In early September in Shanghai, the heat was still overwhelming.
It was an ordinary afternoon. In the tree-lined square of Yangpu Park , some people were dancing in the square, some were playing cards in the pavilion by the lake, some were running and exercising, and the orchestra was playing melodious melodies.
Ni Xialian , who has just finished her sixth Olympic trip, returned to her hometown of Shanghai. After getting off the plane, without even going to the hotel to put down her luggage, Ni Xialian came to Yangpu Park. When she walked into the park, the past came to mind, and she couldn't help but wipe the tears from her eyes, and said to her husband Tommy: "I haven't been here for more than 50 years. This used to be a restaurant. When I was a child, my father often took me to eat lotus root noodles... …”
Passers-by chatting with Ni Xialian
Along the way, people recognized Ni Xialian from time to time, and some happily chatted with her, “We went to the same elementary school” “I watch every game you play”... Ni Xialian While chatting with old neighbors or fans, he also responded to passers-by's photo requests: "I am very grateful for everyone's expectations and support for me, or this kind of love, I am very touched!"
Ni Xialian took photos with fans
Back Hotel, Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: "Everyone thinks that I am a winner in life, but in fact everyone has a different definition of winning. Everyone has different platforms, different opportunities, different abilities, and different backgrounds, which bring different situations. , the result. It doesn’t matter, just do your best. I am also trying to be myself, that’s all.” Looking back at the Paris Olympics, the three most memorable moments are “Shatou”. Team as a sparring partner
When talking about her Olympic experience, Ni Xialian always has a smile on her lips. There were three moments at the Paris Olympics that impressed Ni Xialian deeply.
first served as the flag bearer of the Luxembourg delegation. Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: "After all, I am a foreign face. They gave me this important task as a sign of their trust in me. I feel very touched."
However, Ni Xialian, who served as the flag bearer for the first time, had a small Regret: "We were on the boat that day. When we needed to face the camera, someone directed us to turn left. In fact, we should turn right, so the audience couldn't see our front on TV, which was a bit regretful. So I said this is a History is wrong, but it cannot be changed."
Ni Xialian said that the Olympic Village is a global village, and everyone is an athlete regardless of race, creed, religion, color, or gender. "We come together from all over the world and live in the same village. It would be great if we have a fair competition. Although there is only one champion, we enjoy the process."
Ni Xialian's husband "spreads dog food" in public
The second scene, Of course it was the showdown with Sun Yingsha .
The game ended in 0-4 without any suspense. Ni Xialian left the field amidst the applause of the audience. Halfway through, the shouts from the stands were still coming one after another. She couldn't control herself and cried. She hid her face in tears because of the emotion. "After the game, the audience stood up and applauded me. I didn't expect this. I was very surprised and moved. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife were also on the podium at the time. His wife rarely watched the game. Basically, She didn’t come out. She showed up this time, and I was very moved, and my fans also moved me.”
Ni Xialian and her husband went on a night tour of Shanghai’s Waibaidu Bridge, overlooking the landmark building in Lujiazui.
Among the three moments, she thought the most unforgettable one was. The day before the mixed doubles final, I served as a sparring partner for the Chinese team.
Ni Xialian said: "That day Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha's head coach Xiao Zhan came to me and asked me if I would like to be their sparring partner. I was a bit sensitive at first, because I was Sun Yingsha's next in the women's singles competition. Opponent. But everyone knows that there is a big gap between us in singles, so there is no taboo. "
" I said I am willing to do it. I think I can make a little contribution to Chinese table tennis. ."Ni Xialian, who was a sparring partner, did not have too much communication with Sun Yingsha, "Because the finals are coming soon, I am very nervous. I have been in the Chinese team for so many years, and I know that discipline is very strict, so I try to cause as little chaos as possible. For me, I try to create some difficulty for them during training and try to learn the playing style of the North Korean team players, so that they will be more relaxed during the game. That girl plays like me, left-handed, long rubber. North Korean athletes usually take part in few competitions, something the Chinese team has never seen before. Wang Chuqin, in particular, has never played the women's semi-long ball, but we have seen them in the mixed doubles trials of the World Table Tennis Championships. I was raised in China. To know how to be grateful, I will definitely give 100% within my ability. I think many people will do the same thing as me in this environment. So I said that I am very happy that I have this opportunity to help them a little bit. "
Competition and Smile
"We must strive to win, but we must also learn to lose"
The Paris Olympics made Ni Xialian even more popular.
