106 Moscow World Games-Mixed Team

◎【They shine like stars on a red flag】◎

The three girls walked down from the podium hand in hand, and when they took photos next to each other, everyone had a bright and happy smile.

They drove away those who shouldn't have appeared in the women's competition, and gave their all for every ball in their own game. Although they felt a little sad for not winning the gold medal, they did not feel regretful.

Because the medal hanging around my neck is very clean.

After completing all the procedures, different people passed by her back and forth. Zhu Qi didn't even know what job some of them were in charge of, but they also ran over to greet her enthusiastically and take pictures with her.

Zhu·Check-in Attractions·Qi

The joy of winning had already washed away the pain in his body, and Zhu Qi had long forgotten that his right foot was injured. If it weren't for the reminder from the cat next to him, Zhu Qi would probably have been dragged into their team as a mascot by these foreigners.

The national team was also filled with joy. They lost the men's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles brands in Tokyo, but this time they got them all back.

I was just about to go back and have a good rest, and discuss the roster for the mixed team competition tomorrow afternoon, when someone from the International Table Tennis Federation came over and said they wanted to do a group interview with the six members of the Chinese team participating in the competition.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of group interview should be conducted after the mixed group game.

However, the Chinese team's performance in this year's table tennis tournament was so impressive that everyone assumed it would also win gold in the mixed team competition over the next five days. Therefore, conducting interviews and releasing exclusive reports in advance helped boost sales.

Ren Xinhua suspected that the person the group really wanted to interview was Zhu Qi. Before the interview began, he told the six people, "I heard the US team has started signing Jamie up for the World Championships in October and the National Table Tennis Championships in November. Several national table tennis federations have since protested. While the decision on whether Jamie will be banned hasn't been made yet, the topic is a bit sensitive. You still have a mixed team match tomorrow, so there's no need to argue with them about this at this critical juncture."

Zhu Qi knew that Ren Xinhua mainly wanted to remind himself.

Although her public display of Jamie's tactics was not encouraged in the table tennis community, Ren Xinhua didn't say anything. Instead, she acquiesced to Zhu Qi's actions and let her vent her anger.

Xu Dong also felt that now that he had won the championship, his anger had mostly been released, and he didn't have to argue with these American kids anymore.

"You're now the world's newest 'Grand Slam' champion. There are bound to be many people looking to spot your mistakes, and every word you say could be interpreted and spread in different ways. So if they ask you about Jamie, don't answer or just give a perfunctory response. Whether 'her' can still compete in the future is a matter for negotiation between the national sports ministries and the ITTF. You don't need to get involved."

Xu Dong reminded him again, fearing that Zhu Qi would get excited and start speaking directly.

After finally winning a championship, I'll go back home calmly. I can say whatever I want at home, but I'd better be more reserved outside.

Zhu Qi nodded to indicate that he understood.

She reached out and touched the wound under her eyebrow where new flesh had grown, thinking that as long as the beauties played their games honestly, she would let them go. But she wasn't going to let them go, just this once.

Because they wanted to interview the entire Chinese team, the International Table Tennis Federation chose a relatively large venue, which looked similar to a press conference for celebrities.

Facing the reporters was a long table with six stools and microphones, and next to it were souvenirs for the competition: six very cute brown-gray teddy bears wearing World Games five-ring shirts.

The reporters were blocked by the yellow line and kept one meter away. There were about fifty or sixty of them, and they looked so crowded that it looked like a meeting of the Sports Bureau.

Zhu Qi found that his name was placed in front of the stool in the middle. Well, I'm afraid there will be a lot of problems waiting for him.

The coaches were still a little worried and stood at the door of the interview area waiting for the interview to end.

He Qianlu also followed. When he stood at the outside of the crowd, he saw six young men wearing red uniforms with yellow stripes. When they sat down together, there seemed to be a layer of isolation barrier around them.

The young children had calm faces and answered all the questions fluently while sitting in front of the reporters, as if they were no longer surprised by the scene before them.

If he were an ordinary college student, he would be just a fresh-faced college student who had just graduated or was still in school.

Zhu Qi, thrilled by his Grand Slam victory, felt the tingling pain in his right foot begin to return as he rested on a bench. The seats were so close together that Zhu Qi couldn't even lift his feet flat.

Xu Dong saw Zhu Qi's bandaged foot and discussed with Ren Xinhua beside him: "Bao Bao's injury this time is not light, much more serious than last time."

Ren Xinhua hummed, then said, "The World Games singles champion gets an extra two months of paid leave. Baobao happens to have no training plans during these two months, so we'll try not to schedule any matches for her. She'll focus on recovery."

