In 1964, He Long, director of the National Sports Commission, presented an award to "Five Good Athletes" Zheng Fengrong . Picture/China Sports
She is the first athlete in New China to break the world record in track and field, and the first female athlete in New China to break the world record;
62 years ago, when she was only 20 years old, after she broke the world record, some media said She is "a swallow that signals the coming of spring for Chinese sports";
Now, her grandson Zheng Enlai has the opportunity to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and her granddaughter Zheng Ninali has been approved to become a Chinese national and may represent China in the Olympics in the future;
She is Zheng Fengrong. Zheng, who is already in his twenties, looks forward to a better future for Chinese track and field and Chinese sports.
Zheng Fengrong, who is over 80 years old, is still in good spirits. Photographed by Beijing News reporter Hou Shaoqing
The team did not show weakness and insisted on heavy exercise training
In the 1950s, Chinese sports could be described as "poor and white". He Long, then director of the National Sports Commission, called for the selection of talents across borders and disciplines across the country.
"The national team was formed at that time, and there were workers, farmers, students, soldiers, freelancers, and people from all walks of life." Zheng Fengrong came from school and was born in Jinan. She successively participated in the Jinan Middle School Student Games and the First East China Track and Field Games. He rose to prominence and was selected into the national track and field training team with his excellent results in high jump and long jump.
When I reported to the national team in December 1953, there were more than 100 people in the entire national track and field team. The team implemented military-style management and training. They had morning exercises every day and sang revolutionary songs while waiting in line for meals.
In order not to fall behind the athletes of the People's Liberation Army, 16-year-old Zheng Fengrong showed no weakness in daily life training. Every morning for exercise, she wakes up early before the assembly time, gets dressed and waits in bed. When the assembly whistle blows, she is the first to run out and is never late.
Zheng Fengrong is one of the first batch of athletes to insist on heavy exercise training. Sometimes, she couldn't see the crossbar at night, but she continued to dance. "When it gets dark, I tie a white handkerchief on the crossbar to make it more eye-catching. After the training, the food was cold, so I could only eat cold food. Cold dishes. "
The training conditions in that era were very difficult. There was no heating in the winter and no electric fans or air conditioning in the summer. When the weather is cold, the team trains in Guangzhou, Shanghai and other places. When the weather warms up, they return to northern cities such as Tianjin and Beijing.
Zheng Fengrong’s photo with Premier Zhou hangs in his home. Photographed by Beijing News reporter Hou Shaoqing
Inspired by Premier Zhou, he broke the world record 27 days later
With personal hard training and the scientific guidance of coach Huang Jian, Zheng Fengrong's performance improved rapidly. In the 1954 National Track and Field Games for College and Middle School Students, Zheng Fengrong won the women's high jump championship and broke the national women's high jump record with a score of 1.45 meters. In 1956, during a competition to visit the Soviet Union, Zheng Fengrong successfully jumped 1.61 meters, tying the national record at the time and becoming my country's first high jumper.
On October 20, 1957, Premier Zhou made a special trip to Beijing Institute of Physical Education to watch Zheng Fengrong's high jump competition. Zheng Fengrong, who wanted to jump well, was inevitably a little nervous. After jumping 1.70 meters, his trial jump of 1.75 meters failed. When
met Zheng Fengrong, Premier Zhou held a bouquet of flowers, which made Zheng Fengrong at a loss. At this time, Marshal He Long on the side said: "The Prime Minister is giving you flowers, just take them." Premier Zhou held Zheng Fengrong's hand and said: "Take a photo." A precious photo was born.
Zheng Fengrong then said: "Prime Minister, I didn't dance well." Premier Zhou encouraged her and said: "You dance very well, you are still young, and you still have a long time. You will definitely be able to break the world record in the future, because we are socialist The country will not only have Zheng Fengrong, but also Zhang Fengrong and Li Fengrong.”
27 days later, Premier Zhou’s encouragement became a reality, and Zheng Fengrong became the first Chinese to break the world record in track and field. Zheng Fengrong has always kept Premier Zhou's encouragement in mind, "I am still very grateful to Premier Zhou. It was his encouragement that made me what I am."
On November 17, 1957, the Beijing Track and Field Games was held at the Xiannongtan Stadium, and the women's high jump finals , 20-year-old Zheng Fengrong set the height of his final jump at 1.77 meters.The first jump failed; the second jump, she repeatedly measured the position of the starting point and the arm movements that were usually overlooked, and finally succeeded this time.
Zheng Fengrong not only became the first female athlete in my country to break the world record, but also the first athlete in my country to break the world record in track and field. She was the first athlete in Asia to break the world record in track and field since 1936. The American media exclaimed at the time: "A 20-year-old Chinese girl declared to the world of track and field with a powerful jump in Beijing that 600 million Chinese people will not be left behind forever." Domestic media called her "a sign that the spring of Chinese sports is coming." Just a swallow".
He was busy with his career and continued to shine for the country.
Time passed by 1980. Zheng Fengrong calculated with his fingers that at the age of 43, he could no longer jump on the track and field. She was assigned to work at the China Sports Service Company. Zheng Fengrong, who was busy with her career, was unambiguous at all. She showed her "desperate mother" spirit and plunged into work all of a sudden.
She participated in the establishment of Beijing's first golf course and the introduction of snooker competitions; when organizing the first Beijing Marathon, she personally applied to the Beijing Municipal Government to use Tiananmen as the starting point. The event later became one of the most influential marathons in the world; she participated in the initial introduction of branded sportswear and high-end sports equipment; she also conducted field surveys of China's first world car rally and participated in the Yangtze River expedition.