Ni Xialian was well known to many Chinese audiences at the Tokyo Olympics. In the detailed reports of the domestic media at the time , she is a happy Chinese table tennis player living abroad, with an enviable happiness. The Paris Olympics is Ni Xialian’s sixth Olympic Games to represent Luxembourg. The older she gets, the more legendary she becomes. Today, Ni Xialian’s account has nearly 2 million followers. Even more than the total population of Luxembourg!
The most enviable thing about Ni Xialian is that she is happy when she wins and loses. But before going to Luxembourg, Ni Xialian was a "volume king" when she graduated from elementary school. She wanted to enter Jiangwan Sports School, but the coach refused to accept her because she was short. She cried and begged the coach, saying that she had not grown up yet, but the coach said that her parents were not tall and had no confidence in her. The coach was looking at Miaozi, and Ni Xialian participated in the training camp and stayed in it because of her first place. Later, Ni Xialian told this story in "People" magazine. Many years later, Ni Xialian was able to stay in the national team. The former coach told Ni Xialian that the reason why she was not sent back to her place was because she was too diligent, always trotting when picking up balls, and ranked first in cleaning.
Ni Xialian saw her on the roadside. Favorite fruit, beaming from ear to ear
Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: “When I was young, I was very naive and stupid, so I thought table tennis was fun. Then work hard and give it a try, it’s not bad. As a result, some teams dropped me because I was too small, which was a big blow. I feel like it’s not my fault because it’s unfair that I’m short. It was painful at the time. Thinking about it now, it is correct. Of course the coach should choose a better one, but it was unfair to me at the time. Moreover, my parents are very simple people and they would not teach me how to do it. Therefore, many times you have to face and bear it by yourself, which is very painful. "
In these environments, she learned to grow up slowly and learn to go on strong as a person. "Because I firmly believe that only when I am strong can I save myself. "The increasingly strong Ni Xialian attaches great importance to winning or losing in the game: "Because when I was a child, I thought about how important winning and losing were, and it was difficult to control myself. I often cried when I lost.
Until now, Ni Xialian often wakes up in her dreams because she didn't catch the ball from her opponent: "The table tennis ball has penetrated into my bone marrow, or it has penetrated into my cells." "
Ni Xialian met a fan by chance and took a group photo with enthusiasm.
After leaving the national team, Ni Xialian returned to her hometown of Shanghai and entered the Science and Technology English Class of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
After studying for several years, Ni Xialian decided to go abroad. After coming to Luxembourg, Ni Xialian's table tennis philosophy There has been a huge change. She said she learned another philosophy in Luxembourg: "I always say that we should live to learn, there is always something to learn in this life. I can still compete internationally, which also marks a little bit of experience or gain in my studies. If my skills hadn't kept pace with the times, it would have been difficult for me to stay where I am now.Of course, I also need to learn many other aspects. My husband has given me a lot of help with , and I have accepted some of his ideas. We win together, we lose together, it doesn’t matter whether we win or lose... He taught me many, many concepts, and I learned a lot from him. ”
Ni Xialian introduced her husband Tommy to the park she often visited when she was a child.
Ni Xialian said that as a professional athlete, it is a bounden duty and responsibility to win every victory: “ We have to strive to win, but we have to learn to lose. How to learn to lose in ? At least you have to work hard until the last point. Then you have to accept the reality politely and rationally, and you have to respect the other party politely. I think this is very important. As I grow older and more experienced, I pay more and more attention to this aspect. You didn’t know it when you were young, but later on, you will feel that respecting the other person is important. "
Ni Xialian believes that winning and losing are temporary, and a spirit is eternal. "We are public figures. I hope to set a good example for everyone, especially the children. We must lose gracefully and respect each other when we lose. The Olympic spirit is fair competition. As long as we work hard, it doesn't matter if we lose. So I hope that everyone can respect each other and work hard to perform at their own level. That's enough. "
Will you still participate in the Olympics in four years?