Xu Dong meant the same thing.

Ligament strains can be serious or minor.

Sometimes surgery is not necessary and the disease can heal on its own.

But if it is not taken care of properly, it will become like the cat's shoulder, a bomb that explodes at irregular intervals.

Xu Dong did not plan to let Zhu Qi participate in the World Championship Cup in October, and directly submitted an application for withdrawal to the International Table Tennis Federation.

Anyway, Zhu Qi has won it many times. Now that Maomao and A Shui are here, the women's table tennis team has no shortage of main players.

After that, he fully prepared for Zhu Qi's second National Table Tennis Championships.

The questions reporters asked were basically the same ones: "Which match do you think was the toughest in this competition?", "What is your usual training plan?", "All six of you won gold medals this time. How do you feel?"...

Among them, Zhu Qi was the one who was asked the most questions.

At first, the reporters' questions were quite serious. One asked, "Zhu Qi, you're only 21 years old, yet you've already won every gold medal possible, achieving the honor of being the youngest to achieve a Grand Slam. Many coaches from foreign associations say you're no match for them now. Will future competitions feel less challenging for you?"

Zhu Qi thought about it carefully and said, "It's not that we don't have rivals. Our national team is full of talented players. If we slack off even a little, we'll be surpassed by our teammates. There's also a constant stream of young blood. We saw many promising players at this World Games, so I won't take it lightly and will prepare for the Riyadh match with the best attitude possible."

For example, Lulu from Pakistan, Jia Jia from the Hong Kong team, maybe there will be a few good young players emerging from the national team.

Although these kids are not famous now, according to Zhu Qi's observation, they are all very talented in touch and willing to work hard. If they develop well, they will definitely be able to make their own quarter-final appearances in the future.

Zhu Qi's fighting spirit was rekindled.

The double lap grand slam is also worth a try.

"During your match against Shackleides Jamie, you were accidentally hit in the eye by a towel rack, but the game was not affected by it. How did you manage to continue playing despite your impaired vision?" A reporter brought up the topic about Jamie, and others followed suit.

"Do you think Jamie is different from other female athletes you've met before?"

Zhu Qi now feels annoyed whenever he hears this person's name. These past two days, he has been bombarded with all kinds of information about Jamie.

Has the stupid ugly country started using this marketing routine now?

"I heard that you were injured during the match against the Japanese team. Did that affect your match with Jamie?"

Zhu Qi: “…”

Xu Dong tried his best to wink at Zhu Qi, asking her to hold back.

"Do you think Jamie has the qualities of a female athlete? Do you recognize her identity as a woman?" another reporter followed up with.

Zhu Qi looked at the coach next to him, his face full of expression that said "I can't stand it anymore."

Ah Shui didn't understand English, but he could feel that Zhu Qi's expression was gradually becoming impatient. He heard the name "Jamie" frequently, so he knew that the reporters must have provoked him again.

"Jamie is currently applying to compete in the World Championships and the National Table Tennis Championships. Do you think we should support her in continuing to compete, or boycott her like the Russian Federation?"

Zhu Qi took a deep breath.

Okay, she couldn't help it.

But before Zhu Qi could speak, another person moved the microphone faster.

Song Linzhou looked at the reporters who had just pressed on and said calmly in understandable English, "Excuse me. Although you're asking questions about contestant Zhu Qi, I watched contestant Jamie's entire match and have some thoughts that may answer your questions. I've read about some of the gender controversies that have arisen in major sporting events. Some female athletes are physiologically and medically female, but their testosterone levels are unattainable by ordinary female athletes. We respect the testing standards of the World Games Committee and every athlete participating in the event..."

Zhu Qi was listening nearby.

I didn't think so before, but this guy is still very logical when he talks about it.

"...But I think that instead of asking others whether they accept your 'transgender' athletes, you should think carefully about your own problems. Many of our national associations oppose transgender people from participating in the competition because of the mistakes and omissions of the International Table Tennis Federation in selecting participating athletes..."

Song Linzhou's words were too blunt, even more blunt than Zhu Qi intended. Zhu Qi was simply offering a few sarcastic remarks: "If you want to participate, then participate. If you lose, just bear it and stop crying. You may be a nobody, but at least you were a man once. Do you think you look more like a woman when you cry? What a vicious and mean stereotype about women."

