98 Moscow World Games-Women's Singles
◎The women's singles semi-finals were surprisingly brutal.◎
Zhu Qi successfully advanced to the quarterfinals.
Everyone on the Chinese team was so ecstatic that perhaps no one noticed Zhu Qi's discomfort.
But as Zhu Qi's supervisor, Xu Dong knew all of Zhu Qi's behaviors and subtle movements.
When the last ball landed, Zhu Qi seemed normal and did not show any pain or discomfort due to his foot injury.
But when he walked over, Xu Dong felt that Zhu Qi's right heel could hardly touch the ground, and he was almost walking on the forefoot.
Xu Dong asked her: "How is it? Is there any problem?"
Zhu Qi just shook his head but said nothing.
Xu Dong felt uneasy.
The team doctor just said that this sprain is likely to cause a strain on the ligaments that have not fully recovered.
A strain is the best outcome; the worst thing is a torn ligament.
After all, the problem occurred during the competition. All parts of the body are in an open state. Not only are they most vulnerable to injury, but the degree of injury will definitely be very serious.
All the onlookers gathered around, wanting to check on Zhu Qi's condition.
Zhu Qi said that he was fine while walking towards the gate to exit the stadium.
Now that so many eyes are watching him, Zhu Qi cannot show too obvious discomfort, otherwise it will be easy for the outside players to exploit his weaknesses, and the next game will be even more difficult.
But seeing Zhu Qi like this, everyone could only automatically form a human wall outside, and sent Zhu Qi on the bus back to the World Games Village without even doing a post-match interview.
Many foreign reporters wanted to interview Zhu Qi about his opinion on the game, but when they came to their senses, they found that he was gone, which was a great pity.
The Japanese team, which lost the game, also refused to be interviewed.
What else can they say?
He was able to win the game even after spraining his foot, and he even won three consecutive games after falling behind by two big scores.
This only shows that the women's table tennis team is indeed overwhelmed by the opponent, and there is no extra reason to justify it.
The Japanese coaches were all disheartened. When facing the athletes from other Japanese teams, the table tennis players could not even raise their heads. They wished they could turn themselves into as small as dust, pass by everyone and disappear immediately.
To promote Arihara, Japan has frequently brought her to international sporting events and has also participated in numerous events in the US and the West. The financial and personal investment in Arihara can no longer be simply measured in monetary terms.
All the investment that was once poured into Yuan Xiang ended up becoming a wedding dress made for others.
The Chinese team stole all the limelight. I heard that International Sports Weekly planned to do a separate interview with Zhu Qi, and even the last ball he played with Yuan Xiang was going to be included in the "Top Ten Balls of the Year" which is defined by the International Table Tennis Federation as one of the most exciting operations in the tournament that year.
Although this title does not come with any substantial rewards.
But for athletes, honor is also very important. If you want to package this person into a qualified "exhibit" in the future, then these honors will be the exquisite decoration of this "exhibit".
But all this was in vain.
It's really annoying no matter how you think about it.
Thinking of this, Japan's head coach Yuto Fukuda couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when looking at Hara Xiang. In the past, Hara Xiang's grandfather was the head of the Sports Bureau and he took good care of Hara Xiang.
Although before Yuan Xiang participated in the women's singles this time, she repeatedly promised herself that she would do her best to defeat Zhu Qi and even shaved her head to show her determination, it seems that Zhu Qi of the Chinese team is indeed Yuan Xiang's nemesis.
No, not just in the original fragrance.
She is the nemesis of everyone on the Japanese women's team.
Perhaps no one in the entire women's table tennis team can defeat Zhu Qi again.
In the men's singles, Matsukaze Ikto advanced to the semifinals and will next face Song Linzhou of the Chinese team. Fukuda believes that until Zhu Qi retires, unless the Japanese team can find another player with more potential than Hara Kaori, the entire Japanese team's focus should be on the men's team.
After much thought, Fukuda felt that there was no need for him to tolerate this "little princess" bullying the team.
"Zaiyuan, you worked hard in this competition."
Xiao Futian walked in front of Yuan Xiang.
When Yuan Xiang was sitting on the steps at the door, waiting for the car to pick her up with the team, she knew that the team would definitely take action against her when she heard Xiao Futian say this.
