At the 20 17 world championships in Budapest, Zhang defeated China's "double insurance" and was also the champion and runner-up of the Rio Olympic Games-Ren Xi and Siaj, and unexpectedly won the gold medal in the women's 10 meter platform, becoming famous in World War I. ..
The new world champion, who studied in China school since childhood, met many coaches from China, and was once considered as the strongest competitor of the women's platform China team. However, after 20 18 knee surgery, the audience never saw her on the international stage again for 26 months. ...
When the phone was connected, Zhang was in the closed training of the Malaysian national team. She is 30 years old and is bravely heading for Tokyo next year.
20 18 is especially sad for Zhang. The joy of just winning the world championship has not faded. At the beginning of the year, the first round of the four-stop series was eliminated in three games, and the state was incredibly low. Outsiders only feel that the new world champion is falling at a rocket-like speed, but they don't know what kind of suffering her body has suffered.
In April, at the Commonwealth Games, his old wrist injury recurred, and he insisted on playing the game with painkillers. Then, without any warning, Zhang's knee suddenly began to swell. After one effusion, he even had a second effusion, and finally he was diagnosed with cartilage damage.
In desperation, Zhang underwent surgery in September.
In order not to delay training as much as possible, Zhang only rested in the hospital for less than a week and actively began to restore his function. However, in her own words, "say hello to me when the old injury recurs." Perhaps the analgesic effect has passed, and Zhang's wrist is numb again.
Zhang has to face the dilemma of leg pain without crutches and hand pain with crutches every day, so the recovery process took half a year.
It never rains but it pours. To Zhang's surprise, even an accident while driving almost threatened her career. One night at the end of March 2009, Zhang was driving alone. At a corner in expressway, the brakes suddenly failed. "Suddenly I can't control the car. I stepped on the brakes, but there was no response. " In a panic, Zhang saw a small piece of sand on the side of the road, and hurriedly drove past, only to be stopped by the slowing sand. "People and cars are all right, but their legs are shaking. Damn, the baby was scared to death. " Now that I think about the situation that night, Zhang is still a little scared.
Although the athlete knew that physical injury was inevitable, her previous coherent tone disappeared when asked to explain the mystery of "disappearing" in the international arena in the interview. After a pause, she heard the feeling of "Oh, it's a long story" on the other end of the phone, and it was hard to hide her lost mood in her tone.
The whole 20 19, Zhang is trying to recover. At the end of 20 19, Zhang applied to the Malaysian Sports Commission, hoping to practice with Yang, the coach who had coached him for seven years before, and hit the Tokyo Olympic Games. Although the Sports Commission and Yang broke up in discord for complicated reasons, this time, the bureaucrats gave the green light to the Olympic Games.
"I am very grateful to the Sports Commission for believing that I have the opportunity to meet the Olympic standards, and I am also very grateful to coach Yang for his willingness to continue to take me. After all, over the years, I have seen the changes he has brought me. The tacit understanding and trust between coaches and athletes will make me feel at ease. " In this way, Zhang's comeback is gradually on the right track.
No one can predict that the sudden epidemic will make everyone so unprepared. Only three months after starting training under the guidance of coach Yang, Malaysia announced on March 18 that it would implement the "Sports Control Order" nationwide, requiring all athletes, including Zhang, to go home.
This stay lasts from March to June.
There is an old saying: "If you practice one day, you will work hard one day. If you don't practice for ten days, you will be free." For divers, not practicing for three months can only be described as a "nightmare", not to mention Zhang, who just started from "0". This three-month vacation at home means that Zhang's comeback will be even more difficult.
Because there is no professional equipment and training facilities, Zhang can only squeeze out a small space at home and do some body stretching and very simple strength exercises. Use a five-liter bucket and watermelon instead of dumbbells, wipe the floor with a rag, and increase the strength of the ankle ... Every day, Zhang's exercise time is about two hours. Every day, the most important question she thinks about is "What to eat today". At other times, she is immersed in watching and playing the glory of the king with her friends.
"I can sleep late every day, and I can sleep until I wake up naturally, which is very leisurely." Zhang said that away from the life of the national team and diving training, she seems to have entered the "pension mode".
The consequences of similar rest are zero. It is false to say that you are not in a hurry, but Zhang's over-age mentality always makes him want to understand in a short time: "I don't think there was anything to do at that time, because there was really nothing to do. Anyway, everyone is in the same situation. At that time, I felt healthy and safe. It is more important to ensure these two points before resuming. "
In the second week of June, when the Malaysian Sports Commission convened the diving team for training with the approval of the Ministry of Health, Zhang understood that his "abnormal" life would finally return to "normal". So, just like a student who is coming to the end of a holiday and doesn't want to start school, she will whisper in her heart: "Three months have passed so fast, as if she hasn't had enough rest!"
Compared with the 20 19 comeback, Zhang admits that it is more difficult to start from scratch this time: "After all, with the growth of age, the body will certainly not recover as quickly as it did when it was young. Although he was injured in 19, he still maintained rehabilitation training. This time, his muscles have deteriorated a lot, his physical fitness has declined, and it is very difficult to do some somersaults. "
Since continuing to train with coach Yang in June, Zhang feels that his state has just recovered by 50% to 60%. Although many years of back injury will still haunt her from time to time, for the Tokyo team, the goal is clear: to participate in next year's diving World Cup and fully attack the Olympic seats.
In addition to injuries, age is also a big test for Zhang. At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Zhang Jiang was 3 1 year-old, but the young athletes she faced on the China Women's 10 meter platform were generally underage. The "dark horse" who stood out in the national diving championship held in June+10, 5438 will be 14 years old next year, less than half of Zhang's age.
In this regard, Zhang still maintains a symbolic indifferent attitude: "Age is not a problem, and there is no age limit for sports. It is great to stand on the podium regardless of age, and each has its own place worth learning. "
2019 165438+1October16 finally got their own university diplomas for 10 years. But for Zhang's future, there is still no clear goal. Even for the expectation of the Olympic Games, Zhang doesn't want to think much. In her life law, everything goes with the flow, "focus on improving yourself and go all out, and other gods have their own arrangements."
At the age of thirty, Zhang once again embarked on the difficult road of starting from scratch. No matter what the result is, no matter whether you are confused about the future or not, you are full of love for diving, and it is a kind of happiness to continue to adhere to the Olympic goals and work hard for them. Looking forward to the World Cup in Tokyo next year, the familiar Zhang will arrive as scheduled.