"...Zhu Qi is the top active female athlete, and even beating Jamie was incredibly difficult. Is this fair to real female athletes? You keep asking others to give sexual minorities the opportunity to compete, but aren't you depriving real female athletes of their living space? If you continue to use such unreasonable standards for judging transgender people's hormone levels, there will be no female athletes on the field in the future because all teams will search everywhere for transgender people to participate in women's competitions in order to achieve results as quickly as possible."

After hearing the referee's translation of the last sentence, Qin Xiaoba and Daxiong both gave expressions of approval and nodded repeatedly.

Maomao chimed in, "Don't think this matter has nothing to do with you, gentlemen and ladies, reporters here. Once someone gets a taste of the sweetness of being a sexual minority, there will be countless more who will try to take shortcuts. Becoming a sexual minority will become a 'trend,' with countless people following suit. Who knows, maybe your own children will be among those who undergo surgery to gain gender dominance? Oh, and maybe you don't think this matter is that serious. After all, you sympathize with Jamie. Maybe you'd even approve of your children becoming transgender."

Zhu Qi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

That’s what we say, but why does it involve future generations?

It is indeed a Chinese tradition of cursing people, with the eighteen generations of ancestors as the diameter and the next nineteen generations as the outer circle.

Qin Xiaobay slammed the table. "Why waste so much time talking to them? I suggest that those who care about Jamie organize a competition for these sexual minorities at their own expense. They can enjoy whatever they like. We humans will play against humans, and you who don't know what minority groups are, go play by yourselves. Otherwise, expect to be surrounded by all the female athletes. This is the world's big stage, come on if you're not afraid of death."

"That's right. If you think 'her' life is not easy, then you can give her money and effort to open up a new track. What's the big deal about being generous to others?" A Shui followed up.

The six people talked to each other and scolded the reporters.

Players from other countries were very envious when they heard the interview with the Chinese team.

How can a person be so cruel?

The coaches' faces turned pale and black when they heard this. Well, they covered one person's mouth but not the other.

Seeing that the six children of the Chinese team were not being morally kidnapped by them, these reporters started to talk about other topics, desperately stuffing some sugar-coated bullets into them, praising Zhu Qi to the highest level in the world, but in the end, the truth was revealed.

I asked about other outsourced companies and also wanted to hear Zhu Qi analyze their skills and tactics.

These foreigners still underestimated Zhu Qi, thinking that if they praised him a few times, Zhu Qi would become arrogant and would dare to say anything.

She is not stupid and does not have the habit of being a know-it-all.

She dismantled Jamie because she was unhappy with him. If she revealed the skills and tactics of other outsourced companies, she would become the target of public criticism.

After the interview.

Qin Xiaoba hooked his arm around Song Linzhou's neck and joked, "Brother Ling, I didn't expect you to be so 'hard'. Since you're so good at talking, I should let you sit between me and my sister today."

Song Linzhou curled his lips and nudged Qin Xiaoba with his elbow: "Stop it, the coach looks unhappy. I think he'll get scolded soon."

Zhu Qi felt that Qin Xiaoba was not good at judging people. His brother Ling looked like a good student, but he actually had a rebellious heart, otherwise he would not have sneaked with him to the park to practice basketball.

As soon as Zhu Qi walked out of the interview area, he saw several people wearing American team uniforms.

Ah Shui tutted, "Why haven't they left yet? Isn't the competition over? They're not joining the mixed group. Why are they still hanging around here? Are they so bored because they have so much money?"

Maomao also saw them and didn't want to waste time talking to them, so he directed everyone to walk towards another passage: "Don't worry about them, let's go."

But sometimes people really like to be mean.

Zhu Qi was planning to let Jamie go, but "she" insisted on coming over and acting crazy.

"Why are you doing this? What good will it do you?!" Jamie first yelled at Zhu Qi in confusion, then clenched his fists angrily with a look of great injustice on his face.

Zhu Qi tilted his head deliberately: "What do you mean? Why don't I understand?"

"Why did you describe our match in such detail in front of the media?! You...you have no sportsmanship!"

Qin Xiaoba laughed out loud when he heard this. This old eunuch actually said that his sister had no competitive spirit. Isn't this going against Tiangang?

Zhu Qi suddenly realized, "Oh, that's what you're talking about? You've really misinterpreted my 'good intentions'. I said this because I hope you can resolve some of your problems and fight better in the future."

After Zhu Qi finished speaking, he almost wanted to vomit.

No, she thinks she likes tea.

Jamie kept glaring at Zhu Qi.

Are you kidding me? “She” isn’t stupid. The questions Zhu Qi asked are like asking herself why she didn’t switch from a horizontal racket to a penholder racket!