Her eyes were red, and she cried countless times from the time the competition ended to the time she changed her clothes.
The image of "sweet and lovely little sun" that the national team created for her has long been thrown into the Atlantic Ocean.
After losing the game, she is nothing.
"I think you should take a good rest next."
Fukuda's words nearly made Yuan Xiang fall down the stairs. Unable to react to what Fukuda meant, she stiffly asked, "W-what?"
"I think you should think clearly about your future plans. If you still want to play basketball, don't use it as a tool to achieve fame. Without talent, no matter how beautiful the 'gift box' you put on yourself, it will only be a pile of garbage inside."
Every word that Xiao Futian said was like a knife, stabbing into Yuan Xiang's heart, and stabbing deeper and deeper.
When the others heard this, they all lowered their heads slightly, not daring to look at Yuan Xiang and Xiao Futian, but their lowered faces showed an expression of watching a show.
Over the years.
Relying on the fact that she is the granddaughter of the director of the Sports Bureau's Management Department, Harahara Kaori usually orders everyone around the Japanese team. At such a young age, she is not even afraid of the coach and is just like a rich lady.
She even came in late and left early many times, and did not report her absences to her superiors. Because the TV station was going to make a personal documentary for her, the other players on the team had to make way for her.
A group of reporters crowded into the training hall, setting up a bunch of stands and cameras, which not only took up space but also affected the training of other players.
In the past, coaches dared not speak out and only occasionally complained to head coach Fukuda.
Others couldn't stand it anymore.
But judging by what Fukuda is saying...is he planning to just kick Ayarahara out of the Japanese team? Isn't that a bit too harsh a punishment? Would Ayarahara's grandfather agree?
Since joining the Japanese national team, Hara Kaori has always been the "best person" in the Japanese team.
She looked at the head coach in front of her who was usually kind to her, and suddenly spoke harshly and humiliatingly to her. Yuan Xiang's mind went blank and she couldn't say anything.
She only knew that not only did she lose the game, but the head coach also threw all her dignity to the ground and trampled on it.
Really, this is too much...
Did she want to lose?
She tried her best too!!
/
After returning to the World Games Village, the team doctor carefully examined Zhu Qi's right foot, then took an X-ray using the equipment provided by the Russian medical room. After studying it under the sun for a long time, he wrote and drew on paper.
A group of people surrounded Zhu Qi, and she sat on a folding chair listening to the team doctor diagnose her condition.
Bad news, ligament damage.
Good news, no rips.
After hearing this, Ah Shui was anxious and speechless. He looked at the team doctor and asked, "Doctor Wang, he's already injured. How can this be good news?"
Maomao nudged A Shui and explained, "Human ligaments are like elastic cords; they stretch as the bones twist. A direct rupture is the most serious, requiring surgery. The next most serious is a sprain, which is a tear but not a complete rupture. Then there's something like Baobao, a minor tear, considered a first-degree injury. With proper conservative treatment, it can heal on its own."
The team doctor nodded. "Yes, a complete tear can actually heal, but that's different from what you understand as healing. Ligaments are made of collagen fibers. They won't regenerate after a tear, but they can heal with scarring. Scar tissue is also made of collagen fibers... Of course, Zhu Qi's current condition isn't optimistic either, as he still has a game tomorrow. Even though he's not torn now, that doesn't mean he won't get further injured after the game."
Ah Shui frowned and said nervously, "Tomorrow we're playing against the American team..."
Ren Xinhua's expression was also a little solemn. It was not just Zhu Qi who had problems. Mao Mao's waist was also a big problem. Although it didn't seem serious after the injection, the strain in the past few days obviously made him feel a little unwell.
Zhu Qi will face the American team, and Maomao will face the North Korean team.
Xi Ling'en is not an easy player to beat either. Judging from her performance in this competition, her momentum is very fierce, and can almost be described as unstoppable.
Zhu Qi, Maomao, Xi Ling'en, and barely counting Jamie from the American team, these four athletes are currently the top performers in the women's competition.
Although Xi Ling'en rarely participates in external competitions, her level is still among the best, and she always brings back a badge every time she participates in a competition.
