Li Wenwen, who is “post-00”, is known as the “big baby” in the Chinese weightlifting team.
Because of her young age, the head coach Zhang Guozheng and Wu Meijin called her “baby” at first, and then gradually became “big baby”.
Li Wenwen became the “golden baby” of the Chinese weightlifting team after winning the 87 kg or more women’s lift at the Tokyo Olympics.
On August 2, Beijing time, in the women’s 87 kg and above weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics, Chinese athlete Li Wenwen won the championship with a snatch of 140 kg, a clean and jerk of 180 kg, and a total score of 320 kg.
From being selected to the national team in September 2018, to holding three world records in 2019 when he first entered the international arena, and then to the Tokyo Olympics with a huge advantage of 37 kilograms ahead of the runner-up, Li Wenwen won the championship without any suspense. This road can be called rapid progress.
After returning to China, she started a conversation with a reporter from China-Singapore Sports, telling her story about weightlifting.
# Getting connected with weightlifting#
Sino-Singapore Sports✕ Li Wenwen
Sino-Singapore Sports: What is the opportunity for you to choose weightlifting?road?
Li Wenwen: At that time, a bicycle coach and a weightlifting coach from Anshan Sports School came to our school to select candidates. The physical education teacher recommended me to the weightlifting coach, but he said I was too fat and was not selected.
Later, our physical education teacher told my family that I was not selected and my academic performance was not very good at that time. My dad said that I:“I can’t do anything. I know how to eat every day. I finally come to the selection. I haven’t been selected yet.” At that time, I was very angry and wondered why I could say that.
Then I contacted a classmate selected by the bicycle coach and asked for a coach call. The coach helped me contact the principal of Anshan Sports School, and the principal asked me to go.
After the meeting, the principal recommended me to practice weightlifting, because he had also practiced weightlifting before, so he gave me to another coach, became my enlightenment coach, and started practicing.
Li Wenwen in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
My dad told me at the time:“Don’t come back when you go out.” I say:“If you don’t come back, you won’t come back.” It’s my own choice to embark on the road of weightlifting.
I remember that after I finished the match for the national team for the first time, Director Wu (Wu Meijin) and I said with emotion that if I hadn’t practiced weightlifting at the beginning, I might be a chef now. After all, I really like to eat.
After winning this championship, my dad called me and he said:“Girl, you are great.” I just “Versailles” for a while and replied:“Okay.”
I also called my grandma, I said I won the championship, and I will show you the gold medal. Grandma said:“Let me see if it’s pure gold? If it’s pure gold, bring it back and give me a bracelet.” I said how can I make a bracelet, and I will buy you a pair when I go back (laughs).
Li Wenwen displayed the gold medal on the podium.
#Swift Growth#
Sino-Singapore Sports✕ Li Wenwen
Sino-Singapore Sports: Since you joined the national team in September 2018, you have grown extremely fast. What is the main source of your growth?
Li Wenwen: The main reason was that after the postponement of the Olympic Games last year, my grandfather suddenly found out that the cancer was at an advanced stage and could not be treated.
This was a big blow to me. The outside world, including my family, didn’t know how difficult I was during that time. Only Director Wu knew. He didn’t say anything at the time. He was silently accompanying me and watching my training. , Adjust the training according to my situation in time.
I have been thinking about why this is the case for two months. Finally, I figured it out and felt that I shouldn’t get into this state, because in this way, I might not get anything, and my grandfather could not see me winning the Olympic championship. Since then, I have grown up quickly to fight for the Olympic champion.
Before that, I actually didn’t have such a deep understanding of the Olympic Games.After experiencing grandpa, I felt that I must go to the Olympics, I must win the championship, and show grandpa that I can do it.
Li Wenwen in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
#Tokyo Olympics wins the memory#
Sino-Singapore Sports✕ Li Wenwen
Sino-Singapore Sports: What does this Olympic gold medal mean to you?
Li Wenwen: My grandfather passed away in September last year. His wish is to see me win the Olympic champion.
In fact, if the Tokyo Olympics were not postponed, my grandfather would have seen me win the championship last year, and this wish has always been there until the day of his death.After winning this Olympic champion, in my sense, I finally fulfilled my grandfather’s wish.
Li Wenwen in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Sino-Singapore Sports: What was the most impressive thing during the Olympics?
Li Wenwen: What impressed me the most was the process of waiting for the game every day. I was always looking forward to my game, and I was in a state of mental tension every day.
I waited in the Olympic Village for almost 14 days because the game was on August 2 and I was mentally prepared before I left, but after arriving at the stadium, watching my teammates win the championship one after another, I would inevitably be anxious.
I told Director Wu at that time:“Gosh, it’s so uncomfortable.” Especially when I haven’t competed yet, we already have the first batch of people to return to China, and it feels too difficult.
