Lang Ping’s American Volleyball Team Beat China

Several minutes ago, just watched the game between the US Volleyball team beat China’s women volleyball team at 3:2. The scores are so close in the five sections:

23-25 (US-China)

25-22

23-25

25-20

15-11

It is another breath taking game – it seems most of the volleyball games in this Olympic involving both women and men are very close in score. We just saw one in the men’s volleyball the other day (China-Japan).

Lang Ping’s Role

Because of the US coach Lang Ping, the game has draw enormous attention. Lang Ping was and is still an icon for China. When China’s sports are not as strong as today back in 1980’s, Li Ning (who still had the honor to lit up the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony) and Lang Ping are the generation who won many gold medals for China. There is no wonder the Women’s Volleyball team and Lang Ping had been of such an important role in Chinese people’s heart. When I was young, the propaganda of “The Women’s Volleyball Team Spirit” has been the role model for the how country.

What an interesting moment it will be to see Lang Ping to lead American team to come to China and compete against Chinese team?

There is no surprise to see the negative comments for Lang Ping spread like wild fire in China’s BBS, and I expect it grows heavier in the days to come after China lost.

My 2 Cents

The most moving moment for me during the Olympic Games was, no matter how hard athletes compete in the game, most of them shake hands after the game, and will congratulate each other for the great results they got. I think that is the spirit of sports and Olympic. People compete under a fair rule, and people compete to be better self, and they celebrate together for reach a point that not many people came before – it is either higher, faster, or stronger (in ball games, and other games, people get smarter).

I felt a little bit unease during the China vs Japan game when the whole audience making discouraging noises whenever Japan players severed the ball. The noise in China’s theater means to invite the performer to leave the stage for bad play. It was so loud! In this China vs America game, for the whole game, it was OK, but at the last few points, the “go-away” noise raised when the America team served. I think it is understandable, but not rational.

Lang Ping has her personal decision and she is confident about her decision. I am a supporter of her on this issue. I think she is just like the 40 or something foreign coaches in China to coach the Chinese team – they are leading the world to make it stronger. Sports is not able winning a medal. It is all about being stronger, higher, and faster, and connect the people around the world.

If I had never put my step out of Henan province, I wouldn’t bear anyone born in Henan province to coach another provincial team to finally beat Henan team. It is the same. The barrier of country is much higher than province is, most of the people in the same country receive the similar education and have the similar mindset. The easy of travel and long time marriage, and migration within the country helps. I hope there is a more open world that people break the border of the country more, just for the sake of human being.

Good luck to the China’s volleyball game. I will be happy if they win a gold medal. Good luck to Lang Ping and her American volleyball game, and hope they enjoy their trip in Beijing. (P.S. I do feel sorry for the attack of the American tourists who are in association with the US women’s volleyball team. It is so bad that it happened.)

10 thoughts on “Lang Ping’s American Volleyball Team Beat China

  1. For a non-Chinese one of the striking facts about this Olympics is how many super athletes from other countries have Chinese coaches. This shows that Chinese around the world are great. Of course it is common to have foreign coaches in, say, soccer, but the Chinese coaches are particularly noticeable and all are doing their part to emphasize how great the Chinese are.

    I also noticed how many Chinese-Americans have reached the Olympic level in certain sports. They too are contributing to a great impression of China.

  2. Lang Ping was expelled from Chinese Women Volleyball Team as a coach after failing to capture gold at 1996 Atlanta Summer Game and her life was once miserable, now she is vindicated and is looking forward to receiving medal for the US Team.

    GO LANG PING GO !

  3. @stephen, you are right. That was a very sad story, and it happened many time in China in the 1980s and 1990. I hope in the future when China’s society develops, it can avoid such thing.

  4. I think it’s a good thing for the olympic , for the real meaning of olympic ,it’s a success of human beings ., that’s all

  5. I attended a Japan-Venezuela volleyball match on Saturday, and the “go-away” noise was very loud whenever the Japanese team served (Jianshuo, by the way, this is often called “booing” in English – by onomatopoeia). Regardless of the terrible history, I don’t believe booing the athletes shows respect for their 4+ years of preparation, and reflects extremely poorly on the host country.

  6. I hope people see Lang Ping as a success story, of the opportunities of Chinese people in the external world as a result of the progress in sports, economics and society. Perhaps being the GM of Baixing.com, a division of an American company, is a little like being Lang Ping, helping out the American team! :)

    A confident Chinese people will celebrate Lang Ping as a Chinese success story. China will win the medal count anyway, lets just celebrate individuals who are exceptional and hope more and more Chinese are successful in the world stage! (as they obviously will be!) Come on, Jia you!

  7. @elliottng, do you play Chinese chess? do you know the general’ soldier once crossed the river can never return!

    Now both China and US women volleyball team are in the semifinal, if China wins, Lang Ping will become the second fiddle in volleyball field in the eyes of Chinese.

    Should US team prevail this weekend, then Lang Ping is the traitor!

    Olympic game is like a peace time battle field, every score, every medal counts, it is all about pride, fame and glory,

  8. Lang Ping is one coach who sees the beauty of volleyball beyond politics and ethnocentricsm.

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