"I don't need records or miracles, just let nature take its course."
The development of table tennis around the world is extremely uneven, especially in Luxembourg, which has a population of only more than 600,000 In this country, table tennis is not popular, and it is not that difficult for Ni Xialian to participate in the Olympics. In her account to the Red Star News reporter, she said that she had always had a Buddhist mentality and had not deliberately pursued any record.
As early as 1996. Ni Xialian had the opportunity to represent Luxembourg in the Atlanta Olympics because she was the European champion that year, but she gave up her qualification for the Olympics.
In 2000, Ni Xialian participated in the Sydney Olympics. "It was a coincidence that our club was going to play in the European Cup at that time. , I was still in the top 12 in Europe at that time, because my ranking was always very high. After the Luxembourg national team saw my situation, they hoped that I could participate in the European Championships. They convinced me later, and eventually I won the runner-up place, ranked second in Europe in singles, and was automatically selected for the Olympics. "
Ni Xialian "discussed football skills" with Shanghai citizens
Ni Xialian did not go to Athens in 2004. "I gave birth to a child at that time, and I felt old again. The most important thing is that I think I should give my daughter some time after she was born. I am still very happy thinking about it now. "
In 2008 Beijing, she had already retired, "Beijing has never hosted the Olympic Games, I want to support it! I have returned to China many times, but it was 22 years later that I returned to Beijing. I left in 1986 and came back in 2008. At that time, I also went to the original training place to take a look and walk around. After "
" finished playing in the Beijing Olympics, the Luxembourg Table Tennis Association came to me again, three times, hoping that I would help play in the London Olympics. So I went to London to play again, and my children said it was fun and wanted to see me play, so I insisted on playing in Rio in 2016. "
came back from Rio, and the Luxembourg Table Tennis Association came to her again and advised her not to retire and to persist. "I signed another contract with the Table Tennis Association to play in the second European Games. In that competition, I won the Tokyo Olympics again. If you are qualified, then let’s fight. "It only took 3 years for
to go from Tokyo to Paris. "Because it was 3 years, I thought I would just stick with it a little longer, so I went to Paris. "
Ni Xialian said that good health is the most important thing. "In the past, my parents were more casual with themselves and always focused on their children. They did not care enough for themselves, so I I feel very sorry. I just thought of myself, and living healthily is the best gift to our children. Others think it's hard for me when I play basketball, but I know that this is within the scope of my abilities. I usually don’t practice much. I take a break when I’m tired, play when I have time, and don’t play when I don’t. Family always comes first.It’s impossible to play football first because we have family responsibilities. "
Ni Xialian shed tears when talking about her parents
Four years later, will Ni Xialian still go to Los Angeles? After all, she will be 65 years old by then. Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: " I am not considering this issue now. Four years is a long time and it is a challenge for every athlete, not just me. 26-year-old players are different when they are 30 years old, different from 30 to 34 years old, and even different from 61 to 65 years old. For me, I don’t need records for , I don’t need miracles, I just need to do my best, and don’t force . I am willing to work with everyone to realize their dreams, but life may be ruthless in many cases. At least everyone is healthy and happy. The most important thing is to let nature take its course. In other words, let nature take its course. "
Regarding when she will bid farewell to table tennis, Ni Xialian said: "I have not considered this issue now. I have also thought that one day I will really bid farewell to the table tennis arena. I have been thinking about this for many years, and now I can’t bear to think about what it will be like that day. So I say that the most painful thing in life is goodbye. There are many goodbyes in life. I used to be reluctant to say goodbye to my family every time I competed in national competitions, and I would cry a lot of the time. But we got through it, and now saying goodbye is of course even more difficult.
In early September in Shanghai, the heat was still overwhelming.