At that time, Director Wu comforted me: “Don’t worry, it will definitely come to you, you can’t change anything in a hurry.”
The people who finished the match can also understand my feelings. For example, Chen Lijun said to me:“Brother is over, let you relax.” He asked me to play games or something, and accompany me to decompress.
There are many teammates who will chat with me, the team leader will take me for a walk, and everyone is helping me.
The Olympic village athletes’ beds are supported by cardboard legs.
China-Singapore Sports: What made the decision to sleep on the ground during the Olympics?
Li Wenwen: The waist of the weightlifter is not very good, especially I am a big class, and I have a waist injury, so I can’t sleep on a soft bed, because sleeping on a soft bed will always be stressed, unable to recover, and fatigue will increase. So every time I play, I basically sleep on the ground.
And in case the bed breaks, it would be worthless to break me. So before the Olympics, I told the team that I would sleep on the ground and added two quilts and mattresses.
Zhongxin Sports: How do you and Director Wu cooperate in training? Are there any interesting experiences?
Li Wenwen: Director Wu is a very careful person, I can hardly imagine a man can be so careful.
When I first trained with him, I was very resistant and didn’t want to contact him because he was a male coach. Before that, female coaches led me, but Director Wu patiently watched my every move. Will also listen to my opinions and ideas. The two of us cooperate very well, there is no dispute, he is helping me plan some things, and I am also very cooperative with him.
In normal training, I would also tease him and make jokes.For example, I would say some buzzwords on the Internet. Director Wu and Coach Zhang Guozheng didn’t know what they were at first, but later on, they would also be led by me to speak various buzzwords.
Li Wenwen and coach Wu Meijin (left).
#后体育生活#
Sino-Singapore Sports✕ Li Wenwen
Sino-Singapore Sports: After winning the Olympic Games, how do you feel different in your daily life or training? Now that many people know you, how do you adapt to the new life exposed to the spotlight for a long time?
Li Wenwen: Coach Zhang Guozheng and Director Wu have always told me to enjoy this process and don’t resist. This is not something everyone can have.
They also told me not to be shy when accepting interviews, “This is your stage, just like a weightlifting competition, just let it go and just say it.”
So I enjoy it now, and I often tell myself:“Be happy, after all, so many people like me.”
Li Wenwen compares hearts on the podium.
Sino-Singapore Sports: I think you often interact with netizens on social media. Do you also enjoy this process?
Li Wenwen: There used to be a lot of interactions, but now because there are too many netizens, some of them can’t come back, and there are fewer. The netizens who have not been replied may feel lost because they reply to this and not that.
Recently, many netizens drew cartoons for me and sent them to me via private messages. After I saw them, I would keep them at hand.
China-Singapore Sports: How did you spend your life in isolation recently?
Li Wenwen: After winning the Olympics, I didn’t sleep for nearly 30 hours. There were many things after the competition. By the time of the last interview, I fell asleep in the studio.
After returning to China on August 4, I adjusted for two days. In fact, I didn’t take too much rest. There were various things in these two days. If you didn’t call me just now, I would fall asleep again (laughs).
Because there will be the National Games afterwards, so now I have not relaxed, I am still in a tight state. We can now train in designated places and time periods for three or four hours a day. After that, we will start to prepare for the National Games, and we will have to train in the morning and afternoon.
After the Olympic Games, there will be a lot of psychological exhaustion. Now we need to adjust it as soon as possible. Because the National Games is also a domestic competition, it is very important, so now I am thinking how to quickly convert.
Li Wenwen in the game.
#future plan#
Sino-Singapore Sports✕ Li Wenwen
Sino-Singapore Sports: What plans do you have for the future?
Li Wenwen: Let’s win the National Games in front of you first.Because weightlifting may be relatively easy to win a world championship, but it is actually more difficult to win a national championship. There are a lot of strong athletes in China. There is Rio Olympic champion Meng Suping at my level. The competition is very difficult.
You still have a little pressure. Although you know that you are okay, you can’t take it lightly. What if you are self-righteous and lose the game?
Li Wenwen in the game.Image source: Visual China
Sino-Singapore Sports: If you win the National Games, will you win all the championships you can win? If you complete such an achievement at the age of 21, will you feel that there is no challenge or motivation?
Li Wenwen: This won’t be true. Although the current world record is his own, Senior Kasrina from Russia has lifted 193 kg (75 kg or more in the clean and jerk). The next step is to exceed this result.
Sino-Singapore Sports: Do you have confidence in ruling the next few Olympic Games?
Li Wenwen: I don’t think so much, just like before this Olympics, my coach showed me the news of the 2032 Olympics in Australia.At that time, I told the coach, I will not be able to compare in 2021, you show me 2032 (laughs).
Source: China-Singapore Sports Arena (cnssports)
Original title: “Dialogue | Li Wenwen: With Grandpa’s last wish, she won the Olympic champion as she wished”