The World Championships are about to start
Chinese women actively adapt to the venue
Text/photo by Li Dongye, special correspondent of China Sports News
On the morning of January 31, the Chinese women’s water polo team, which arrived in Doha two days ago, conducted its first and only pre-match training at the competition venue. The team focused on adapting to the lighting and water temperature of the venue in preparation for the upcoming World Championships.
At last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka, China’s women’s water performance was not ideal. After qualifying for the Paris Olympics at the Hangzhou Asian Games, the team changed its coaching team. The new team, consisting of two Spanish foreign teachers and a Chinese coaching team, has been working to unify the old and new players in less than two months of overall running time.
Ma Shutao, the leader of the Chinese women’s water polo team, emphasized the importance of the World Championships as the last international competition before the Paris Olympics, and the team’s focus on testing their abilities and adaptability in the new technical and tactical system.
The women’s water polo event of this World Championship will start on February 4, with the Chinese team facing strong opponents such as the Spanish team, one of the top three teams in the world. With their eyes on the Paris Olympics, the Chinese team aims to test their abilities and strive for second place in the group.
Wu Zhiyu, the head coach of the Chinese women’s swimming team, spoke of the team’s rigorous training in both physical fitness and technical skills, as well as their targeted preparations for their upcoming games.
“We have adapted well to the water temperature, lighting, and venue environment,” said Zhang Jing, captain of the water polo team, after the adaptive training. “We hope to achieve good results in the competition and prepare for the Paris Olympics.”
The Chinese women’s water polo team is determined and ready to give their best performance at the World Championships in Doha.
(Doha, January 31)