"From today on, my career as a table tennis player will come to an end. In the future, I will work hard towards new dreams and challenge new possibilities." After 26 years of table tennis career, I bid farewell to the In this arena of unlimited honors, Ding Ning came to Peking University to start studying for a master's degree, opening a new stage in his life.
Ding Ning’s retirement is not beyond everyone’s expectations. Because Ding Ning’s name was not included in the 189-person table tennis roster for the Shaanxi National Games previously announced, and she originally received tickets to the National Games women’s singles finals directly as a member of the 2019 Women’s Team World Cup champion, but After all, she didn't sign up to compete, which shows that she has already decided to bid farewell to the competition.
After all, the National Games is a comprehensive sports meeting with the highest level of competition in China. It is even more difficult to win the championship in table tennis than in the Olympic Games. Moreover, most of the famous players will do their best to enlighten and cultivate their local teams at the National Games. Then he chose to leave, so Ding Ning's absence was a signal to retire.
and his retirement have already been traced. In the second half of last year, when the national table tennis team was conducting closed training and preparing for the Olympics, Ding Ning had already taken a long leave from the team. During the entire closed training period, Ding Ning also missed many intra-team games due to injuries and other reasons, and had already withdrawn early. After competing in the Olympics, Ding Ning's turn around was just a matter of time and process.
Although it is not like Zhang Yining who ended her career after winning two gold medals in the National Games, nor is it like Li Xiaoxia who announced her departure immediately after winning the women's team championship in Rio with Ding Ning and Liu Shiwen, Ding Ning's retirement was slightly It seems dull, but as the fifth Grand Slam of Chinese women's table tennis and the winner of 21 world championships, Ding Ning's career is already shining enough.
"I have been with table tennis for 26 years, and every moment I feel is extremely precious: I started learning to play ball at the age of 5 and I was ignorant, I came to Beijing at the age of 10 to pursue my dream, I fought for my country in the international arena, and won the championship in the Olympics I have completed the "Grand Slam" and served as the flag bearer of the Chinese delegation at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics..."
was born in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province. He picked up a table tennis racket when he was five years old and has since started his Grand Slam career. Throughout the journey. After coming to the Beijing team, Ding Ning showed great talent and self-discipline in table tennis. He was promoted to the first team of the national team at the age of 15, and a golden road unfolded before his eyes.
However, when she was 20 years old, she participated in the Moscow World Table Tennis Championships. The women's team faced Singapore in the finals. Ding Ning lost to Feng Tianwei in her first appearance. In the end, the national table tennis team unfortunately lost and missed its ninth consecutive championship. But Moscow did not believe the tears after all. After wiping away her tears, Ding Ning continued to move forward. Finally, the following year, she had her first major breakthrough in her career - becoming the world's number one in women's singles and winning the World Table Tennis Championships and the World Cup. The double championship is only one step away from the Grand Slam.
But this step was not realized in London in 2012. The women's team champion Ding Ning was prefixed with the words "Olympic Champion", but the runner-up in women's singles was her regret after all. Ding Ning forged ahead and reached the second peak period of her career - winning the women's singles championship at the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships in Suzhou and winning the women's team singles championship at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Finally, Ding Ning became the fifth Grand Slam player in female table tennis after Deng Yaping, Wang Nan, Zhang Yining and Li Xiaoxia.
After Rio, she could have retreated bravely and settled everything into her most glorious moment. But on the one hand, with Li Xiaoxia leaving, the national table tennis team could no longer lose Ding Ning. On the other hand, Ding Ning felt that she still had potential and motivation. It was possible to fight for another four years, but no one expected that the next Olympic Games would extend from four years to five years.
At the beginning of the Tokyo cycle, Ding Ning's status was unshakable. Although there were ups and downs in form and some physical problems began to occur, she won the women's singles title at the World Table Tennis Championships in Dusseldorf in 2017 and won the women's singles championship at the National Games. Achieving a Grand Slam, Ding Ning unsurprisingly won the World Table Tennis Federation's "Best Female Athlete" of the year. Everyone believes that Ding Ning can still fight to Tokyo.
But the crisis has gradually emerged. After winning the World Table Tennis Championships and China Open, Ding Ning was away from the competition for more than five months due to injury. His physical condition has become a major problem restricting Ding Ning's performance. In addition to the impact of injuries, the impact of young players, the technical reforms brought about by changing balls, and the adaptation period brought about by changing coaches, Ding Ning faced unprecedented challenges and pressure.
Although Ding Ning still won the 2018 Women's Table Tennis World Cup in such an environment, she lost eight games in international competitions throughout the season, and her results in foreign competitions began to decline. No one can always be at a high point. In 2019, her performance was indeed unsatisfactory. Ding Ning herself also admitted: "It doesn't feel right to play now. My mentality, understanding, and control are all in a confusing time."
also said After all, he has not found a way to truly break through, but Ding Ning is not confused, because he has experienced a lot along the way. No matter how depressed his state is, Ding Ning can always maintain a clear head: "I need to start from Think about something during the victory or defeat, and you can know your own shortcomings through the game. This is what you value and need to summarize. "
2019 The difficulty for Ding Ning lies in the impact of injuries and the changes and transcendence he wants to make: "Everyone will go all out to compete in the Olympics. No one will be more calm than anyone else. For me, I have experienced more, but such challenges and difficulties must be faced and ways must be found. I hope that in At a certain time next year, let everyone feel my changes. "
The changes did not appear in the "Direct Busan" team trials at the beginning of 2020, but they first appeared in the German Open, the first stop of the year. "I hope to use my existing technical and tactical abilities and what I want to show through the game." Ding Ning basically did it. Defeating the national table tennis rival Mima Ito in the quarter-finals and Wang Manyu, who had not won in the past two years, in the semi-finals, Ding Ning has been working hard and changing in a difficult situation.