During the entire Moscow cycle, Zhu Qi lost four outsourcing battles.
Two of them were the annual Asian Cup and Asian Championships, and both times they lost to Xi Ling'en.
Including cats.
Xi Ling'en's arc defense style is very targeted at players like Maomao who combine power with arc. Ren Xinhua feels that tomorrow's match between these two children will not be easy. Maybe... No, we must prepare for the worst.
Maomao's match tomorrow will be 40 minutes earlier than Zhu Qi's.
If Maomao can defeat Xi Ling'en first and lock in the gold and silver medals in advance, the pressure on the US team will be greater, and perhaps Zhu Qi can have some psychological advantages.
Unexpectedly, the team doctor added: "Zhu Qi's most serious problem right now is not the ligament problem, but the swelling of the soft tissue around the instep and lateral ankle of his right foot, which indicates that there is inflammation. There is also fluid accumulation in the ankle joint..."
Zhu Qi looked down at the ankle of his right foot, which was obviously bulging out more than his left foot. He had just been thinking about this problem. If there was fluid accumulation, it would be troublesome and the pain would definitely be unbearable tomorrow.
The coaches also gasped and looked worried.
Xu Dong, in particular, immediately asked, "Is there any way to alleviate this situation as quickly as possible? We have a very important game tomorrow..."
"There's definitely no way to alleviate it for now..." The team doctor sighed. Even without him having to say it out loud, the others understood. Rest and recuperation are crucial for a ligament sprain, but Zhu Qi certainly couldn't afford that. So, the doctor could only prescribe a few anti-inflammatory pills and a bottle of safflower oil for Zhu Qi to take on his return trip.
But Zhu Qi still wanted to do some warm-up exercises for the evening. She said, "We still have serving practice today..."
Most importantly, she plans to practice her backhand loop more.
Ren Xinhua frowned: "You should go back and rest. When you just sprained it, it was an emergency. Maybe you can recover faster if you rest well."
Zhu Qi suggested: "My foot is injured. Find me a high stool to sit on. I just want to practice pulling the ball."
Um.
That's a good idea.
Ren Xinhua hesitated for a moment, then nodded after thinking it was feasible: "But you have to be careful and don't move around."
"Also..." Zhu Qi offered. "Just in case, I want to get a blocking injection."
/
Blocking injections are the worst option.
But Zhu Qi couldn't gamble on whether he could finish the race.
There were several times during the match against Yuan Xiang today when Zhu Qi gritted his teeth and struggled to keep running.
On the one hand, she didn't want her opponent to notice that she was unwell, but on the other hand, she had to endure the pain and hit the ball.
There were a few balls in the middle that could have been hit more perfectly, but due to some distortion in the operation, Yuan Xiang caught up with him by a few points.
Tomorrow's game against Jamie is very important.
The blocking injection only has the effect of relieving pain, but it has no cure effect.
This was also Zhu Qi's first time receiving a blocking injection.
As the needle pierced the skin of her ankle and the liquid inside was pushed deep into the bone gap, Zhu Qi suddenly remembered that when she was her age, Mao Mao had been injected more than a dozen times.
I used to think that injections were only a temporary solution and not a cure for the disease.
Some minor illnesses and pains can be tolerated.
But now facing such an important game, we must face it in the best condition no matter what.
Ah Shui watched from the side, feeling deeply distressed. She knew that getting injections was an athlete's fate, but since she met Zhu Qi, she had always felt that she was like a female warrior, always able to show the most passionate attitude. She had never thought that Zhu Qi would one day need injections...
After the injection, you have to wait until the bleeding from the needle hole stops before you can leave.
There were Chinese student volunteers in the infirmary. They got an antenna that could connect to domestic channels from somewhere, so they brought a Russian TV and plugged it into the TV.
The coaches took Maomao to check her back injury again, leaving A Shui to stay with Zhu Qi. The two of them sat in the infirmary and watched the news for a while.
After arriving in Moscow, although there was a TV in the suite, I never had the time to turn it on. Even when I did, it was all in Russian and I couldn't understand a word.
After finally being able to hear some Chinese, Zhu Qi leaned back on the plastic chair and didn't feel how tired he was anymore.
