris Olympics was Ma Long's fourth Olympics, and the men's team gold medal he won with his teammates was also his sixth Olympic gold medal. The 36-year-old Ma Long surpassed "five-time gold medal winners" Zou Kai, Wu Minxia, ​​and Chen Ruolin, and "exclusively occupied" the first place in my country's Olympic gold medal list. Moreover, this sixth gold was a team gold medal, a gold medal that incorporated more people's expectations and strength.

Ma Long has an indissoluble bond with team events - of the 31 world championships he has won so far, 13 are team championships. Ma Long is helping the team, and the team is also making Ma Long successful. It's a two-way journey, nothing more than that.

Ma Long played different roles in four Olympic Games. In this Olympics, Ma Long was the only one among the three team members to participate in one competition, and he changed from a "sharp knife" to a "ballast stone". Even so, during the closed training in Chengdu, he still completed every training session without compromise, adjusted his competitive state, and put more energy into doubles, trying different tactics and combinations, hoping to win the crucial "doubles first point" for the national table tennis team in every game.

After arriving in Paris, he was also the one who trained the hardest. After completing the doubles training, he would also serve as a sparring partner for Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong to help them get into shape as soon as possible. Ma Long said that he would often communicate with the two on weekdays, communicate about the game and some technical and tactical aspects, and wanted to help them within his ability. Wang Chuqin unexpectedly failed in the singles competition, and Ma Long was also encouraging his little brother in his own way. After each team game, Ma Long would praise Wang Chuqin unreservedly to help him regain his confidence. In the final against the Swedish team, Ma Long and Wang Chuqin won the first doubles match, which was the most impactful and the most difficult, and then witnessed Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin win successively on the sidelines. Even after winning the gold medal, Ma Long still did not forget to communicate with Wang Chuqin, and when he left the court, he kept reviewing the game with coach Wang Hao.

There was an interesting tidbit in the mixed interview area of ​​the Paris Olympics: After the Chinese men's table tennis team defeated the Indian team in the first game, an American reporter asked Ma Long a question "Why do you like table tennis so much?" Ma Long replied: "This sport has been with me for more than 30 years and I have very strong feelings for it. Because of table tennis, many people know me. It has brought me respect and honor, as well as many unforgettable and exciting moments, so I can't help but like it." This question and answer has also been widely circulated on major media platforms.

At the end of last year, Ma Long also answered similar questions about passion and motivation. He said: "It is responsibility. I am responsible for my own efforts and for myself. This responsibility makes me not give up easily. In fact, I often think about the question of motivation and want to find some different answers. Passion is definitely part of motivation. I still like playing basketball, studying, and training. I think this is a manifestation of passion. At the same time, I will think about whether I love playing basketball or the excitement on the court. The answer is both. And now I have a new answer. Motivation includes responsibility."

The call of "Team Dragon" made Ma Long a better person and also put more responsibilities on his shoulders. After serving as one of the "double flag bearers" of the opening ceremony of the Chinese sports delegation at the Paris Olympics, Ma Long told reporters: "As a flag bearer, I represent not only myself, but also the Chinese table tennis team as a whole. Each generation has its own struggles and long marches. Taking over the baton from our predecessors, we must work hard to continue the glory of the national table tennis team in Paris and spread the spirit of the national table tennis team and the spirit of Chinese sports."

Ma Long said: "I feel extremely proud and lucky to have participated in so many Olympic Games and won so many honors. I hope my experience can influence more young athletes to give everything for their dreams."

(Reprinted from page 2 of China Sports Daily on August 10)