It was an ordinary afternoon. In the tree-lined square of Yangpu Park , some people were dancing in the square, some were playing cards in the pavilion by the lake, some were running and exercising, and the orchestra was playing melodious melodies.
Ni Xialian , who has just finished her sixth Olympic trip, returned to her hometown of Shanghai. After getting off the plane, without even going to the hotel to put down her luggage, Ni Xialian came to Yangpu Park. When she walked into the park, the past came to mind, and she couldn't help but wipe the tears from her eyes, and said to her husband Tommy: "I haven't been here for more than 50 years. This used to be a restaurant. When I was a child, my father often took me to eat lotus root noodles... …”
Passers-by chatting with Ni Xialian
Along the way, people recognized Ni Xialian from time to time, and some happily chatted with her, “We went to the same elementary school” “I watch every game you play”... Ni Xialian While chatting with old neighbors or fans, he also responded to passers-by's photo requests: "I am very grateful for everyone's expectations and support for me, or this kind of love, I am very touched!"
Ni Xialian took photos with fans
Back Hotel, Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: "Everyone thinks that I am a winner in life, but in fact everyone has a different definition of winning. Everyone has different platforms, different opportunities, different abilities, and different backgrounds, which bring different situations. , the result. It doesn’t matter, just do your best. I am also trying to be myself, that’s all.” Looking back at the Paris Olympics, the three most memorable moments are “Shatou”. Team as a sparring partner
When talking about her Olympic experience, Ni Xialian always has a smile on her lips. There were three moments at the Paris Olympics that impressed Ni Xialian deeply.
first served as the flag bearer of the Luxembourg delegation. Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: "After all, I am a foreign face. They gave me this important task as a sign of their trust in me. I feel very touched."
However, Ni Xialian, who served as the flag bearer for the first time, had a small Regret: "We were on the boat that day. When we needed to face the camera, someone directed us to turn left. In fact, we should turn right, so the audience couldn't see our front on TV, which was a bit regretful. So I said this is a History is wrong, but it cannot be changed."
Ni Xialian said that the Olympic Village is a global village, and everyone is an athlete regardless of race, creed, religion, color, or gender. "We come together from all over the world and live in the same village. It would be great if we have a fair competition. Although there is only one champion, we enjoy the process."
Ni Xialian's husband "spreads dog food" in public
The second scene, Of course it was the showdown with Sun Yingsha .
The game ended in 0-4 without any suspense. Ni Xialian left the field amidst the applause of the audience. Halfway through, the shouts from the stands were still coming one after another. She couldn't control herself and cried. She hid her face in tears because of the emotion. "After the game, the audience stood up and applauded me. I didn't expect this. I was very surprised and moved. The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife were also on the podium at the time. His wife rarely watched the game. Basically, She didn’t come out. She showed up this time, and I was very moved, and my fans also moved me.”
Ni Xialian and her husband went on a night tour of Shanghai’s Waibaidu Bridge, overlooking the landmark building in Lujiazui.
Among the three moments, she thought the most unforgettable one was. The day before the mixed doubles final, I served as a sparring partner for the Chinese team.
Ni Xialian said: "That day Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha's head coach Xiao Zhan came to me and asked me if I would like to be their sparring partner. I was a bit sensitive at first, because I was Sun Yingsha's next in the women's singles competition. Opponent. But everyone knows that there is a big gap between us in singles, so there is no taboo. "
" I said I am willing to do it. I think I can make a little contribution to Chinese table tennis. ."Ni Xialian, who was a sparring partner, did not have too much communication with Sun Yingsha, "Because the finals are coming soon, I am very nervous. I have been in the Chinese team for so many years, and I know that discipline is very strict, so I try to cause as little chaos as possible. For me, I try to create some difficulty for them during training and try to learn the playing style of the North Korean team players, so that they will be more relaxed during the game. That girl plays like me, left-handed, long rubber. North Korean athletes usually take part in few competitions, something the Chinese team has never seen before. Wang Chuqin, in particular, has never played the women's semi-long ball, but we have seen them in the mixed doubles trials of the World Table Tennis Championships. I was raised in China. To know how to be grateful, I will definitely give 100% within my ability. I think many people will do the same thing as me in this environment. So I said that I am very happy that I have this opportunity to help them a little bit. "
Competition and Smile
"We must strive to win, but we must also learn to lose"
The Paris Olympics made Ni Xialian even more popular.