But there was nothing good to watch on TV. At this time, there were only some Hong Kong movies in the midday slot, which Zhu Qi had already watched.
A Shui pressed a few buttons and finally found the live broadcast of the World Games.
I had been planning to watch the games of other national teams and see how the badminton team performed, but I happened to see a post-match interview with the South Korean table tennis team on the screen.
The person speaking is the head coach of the South Korean team.
Zhu Qi didn't recognize him. He was a middle-aged man with a mole on the tip of his nose. He kept talking in English about how much South Korea had prepared for the table tennis tournament, how much the athletes had paid for the game, how heartbroken each of them was after losing the game, and so on.
Ah Shui didn't quite understand, as Zhu Qi basically relayed the English.
When I first heard it, it felt like some kind of post-match redemption by the South Korean team.
This time, South Korea's women's singles, men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles all lost.
Only one women's doubles team won the silver medal, and the results of the subsequent mixed team events are still unknown.
So I want to say more good things to prevent myself from being splashed with red paint after returning home.
But after the microphone was handed over to Han Taiyang next to him, the topic of the entire interview suddenly changed.
"I heard that the South Korean team sent a female athlete with a special identity. She came from your biggest rival, the Chinese team, and she also won the only table tennis medal for South Korea this time. We are very curious about her story." A blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign reporter opened the topic first.
These foreigners get very excited when talking about this kind of thing.
They especially like to see some countries that don’t like China and talk about some topics about China.
Zhu Qi felt that what was going to happen next would definitely not be anything that would make people happy, and she also wanted to see what else Han Taiyang would say.
"As you can see, this is our contestant Jin Lili." Han Taiyang first looked at Jin Lili next to him with a smile, and waited for Jin Lili to greet the reporters before continuing.
"I'm very pleased to be Kim Lili's head coach for the Korean team. We've been working together for two years now. Throughout this time, Kim Lili has proven to be a very motivated, serious, and hardworking player. Her spirit has inspired every player on our Korean team, including herself, who entered this World Games with the goal of standing on the podium."
When Ah Shui heard this, he realized something was wrong and grumbled, "What's the big deal? She only won the silver medal in women's doubles for the South Korean team. It's as if it was Sister Shushu's fault that she didn't win a medal in women's doubles at the Tokyo World Games."
Zhu Qi was not surprised at all that Han Sun could say this.
After Han Taiyang trained with the national team as a "foreign student" of the South Korean team, he returned to South Korea and slandered China in South Korea.
But looking at Han Taiyang, he still hasn't learned his lesson. His mouth is like a belt that can't be tied.
Zhu Qi mainly paid attention to Jin Lili. She felt that something was not right with Jin Lili. She kept her head down while sitting next to Han Taiyang.
No matter what Han Taiyang said, Jin Lili remained silent. She was so quiet that it was not like her style. She sat next to him like a transparent person.
It was not until Han Taiyang suddenly mentioned Jin Lili's name that Jin Lili raised her head as if awakened from a dream. When she looked at Han Taiyang beside her, there was a look of forbearance and helplessness in her eyes.
"Lily, please give us your summary of this competition." Han Taiyang still had a smile on his face, and his expression was the best interpretation of a smile with a knife hidden in the heart.
Jin Lili hesitated for a moment, then took the microphone from Han Taiyang. Then, taking a deep breath, she said, "Like Coach Han just said, I've prepared a lot for this competition. Although we lost to the Chinese team in the women's singles match, I tried my best. This loss only means I'm still some distance away from the podium. I will continue to work hard to make up for it in the future."
After saying that, Jin Lili put down the microphone, as if to say, "I'm done."
"..." Han Taiyang looked at Jin Lili, and the smile in his eyes suddenly dimmed, as if it had turned into a sharp scimitar.
What's going on?
Didn’t this damn girl agree on this before?
Lead the conversation towards Zhu Qi!!
Such a great opportunity, with so many foreign media outlets. He had begged countless reporters to come and create this opportunity for Jin Lili, and just threw it away like that?!
Even through the screen, Zhu Qi could feel Han Taiyang's murderous expression.