Friction first, then collision?

This is the most basic batting structure. How could it be too late for "her" to change it now?

Jamie actually felt like there were issues with her ball movement during the World Games, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The American team's coaching was mediocre, and the men's players were second-rate, even inferior to the quality of the Chinese provincial team. No one had told Jamie anything about her issues, so she simply dismissed them as a matter of national style and didn't take them seriously.

But! Zhu Qi revealed all of "her" underwear, letting others see her weakest spot!

Zhu Qi comforted Jamie, "From now on, abandon your entire previous technical framework and start practicing from the most basic stroke. Swing the racket again, stroke by stroke, like a child, and find the correct stroke. I believe that if you follow my instructions to correct your problems, within ten years—no, within eight years—you will definitely reach a higher level."

"..." Jamie. "Her" expression looked a little desperate. After losing to Maomao, Jamie knew Zhu Qi's intention. Zhu Qi just wanted him to not win a single match in the future so that everyone would know how to defeat him! "She" angrily said: "Why on earth did you do this? If you wanted to beat me, you already did it!"

Isn’t it just a gold medal?!

Isn’t it enough to just give “her” to China?!

There are three spots on the podium anyway, can't I just take one?!

Seeing Jamie like this, Zhu Qi knew that she couldn't even look at "her" with any respect. She sighed, staring into Jamie's green eyes, her lips curled up.

Zhu Qi spoke in a gentle tone, like Buddha chanting scriptures.

"Because you don't deserve it."

Jamie's face turned red instantly. His blood pressure rose after yelling, and all the blood accumulated in his head. His whole face was red and swollen, looking a little hideous.

"If you don't even have the courage to start over, how can you stand on the podium?"

Then... Jamie was dragged away by everyone on the American team.

"She" rolled on the ground, kicking her legs and cursing a series of English swear words, starting with "fuck" and ending with "Bitch".

Everyone watching nearby saw this scene.

Jamie, who initially felt like a king, was dragged away like a pig.

Everyone showed an expression of watching the fun...

Although the six children did not listen to the coach, Ren Xinhua did not seem angry.

Because it seems that these kids are no longer afraid of the American team.

Courage is important for athletes.

How can you achieve any results if you feel guilty before even fighting?

Buddha sighed after hearing this: "The ITTF will definitely issue a warning letter after reading this interview. It's not conducive to friendship between the two countries..."

"These kids aren't afraid, so why are you?" Ren Xinhua glanced at him and said, "Now that the kids have set an example for us old guys, if we still act cowardly, these kids will look down on us in the future."

Now that the children’s battle is over, as coaches we should create a fairer environment for them.

Ren Xinhua felt that it was uncertain whether the ITTF would contact her, but she was determined to go and stir things up there...

After returning to the World Games Village, the few people no longer cared whether the coach would scold them. Anyway, A Shui felt that Zhu Qi felt very comfortable scolding them.

After having fun, A Shui looked at Maomao's waist and Zhu Qi's feet and sighed again.

Maomao laughed and said, "Why? Are you afraid of being scolded by the coach?"

A Shui shook his head.

That’s not the case. The main reason is that Ah Shui suddenly felt that something he had thought about before seemed to have come true at this moment.

That was when he lost to Jin Lili in the last National Table Tennis Championships. A thought flashed through his mind - if both Maomao and Baobao were injured, what would happen to the entire national women's table tennis team?

At that time, A Shui didn't think this would really happen, but when such a situation really happened, A Shui felt that he should stand up and fill the third corner to make the entire women's table tennis triangle as solid as a rock.

A Shui volunteered to fight and wanted to take the women's singles position in the first mixed team match.

Athletes cannot ask coaches for quotas, but mixed teams can, because the participants are fixed and the lineup can be adjusted. If a player is particularly confident that he can win, he can definitely ask the coach to adjust the order of appearance.

Ren Xinhua saw Ah Shui so excited and knew she was in good shape. He nodded and said, "Okay, tomorrow we're playing against the Indian team. Judging from their performance in this World Games, their level is average. You can play in the women's singles and get some good training."

A Shui was very happy and jumped up and down with his racket to warm up.

But A Shui forgot one thing, that is, in the fourth game of women's singles - after winning the first three games of men's doubles, women's doubles and men's singles, A Shui didn't even have a chance to play.

She sighed and grabbed Qin Xiaoba's hair: "You don't even know to give way to the other side and give me a chance to play! I've been waiting in the waiting room for a long time!"