Ni Xialian was well known to many Chinese audiences at the Tokyo Olympics. In the detailed reports of the domestic media at the time , she is a happy Chinese table tennis player living abroad, with an enviable happiness. The Paris Olympics is Ni Xialian’s sixth Olympic Games to represent Luxembourg. The older she gets, the more legendary she becomes. Today, Ni Xialian’s account has nearly 2 million followers. Even more than the total population of Luxembourg!
The most enviable thing about Ni Xialian is that she is happy when she wins and loses. But before going to Luxembourg, Ni Xialian was a "volume king" when she graduated from elementary school. She wanted to enter Jiangwan Sports School, but the coach refused to accept her because she was short. She cried and begged the coach, saying that she had not grown up yet, but the coach said that her parents were not tall and had no confidence in her. The coach was looking at Miaozi, and Ni Xialian participated in the training camp and stayed in it because of her first place. Later, Ni Xialian told this story in "People" magazine. Many years later, Ni Xialian was able to stay in the national team. The former coach told Ni Xialian that the reason why she was not sent back to her place was because she was too diligent, always trotting when picking up balls, and ranked first in cleaning.
Ni Xialian saw her on the roadside. Favorite fruit, beaming from ear to ear
Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: “When I was young, I was very naive and stupid, so I thought table tennis was fun. Then work hard and give it a try, it’s not bad. As a result, some teams dropped me because I was too small, which was a big blow. I feel like it’s not my fault because it’s unfair that I’m short. It was painful at the time. Thinking about it now, it is correct. Of course the coach should choose a better one, but it was unfair to me at the time. Moreover, my parents are very simple people and they would not teach me how to do it. Therefore, many times you have to face and bear it by yourself, which is very painful. "
In these environments, she learned to grow up slowly and learn to go on strong as a person. "Because I firmly believe that only when I am strong can I save myself. "The increasingly strong Ni Xialian attaches great importance to winning or losing in the game: "Because when I was a child, I thought about how important winning and losing were, and it was difficult to control myself. I often cried when I lost.
Until now, Ni Xialian often wakes up in her dreams because she didn't catch the ball from her opponent: "The table tennis ball has penetrated into my bone marrow, or it has penetrated into my cells." "
Ni Xialian met a fan by chance and took a group photo with enthusiasm.
After leaving the national team, Ni Xialian returned to her hometown of Shanghai and entered the Science and Technology English Class of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
After studying for several years, Ni Xialian decided to go abroad. After coming to Luxembourg, Ni Xialian's table tennis philosophy There has been a huge change. She said she learned another philosophy in Luxembourg: "I always say that we should live to learn, there is always something to learn in this life. I can still compete internationally, which also marks a little bit of experience or gain in my studies. If my skills hadn't kept pace with the times, it would have been difficult for me to stay where I am now.Of course, I also need to learn many other aspects. My husband has given me a lot of help with , and I have accepted some of his ideas. We win together, we lose together, it doesn’t matter whether we win or lose... He taught me many, many concepts, and I learned a lot from him. ”
Ni Xialian introduced her husband Tommy to the park she often visited when she was a child.
Ni Xialian said that as a professional athlete, it is a bounden duty and responsibility to win every victory: “ We have to strive to win, but we have to learn to lose. How to learn to lose in ? At least you have to work hard until the last point. Then you have to accept the reality politely and rationally, and you have to respect the other party politely. I think this is very important. As I grow older and more experienced, I pay more and more attention to this aspect. You didn’t know it when you were young, but later on, you will feel that respecting the other person is important. "
Ni Xialian believes that winning and losing are temporary, and a spirit is eternal. "We are public figures. I hope to set a good example for everyone, especially the children. We must lose gracefully and respect each other when we lose. The Olympic spirit is fair competition. As long as we work hard, it doesn't matter if we lose. So I hope that everyone can respect each other and work hard to perform at their own level. That's enough. "
Will you still participate in the Olympics in four years?