Han Taiyang seemed reluctant to end the interview so quickly, adding cryptically, "Kim Lili is a player with real potential. She wasted a lot of time and opportunities before. But after joining the Korean team, she integrated very well with the Korean coaches and players, and received a lot of help from her teammates. That's why, in just four years, she was able to go from a loss at the last World Games to a silver medal at this one."
"How shameless, bah." A Shui picked up the remote control and wanted to change the channel. He didn't want to see Han Taiyang and Jin Lili's faces anymore.
Zhu Qi stopped Ah Shui and said, "No, I want to hear what Jin Lili has to say."
Almost everyone in the Chinese team knew the reason why Jin Lili failed to win a medal in the last competition.
But the Korean people don't know that if Kim Lili insisted that she was treated unfairly by the Chinese team, they would absolutely not believe the Chinese team's explanation. They would definitely prefer to believe what they want to believe, firmly believing that the Korean team is a team that is inclusive, free, equal, and will give every dream chaser a chance.
If Kim Lili wants to integrate into South Korea, she can only betray her own country.
Jin Lili remained silent again, sitting next to Han Taiyang and continuing to act as an invisible person.
Seeing that she remained silent, the reporters began to nominate Jin Lili to answer questions. "Four years ago at the Tokyo World Games, you competed as a member of the Chinese team, but failed to advance to the finals. Furthermore, the coaching staff substituted you for the mixed team competition, replacing your then-teammate Zhu Qi. Later, you claimed a disagreement with the Chinese national team's philosophy and came to South Korea to develop your career. Could it be that being replaced in the mixed team was the reason you left China?"
Finally we come to the most critical topic.
Ever since Jin Lili left China, there have been a lot of speculation both at home and abroad.
Jin Lili's eyes were gloomy, and she looked a little weak, with a very gloomy face, but her voice was unusually calm when she spoke.
"It's actually very common for athletes to leave the national team to pursue careers abroad." It's just that other athletes haven't been as talked about as Jin Lili because of her unique status. First, she was once a key player on the national team, and second, the timing of her departure was sensitive: it coincided with the end of the Tokyo World Games and her decision to return to the provincial team. "Some leave because China is highly competitive, and joining another country offers a chance to compete in the World Games. Some do it for personal development, as other countries offer higher salaries. And some simply find the atmosphere and training system of other national teams more suitable. I basically have all of these characteristics. Another reason is that my family has jobs in South Korea, making it more convenient for me to be with them."
Jin Lili's answer to this question was very clever.
He didn't directly answer the reporter's question about whether he left China because he was removed from the national team. However, he did explain his reasons for leaving China, without giving the South Korean national team any face, and focusing on maintaining a level playing field.
This answer surprised Zhu Qi.
She felt like she had a stereotype about Kim Lili, thinking that Kim Lili would discredit the national team she once played for in order to live more comfortably in South Korea.
Not only Zhu Qi was surprised, but also Han Taiyang.
After Jin Lili finished speaking, Han Taiyang's expression became very bad, and he looked like a silent volcano that could erupt at any time.
Apparently, because they didn't get the answers they wanted, the reporters seemed a little unsatisfied after the meeting.
As the South Korean players left, they automatically separated themselves from Han Taiyang and Jin Lili. The two people behind them, a man and a woman, seemed to have automatically formed a barrier around them and silently followed behind the main group.
Jin Lili knew that Han Taiyang was very unhappy, so she wanted to take the initiative to explain why she didn't speak according to his words.
"Coach Han, I think I should still let my results speak for themselves. Even if I do what you say this time, what if I don't play well next time? Wouldn't that be like what happened to Japan's Arihara Kaori? We're not fools, and the truth will surely be known in the end... Don't worry, I will give my all in this year's National Table Tennis Championships. I will..."
“Bang!”
Han Taiyang threw the brown paper bag containing a stack of speech manuscripts in his hand at Jin Lili's head.
The bag opened up.
The documents inside slid down Jin Lili's head one by one and scattered at her feet.
The densely packed black words on the snow-white paper looked like ants crawling up along Jin Lili's feet.
She was a little dazed, and then she was filled with anger.
No one has ever dared to insult me like this!
Even if he is a coach...what makes him so?