It’s just that the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed for one year, and everything is unknown. Internally, although Ding Ning’s age has brought a strong mentality and rich experience, the decline in physical function is ultimately irreversible. Externally, Liu Shiwen, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, and Sun Yingsha are right The reshuffling of Olympic quotas means that Ding Ning no longer has the advantage.
Regarding Tokyo and competition, Ding Ning, who has experienced thousands of sails, will not focus on the result of "whether she can go". She is more concerned about: "Competition itself is a process, and now she has to go through this process well." What Ding Ning wants to do , is nothing more than being worthy of yourself, doing your best within your capabilities, and standing on your last duty.
Ding Ning no longer needs another Olympic journey to prove himself. It would be amazing if he could continue to compete and win the championship like his partner Ma Long in the Beijing team. But the journey of this veteran with tears and flowers to get to where he is today is equally touching. Ding Ning's contribution and wealth to Chinese table tennis does not lie in whether she can join the young players to go to the Olympics, but in the spiritual role model she has set as "Team Ning".
Just like Liu Guoliang's evaluation of Ding Ning: "As the captain of the national table tennis women's team, Ding Ning has set a very good example for young players with his words and deeds. Especially during the period of preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, Ding Ning and the team are in Training, competing, competing, and living together, she played a role in guiding the entire team.”
’s first official interview with Ding Ning was at the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships. Over the years, she has witnessed her debut in Rotterdam. The women's singles championship podium at the last World Table Tennis Championships, the Olympic championship podium for the first time in London, and the women's singles championship podium for the first time in Rio. But my deepest impression of Ding Ning is not limited to this time. It was her wisdom and calmness, her warmth and thoughtfulness that made her reach the top.
Ding Ning has always had her own thoughts about table tennis, competition, matches, and winning and losing. In every interview with her, there are no stylized answers or empty rhetoric. They are all confessions and reflections after some experience. She has always been concerned about not only herself, but the development of the entire Chinese women's table tennis, and even the entire table tennis world.
For example, when the ITTF wanted to build the WTT Professional League, it convened some famous players for an online video conference of the "WTT World Table Tennis Professional League Forum". Ding Ning was most concerned about the future of the WTT World Table Tennis Professional League Forum. For women's events, she also suggested that WTT make some new attempts: "For example, a mixed team event or a combination of players from different countries to give everyone a different viewing experience? This is also something you can think about."
Image source: Ding Ning Support Club
has been interviewing table tennis for ten years. I remember two scenes about Ding Ning particularly deeply. At the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest, after Ding Ning defeated Mima Ito in the afternoon, what she talked about most was not her own game, but Fan Zhendong, who lost to Liang Jingkun in the morning, because this time the two of them joined hands in the mixed doubles, and in the evening It will be against Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen, so Ding Ning will be worried about Fan Zhendong's current mood and state.
Ding Ning is worried, but she is not worried about the game tonight. She is simply worried about Fan Zhendong. As the eldest sister, Ding Ning did not go to Fan Zhendong immediately. She knew that he wanted to be quiet at this time. She said to us: "I know that Xiaopang attaches great importance to this singles match. He will definitely be sad if he loses. Let No matter how he adjusts or prepares at night, it is unrealistic. He is the saddest person. I am very considerate. I just hope that he can be more relaxed and feel better at night. "
I don't want to give him chicken soup for the soul, because Ding Ning has a strong strength. Empathy and empathy, similarly, Ding Ning has a kindness that makes many people feel like spring breeze. This is the second scene that comes to mind - one year during the break of the Table Tennis Super League, Beijing Shougang was filming a New Year video, and many fans came During the visit, Ding Ning and the fans talked like old friends. Seeing a fan with a child, Ding Ning said to the child: "We agreed that you will play in the afternoon game, and you have to play in the doubles. Don't forget it." After that, everyone laughed.
Retiring was a difficult choice made by Ding Ning. When she first talked to Liu Guoliang about the consideration of retirement, Ding Ning couldn't help but cry. However, this choice was also the most correct choice. Liu Guoliang said: "I told her, especially capable I understand her feelings and hope she can make a good transition after retiring. As an athlete, I have also experienced the moment of retirement. I believe Ding Ning made this decision after careful consideration." At 31 years old, Ding Ning has started a new chapter. Grand Slam, 21 world champions, flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, representative of the 19th National Congress of Beijing... From today on, Ding Ning becomes a full-time graduate student in the Master of Physical Education major at Peking University. For Ding Ning, there are enough choices in the future, and her wisdom And her ability is enough for her to continue to shine in more fields. I wish Ding Ning's second half to be even more brilliant.
Text | Li Ting
Source: Sports Weekly