"I don't need records or miracles, just let nature take its course."
The development of table tennis around the world is extremely uneven, especially in Luxembourg, which has a population of only more than 600,000 In this country, table tennis is not popular, and it is not that difficult for Ni Xialian to participate in the Olympics. In her account to the Red Star News reporter, she said that she had always had a Buddhist mentality and had not deliberately pursued any record.
As early as 1996. Ni Xialian had the opportunity to represent Luxembourg in the Atlanta Olympics because she was the European champion that year, but she gave up her qualification for the Olympics.
In 2000, Ni Xialian participated in the Sydney Olympics. "It was a coincidence that our club was going to play in the European Cup at that time. , I was still in the top 12 in Europe at that time, because my ranking was always very high. After the Luxembourg national team saw my situation, they hoped that I could participate in the European Championships. They convinced me later, and eventually I won the runner-up place, ranked second in Europe in singles, and was automatically selected for the Olympics. "
Ni Xialian "discussed football skills" with Shanghai citizens
Ni Xialian did not go to Athens in 2004. "I gave birth to a child at that time, and I felt old again. The most important thing is that I think I should give my daughter some time after she was born. I am still very happy thinking about it now. "
In 2008 Beijing, she had already retired, "Beijing has never hosted the Olympic Games, I want to support it! I have returned to China many times, but it was 22 years later that I returned to Beijing. I left in 1986 and came back in 2008. At that time, I also went to the original training place to take a look and walk around. After "
" finished playing in the Beijing Olympics, the Luxembourg Table Tennis Association came to me again, three times, hoping that I would help play in the London Olympics. So I went to London to play again, and my children said it was fun and wanted to see me play, so I insisted on playing in Rio in 2016. "
came back from Rio, and the Luxembourg Table Tennis Association came to her again and advised her not to retire and to persist. "I signed another contract with the Table Tennis Association to play in the second European Games. In that competition, I won the Tokyo Olympics again. If you are qualified, then let’s fight. "It only took 3 years for
to go from Tokyo to Paris. "Because it was 3 years, I thought I would just stick with it a little longer, so I went to Paris. "
Ni Xialian said that good health is the most important thing. "In the past, my parents were more casual with themselves and always focused on their children. They did not care enough for themselves, so I I feel very sorry. I just thought of myself, and living healthily is the best gift to our children. Others think it's hard for me when I play basketball, but I know that this is within the scope of my abilities. I usually don’t practice much. I take a break when I’m tired, play when I have time, and don’t play when I don’t. Family always comes first.It’s impossible to play football first because we have family responsibilities. "
Ni Xialian shed tears when talking about her parents
Four years later, will Ni Xialian still go to Los Angeles? After all, she will be 65 years old by then. Ni Xialian told the Red Star News reporter: " I am not considering this issue now. Four years is a long time and it is a challenge for every athlete, not just me. 26-year-old players are different when they are 30 years old, different from 30 to 34 years old, and even different from 61 to 65 years old. For me, I don’t need records for , I don’t need miracles, I just need to do my best, and don’t force . I am willing to work with everyone to realize their dreams, but life may be ruthless in many cases. At least everyone is healthy and happy. The most important thing is to let nature take its course. In other words, let nature take its course. "
Regarding when she will bid farewell to table tennis, Ni Xialian said: "I have not considered this issue now. I have also thought that one day I will really bid farewell to the table tennis arena. I have been thinking about this for many years, and now I can’t bear to think about what it will be like that day. So I say that the most painful thing in life is goodbye. There are many goodbyes in life. I used to be reluctant to say goodbye to my family every time I competed in national competitions, and I would cry a lot of the time. But we got through it, and now saying goodbye is of course even more difficult.”
Red Star News reporter Ou Peng Jiangshan
editor Bao Chengli
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