Han Taiyang looked down at Jin Lili and sneered, "Just you? You want to beat Zhu Qi? Don't be ridiculous. You've studied for so long but you're still far behind her. You really are—useless."
Jin Lili's whole body was stiff, like a frozen fish just taken out of an ice cellar.
Yeah?
It's useless after studying for so long, so why did he force himself to imitate Zhu Qi completely?
Han Taiyang thought Jin Lili didn't know, but Jin Lili knew everything.
That's because the South Korean team needs someone who can be a sparring partner for Zhu Qi. Even if he can't play well, it would be good to be a sparring partner for other members of the team.
She went from China to South Korea, from the trial training venue to the World Games, all by herself!
Han Taiyang...what had he done for her? Nothing, and he still wanted her to be a Korean dog.
If she really did what Han Taiyang said, she would really have no way out.
Watching Han Taiyang's back as he walked away.
Jin Lili couldn't hold it back any longer. Her tears rolled down her eyes and fell one by one at her feet, where even her toes were trembling.
asshole.
They are all a bunch of bastards!
No.
Actually, that’s not true… When I was on the national team…
It was as if something was guiding her. Although no one called her, Jin Lili still looked back at the other end of the corridor.
Through layers of people, different hair colors and races, she accurately found that patch of red.
In the crowd, Chang Hongxia took Maomao to see a doctor for her back injury.
They only appeared for a second at the end of the corridor, but Jin Lili watched them for a long time.
When she saw Chang Hongxia, Jin Lili suddenly remembered that she had finally been promoted from the second team to the first team, and was assigned to the group under the same supervisor as Chang Hongxia.
At that time, Sister Xia was very good to her...
In fact, the training methods of the second team and the first team are completely different. The training of the second team is actually more intensive than when they first joined the first team as sparring partners.
When Jin Lili was on the second team, she was an outstanding top student and was always well-received by the second team coaches. However, after joining the first team, she had to start as a sparring partner, accompanying the senior players in training every day. Since she had no training plan of her own, the coaches were particularly harsh on her.
Jin Lili wasn't one to give in, so she started arguing with the coach. She was initially going to be sent back to the second team, but Sister Xia pleaded for her, saying, "This girl has character, and players with character are more likely to thrive. I think she's a great sparring partner and is quite adept at imitating the outfield players. She'll be my sparring partner from now on."
In this way, Jin Lili was not sent back to the second team.
Since then, Jin Lili has been following Sister Xia.
Xia Jie is the captain, and she is older
But... later on, Sister Xia wasn't so nice to her anymore...
/
The moment Zhu Qi woke up and opened his eyes the next day, he lifted the quilt and looked at his feet.
It's still swollen like a steamed bun. It seems the anti-inflammatory medicine is not working.
But she pinched her ankle gently and found it didn't hurt.
Very good, the blocking injection is indeed a magic weapon for pain relief.
Although it didn't hurt, it took a lot of effort to put on socks and shoes.
These shoes were the Di Lu shoes Song Linzhou had given her. The pair she'd worn to the World Games four years before had long since worn out, and after Zhu Qi threw them away, Song Linzhou had given her several more pairs. They were indeed very comfortable, very breathable, and had a nice, firm fit.
But her right foot reminded Zhu Qi, and she also tied a layer of elastic tape around her left foot to prevent sprain.
There are no muscle tapes available yet, so elastic tape can only be used as a temporary substitute.
She didn't wrap it too much, just a thin layer to secure her ankle.
The morning match was men's singles.
Unexpectedly, Big Bear performed very well this time, defeating the Russian team's Pineapple Head and successfully advancing to the finals.
Pineapple Head was also seriously injured, but he persisted in the competition and reached the semi-finals, which is quite remarkable.
In another match, Song Linzhou once again defeated Song Feng and met Daxiong in the final.
The men's team's head coach Shi Ge burst into tears on the spot. A 1.8-meter-tall man cried loudly.
Four years ago at the Tokyo World Games, the men's singles team only won a silver medal, but this time they were able to take home both the gold and silver medals. The men's doubles team also won gold, which was a remarkable comeback.
Next up is the women's singles event.
But no one expected it.
The women's singles semi-finals were so brutal.
There are two players on the Chinese team, and one of them is eliminated first.
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