Rio 2016: Lang Ping and China earn place in history books

Lausanne, Switzerland, December 26, 2016 – More than a quarter of a year after winning gold at the Rio Olympics, that historic success is still occupying China’s golden volleyball legend “Jenny” Lang Ping. The 55-year-old is yet to decide whether or not to continue her remarkable career as a coach, with the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo on the horizon. “I am getting older and my daughter has a job. We do not have any major pressures, so I will either continue coaching the Chinese women’s volleyball team or end my career,” said Lang Ping in an interview with Chinese TV station CCTV.Lang Ping has achieved something very rare in the volleyball world: Olympic success as both a player and a coach. She won Olympic gold with China as the outstanding hitter at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, where she was also named MVP. 32 years later, she led her home nation of China to the top step of the podium as national team coach in Rio. “I have not really paid attention to these personal achievements – winning gold as a player and winning gold as a coach,” Lang said. “I love my job and I try to do my best. This is a team sport and I have to see each person in the team to work hard. I also have to make sure that they work hard as a group. The only thing I can say is that I am fortunate to have great people helping me with these achievements.”It is precisely this team spirit that she has instilled in her young team, of whom few would have expected Olympic victory after the group stage. Her team lost three of their five matches, including against the Netherlands and Serbia. China crept into the Olympic quarterfinals as the fourth-placed team. However, the team then went on to produce one of the biggest shocks of the Olympic Games, much to the huge disappointment of the hosts. Brazil, Olympic champions from 2008 and 2012, were dethroned 3-2 – and that despite looking set for the golden hat-trick after five wins and not a single dropped set in the group stage. “There is an incredible feeling of disappointment and emptiness after that defeat,” said Brazil’s coach …

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