Qin Xiaoba, a towel hanging around his neck, sweating profusely, asked back, "What's going on? Are you asking me to fix the match?"

"How is that possible! I was just joking..."

Mixed groups are almost always green lights.

Although Maomao and Zhu Qi were injured, after they finished playing the women's singles match, their excitement was so high that it was hard to cool down. They kept this excitement and their hands were getting hotter and hotter.

But there’s another reason.

That is, they just won almost all the gold medals in table tennis.

When these foreign players saw the Chinese team, they inexplicably felt inferior.

Before the game even started, various mistakes began to occur frequently. Some players forgot to bring their rackets, some brought towels onto the court as rackets, and some even wore their jerseys backwards... causing a lot of jokes.

The Chinese team was unstoppable, winning almost every game in the first three games and advancing smoothly.

Because of his foot injury, Zhu Qi was basically scheduled to play in the fifth mixed doubles match.

The women's doubles and singles are headed by Maomao and A Shui.

Although Zhu Qi felt that Maomao's back injury was more serious than his, Maomao was in much better condition after acupuncture.

In the semi-finals, they met the Russian team. Zhu Qi and Xiao Snow had never played against each other in the women's singles. They had thought that there might be a chance for them to meet again in the fifth mixed doubles match, but Maomao lost to Xiao Snow in the fourth match with a score of [3:2] and the match ended early.

His teammates were so good at fighting...that Zhu Qi was almost bored to death in the waiting area.

She really didn't want to appear as if she had picked up a gold medal for nothing, and she also knew that Ren Xinhua wanted to train Ah Shui, letting Ah Shui play more singles and practice in mixed teams.

But the final was against North Korea, and North Korea would definitely let Xi Lingen play in the women's singles, so Ah Shui would probably be in trouble. It must be his turn now, right?

But no one expected that Ren Xinhua still put Zhu Qi in the fifth mixed doubles match.

Zhu Qi was unhappy all night, but the next day he discovered Ren Xinhua's military genius.

In the first men's doubles match, the Chinese team won.

In the second women's doubles match, the Chinese team won.

Because the North Korean team lost two games in a row and was the weaker side, they requested to change the order of the third game and go directly to the fifth mixed doubles game.

The North Korean team's thinking was simple. The North Korean men's team was average, relying almost entirely on Xi Ling'en. They likely couldn't win the third men's singles match, so they might as well jump to the fifth mixed doubles match, hoping to snag a set. Even if they didn't, the worst that could happen was a 3-0 loss to the Chinese team.

In fact, the North Korean team's idea is correct. If it were another national team, they might be able to win a game.

Because Song Linzhou had just finished his first men's doubles match with Qin Xiaoba, he had consumed a lot of energy and his physical strength had not yet fully recovered.

But there is a new Grand Slam in mixed doubles after all.

This final mixed team match was played similarly to the mixed doubles semi-final.

Even the personnel configurations of both sides are exactly the same.

Zhu Qi and Song Linzhou.

Xi Ling'en and Song Shuibo.

Zhu Qi's scalp was numb from the beating.

After playing mixed doubles with Xi Lingen, I played women's singles, and after playing women's singles, I played mixed team.

This is what happens to players of similar ability levels, who frequently meet each other in various competitions.

By the end of the fight, the bandages on Xi Ling'en's wrists had fallen off, and the bandages on Zhu Qi's feet had loosened.

The opponent has an anti-arc rubber and a "violin" racket, which is a configuration for a war of attrition.

Zhu Qi felt that this mixed doubles match was more tiring than the women's singles final, but fortunately she still won it with a score of [3:2].

The Chinese team won its sixth World Games gold medal!

Complete the mission successfully and return home in triumph!

Golden confetti fell from the sky, spreading across the extended team podium.

CCTV's camera slowly pans from left to right, capturing the faces of every Chinese athlete.

Finally, after ensuring that every contestant had successfully entered the country, the camera was zoomed out to take a frontal group photo of the six athletes.

——[Congratulations to the Chinese table tennis team for a complete victory in their expedition to Moscow!]

——[This time, the warriors went out to fight, and you all returned victoriously! 】

——【Six gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, a team of kings that has overturned all previous honors.】

The gold medal, embodied in sweat and hard work, the strategic planning of the coaches, and the day and night training of countless heroes behind the scenes, finally allowed the national flag to fly high for the sixth time.

They shine like stars on a red flag.

The war is over.

Zhu Qi looked up at the sky with a smile on his face.

She can finally go home.

【Author’s words】

Next is the victory result screen~ I picked out a few important matches during the Riyadh cycle~