It broke the hearts of many people in an instant. They originally thought that this was a national sport, a must-win, and a win without any suspense. Just because it is a national sport, once you miss the gold medal, even if you win the silver medal, you feel like you have lost.
One side’s slogan is “Competition second, friendship first”. But missing the gold medal is really like a thorn in the heart. It's also like the gossip whispered in the ears of the neighbors, and the unpleasant chatter. Honorary medals burden athletes with huge domestic pressure and expectations.
The gold medal is like a "magic curse" in the eyes of some people, and it reflects the determination to win. As the host nation, Japan's determination to win is even more intense. As the holder of the national football altar, once he is pulled down from the altar, his opponents will be arrogant.
As one of the most popular sports, the pressure on the national table tennis team can be imagined. Table tennis mixed doubles is the core of pressure for national table tennis. The higher the hope, the higher the expectation. Once there is no success, the slightest carelessness will inevitably cause a lot of noise on the Internet and you will be scolded.
Although the spirit of Olympic sports is just an international friendship competition. Athletes may look like rivals during the competition, but they may become friends who have a pleasant conversation after the competition. Sports have no borders, and sports spirit should have no borders. It's a pity that competitive games are cruel, if you don't win, you lose. Medals representing a sense of honor are still the primary purpose of the competition, at least according to the rules of the competition.
The sense of national honor makes athletes need to relieve pressure even more during competitions, because the result of the competition, representing the country behind them, is no longer a personal honor. So they train hard day and night, just to win or lose. The medals are also the result of the athletes' hard work for four years.
It’s a game, there are winners and losers, and there’s an element of luck. Hard work alone is not enough, nor is talent alone. It’s a combination of the right time, right place, right people and people. Some athletes just look like champions. They display a strong aura and determination to win the first place. They are a presence that can almost crush their opponents.
No one always stands in the first place and always feels that things are changing. The competition changes from one competition to another, and the newcomers who are better than the previous ones can only try their best to maintain the lead, but there is no absolute. That’s why the competition is attractive and full of fighting spirit. Women's volleyball is like this, table tennis is like this, diving is like this...it doesn't mean that just because it is marked as a national sport, it will always occupy the first place and not be pulled down from the altar.
The national sports of other countries may not be like this, so there is still no absolute guarantee of first place every year. In this case, why be harsh on athletes? As an audience, you only see the results and do not participate in the process. I only saw the results of the game but not the sweat.
In the face of failure, it is important to reflect on the mistakes and develop solutions. After crying, you wipe your tears and continue to ignite your fighting spirit. Athletes are also children with parents, and they are also ordinary human bodies, and they also have moments of weakness. And as they represent the country's honor, they are destined to have a greater mission than those watching the game, and they need to face the winning or losing of the game more directly.
At the post-game press conference, Xu Xin also generously praised Mima Ito's performance and expressed her recognition of Mima Ito's strength. Praise her for being a brave female athlete who dares to fight against male athletes. In some professional skills, especially in fighting sessions, he is indeed bolder and braver. Losing with grace is the pattern of athletes.
So we have to work hard quietly and then surprise everyone.
This kind of secret effort is really scary. In the short term, you can see the disparity in distance and strength, but in the long run, it will be a turnaround. The reflection on failure at this time may be the basis for success at that time.