"What impressed me most was that our country's figure skating program was relatively weak at that time, and there were no uniforms for competitions." In order to provide the highest level and best results in line with international standards, Zheng Fengrong specially invited Hao Jianxiu, Minister of the Ministry of Textile Industry, to provide the athletes with They made bikini costumes, invited Gu Jianfen and Lu Yuan to compose dance music, and invited famous dancer Zhao Qing to train dance moves...
Zheng Fengrong was indispensable in some of these important breakthroughs in the history of sports development.
On May 15, 1995, the then President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Zheng Fengrong the " Olympic Silver Medal" at the Great Hall of the People. This Olympic medal is not only because she is the first person in China to break the world record in track and field, but also because of her contribution to the Olympic movement. Samaranch called her "a great athlete" when awarding her the award.
Zheng Fengrong recalled the days when he worked in the sports department and sports company with no regrets. She knows herself better than anyone else. She is upright, uncompromising, tactless, and not greedy for personal gain. This has caused her to encounter career setbacks several times in her middle age. However, what makes her happy is that she has made her own contribution to so many milestone events in the development of Chinese sports.
In 1957, Zheng Fengrong broke the women's high jump world record with a height of 1.77 meters.
Established a foundation to solve the problems of veteran athletes
For many years, Zheng Fengrong has always been concerned about: How are the veteran athletes who have made outstanding contributions to New China's sports? "I came out because I broke the world record, but there are actually many unknown athletes and unsung heroes..." she said.
In 2011, she established the "Zheng Fengrong Sports Culture Development Foundation" with the purpose of helping veteran athletes who have contributed to New China. This is the first public welfare organization in my country's history initiated and named by athletes, with the purpose of carrying out sports and cultural public welfare activities and providing relief to the elderly.
At the "Care for Old Sports Workers Career Seminar and Zheng Fengrong Sports Culture Fund Donation Ceremony" held in Beijing in 2013, Zheng Fengrong paid tribute to 27 veteran athletes including Zhang Junxiu, Shi Baozhu, Nie Weiping, Sang Lan, etc. in the name of the foundation. Coaches and veteran sports workers distributed fund donations of 10,000 yuan each.
Since the commemorative event was held in 1987, Zheng Fengrong has insisted on organizing anniversary events. She refuses commercial advertisements and grandiose events. She invites everyone who has helped her to express her gratitude. Zheng Fengrong said: "I don't want to just highlight personal honors. I hope that this anniversary can become a common memory and testimony of the tenacious fighting spirit of the older generation of athletes in New China."
Zheng Nina is determined to help her grandmother realize her Olympic dream.Picture / Osports
The granddaughter takes over and helps her grandmother realize her Olympic dream
Zheng Fengrong and his wife Duan Qiyan were the men's and women's high jump champions respectively in the first National Games in 1959. In this sports family, two young talents have now appeared, namely grandson Zheng Enlai and granddaughter Zheng Ninali.
Zheng Enlai’s original name is Zheng Tai. According to Zheng Fengrong, Zheng Tai learned skating at the age of 3, played ice hockey at the age of 5, and joined a professional team at the age of 16. On May 16, 2017, on Zheng Fengrong’s 80th birthday, Zheng Enlai expressed his willingness to give up his Canadian citizenship and represent the Chinese team in the 2022 Winter Olympics. On June 23 of that year, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association announced the overseas selection training list, and Zheng Enlai's name appeared on the 20-man roster.
Zheng Ninali once appeared at the 13th Tianjin National Games in 2017 as a foreign Chinese athlete. Due to a tight schedule, she only participated in the javelin throw competition. Zheng Nina's main event is the heptathlon. She once ranked first in the U20 in the IAAF, with a personal best score of 6133 points.
November 12, 2018, was Zheng Ninali’s 20th birthday. On that day, she submitted a statement to the IAAF, expressing her willingness to represent China in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “My grandmother was never able to participate in the Olympics when she was an athlete. I want to help my grandmother. Realize your dream. "
However, according to the relevant regulations of the IAAF, Zheng Nina will not be able to represent the Chinese team in the Olympic Games until three years later, which means that she will miss the 2020 Olympic Games. Zheng Fengrong said: "Whether it is Tai or little Nina, they made their own decisions on becoming Chinese nationals. We are very pleased and hope that the two children can become talents and win glory for the country."
" In the past, our purpose in practicing sports was very simple, which was to train hard and win glory for the country. That was our biggest motivation. "Time cannot be left behind, and the past cannot be recalled. Zheng Fengrong has silently passed on this spirit to the next generation."
Introduction · Zheng Fengrong
Birthday: May 16, 1937
Birthplace: Jinan, Shandong
Career:
In 1957, Zheng Fengrong broke the women's high jump world record at the Beijing Track and Field Games with a height of 1.77 meters, becoming the first person in China's track and field world record;
1964 In 2006, he was elected as a representative of the Third National People's Congress and served as a member of the fifth, sixth and ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He has successively served as Vice Chairman of the Chinese Athletics Association, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the All-China Sports Federation, and Deputy General Manager of China Sports Services Company;
In 1987, he was awarded the IAAF 75th Anniversary Gold Medal;
On May 15, 1995, he was awarded the International Olympic Committee
In 2008, he served as the torchbearer of the Beijing Olympic Games and the flag bearer of the opening ceremony.
Beijing News reporter Xu Bangyin
editor Wang Chunqiu proofreader Zhang Yanjun
