【FIVB NEWS】End of an era as Chinese Women's national team call it a day

moontrt

End of an era as Chinese Women's national team call it a day

                               
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Beijing,China,October 20, 2008 – Smiling faces, lingering hugs and a fair fewtears –that was the emotional scene at the final gathering of theChineseWomen’s national team last week.
The players who firstcametogether in 2000 under the guidance of Head Coach ZhongheChenofficially disbanded last Tuesday, bringing to an end what theChinesemedia had called the “golden generation” after Olympic gold in2004 andbronze in 2008.
The participatingcoaches,players and team staff poured out their emotions as theyrecalled theireight years together that saw them experience the giddyheights ofOlympic glory and depressing lows as injuries ravaged thesquad in theyears that followed their Athens triumph.
“I feel very fortune to beamember of this great group,” said Kun Feng, one of the world’sbestsetters who was haunted by serious knee injuries after 2004. “Wehaveconfidence with each other, help and support each other andhaveovercome numerous difficulties and great pressure in order torealizeour dream – to climb to the top of the podium in worldVolleyball.”

“Atthis moment, I feel deeply grieved and sad as we are going to leavetheteam, but I have no regrets at all. For the glory of ChineseWomen’sVolleyball, we tried our best and made our sacrifice, which isveryworthy,” said 30-year-old Feng.

Team captain and oppositeSuhong Zhou said: “I loved our team from whenI joined it. The bronzemedal we clinched in the Beijing Olympic Gamesis as valuable as thegold medal we had in the Athens Olympic Games asyou really do not knowhow great the difficulties and pressure we met onthe way to the glory.”

HeadCoach Chen said: “My players and I spent eight years together,enjoyingourselves when we clinched victories, and experiencing sorrowwhen wesuffered setbacks. But we stood up to a variety of pressures,overcameany difficulties and never gave up.

“As a result, we succeededin wining a World Cup title (in 2003), anOlympic gold medal and abronze medal. I am very satisfied and the girlsreally did a good job.

“Ireally can not describe my feeling now. It is hard to saygoodbyebecause I have been with this team for eight years. None of themedalsare more important than a team fighting side by side,” said atearfulChen.

Chen assumed the position of Head Coach in 2000 with theChinese at alow ebb. He selected a number young players to replace theolder ones,which triggered a wave of criticism, but Chen worked hardto build ateam with solid defence and attack.

The team won the2001 FIVB Grand Champions Cup and claimed the 2003 FIVBWorld GrandPrix and FIVB World Cup before peaking in 2004 with theirfirst Olympicgold in 20 years.

Li Xu, director of the Chinese VolleyballAdministrative Center, thegoverning body in China, expressed hissatisfaction with Chen's efforts:“Chen did well at the past twoOlympic Games. As the Head Coach, all theplayers and coaches triedtheir best.”

Some Chinese media believe the real "goldengeneration" for ChineseWomen's Volleyball was not the team of the2000s but the team of the1980s coached by Weiming Yuan, wholaterbecame the Chinese Sport Minister. That team won FIVBWorldChampionships in 1982 and 1986, FIVB World Cup titles in 1981 and1985and Olympic gold in 1984 in Los Angeles.

Indeed, from the 2004Olympic Games, the Chinese team coached by Chenhad been in decline andhad not won a single major FIVB tournament. Atthe 2006 FIVB WorldChampionship the Chinese finished fifth. They alsowere beaten by Japanand missed out on the Asian title in 2007 for thefirst time in morethan two decades.

Chen pointed to the serious injuries ofveteran players as a reason forthe decline: “Since 2004 so manyplayers suffered injuries which wascompletely unexpected and threw mypreparation plans into greattrouble.” Chen did concede, though, thatanother reason for China’s dipin form was that he did not pay as muchimportance in fostering youngand talented players as he did in 2000.

Mostof the disbanded team will return to their provincial teams to playinthe National League. Feng will go to Italy to play for Perugiawhilewing spiker Hao Yao will play for Italy's Asystei Novara.

LiberoNaZhang, middle blockers Ruirui Zhao and Yan Liu said they may saygoodbyeto Volleyball and retire sometime after the upcoming NationalLeague.

As for coach Chen, he has expressed his desire tocontinue in his post:“I may be the next Head Coach and also may not.Now the only thing Iwant to do is rest. Besides, I must think overcarefully whether myphysical condition allows me to sustain the greatpressure which theHead Coach must take.

“I told my playersfirmly after we finished fifth in the 2006 WorldChampionship that Iwant only the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games,and no silver orbronze medal. Therefore if the Chinese VolleyballAdministration Centerwishes me to be the Head Coach of the nextnational team, I will do itand it is my duty. But everything is unknownuntil next April (2009)when the name of the Head Coach is to be madepublic,” said Chen.

[ 本帖最后由 moontrt 于 2008-10-21 23:07 编辑 ]

moontrt

算是fivb为黄金一代写的咩？呵呵

还是有一些错误的。。。

xiayu007

字好小啊，看得眼睛痛啊

jijicoco

谁帮忙翻一下啊

moontrt

这个FIVB的NEWS里称周炮是队长。。。。

也提到一些中国媒体认为这代不适合称黄金一代