Chapter 22 The national team

I have never experienced such a big thing, when that news became a fact that everyone is talking about, I was stunned by the accident... ×Not to mention retirement× "I don't want to retire at all! Occasionally I will flash the idea of ​​retiring, but I still stick to it. Since I am an athlete , we must face failure calmly: this is the game, I lost this time, and I will win it back next time. " On January 31, 2005, Popov, a Russian swimming superstar known as the "Czar", announced his retirement in St. Moritz, Switzerland.At the farewell ceremony, the 33-year-old swimming legend announced in public with tears in his eyes: "It's over. I have struggled for a long time after the Olympic Games about whether to retire, but seeing the rising stars of Russia After a great performance, I finally made up my mind to retire."

In the TV screen, the famous Dutch general De Bruyne was in tears; Australian Sasquatch Lethorpe solemnly presented Popov with a gold watch as a souvenir; It is an honor for me to compete with my husband." Seeing Popov's calm expression, I was full of emotions: Although I am diving and he is swimming, we have never competed in the same field, but there is also a relationship: in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, as a representative of the International Olympic Committee Athletes Committee, Popov was the one who awarded me the gold medal in the 10-meter platform!When this elegant and kingly swimming giant stood in front of me and presented me with a golden gold medal, my first Olympic gold medal, I was full of respect: he is still an active athlete, Participating in the Sydney Olympic Games, you can actually give me an award!If only I could be as successful as him someday.

Popov, an evergreen who never said he would quit, retired, but I returned to the provincial team without wanting to retire... I can’t help but imagine, if after the Athens Olympics, I also announced my retirement as happily as Popov, what would it be like now? scene. Why didn't I say retirement?Why not choose to retreat bravely?I remember that when I was interviewed by the media after the game, I said this: "Originally, I planned to retire after winning two gold medals in this Olympic Games. But now I only got the bronze medal, and I am not reconciled. I We must continue to work hard and strive to participate in the Beijing Olympics."

This was my thought at the time. I wanted to use the victory as my 25th birthday present and end my diving career with two gold medals in the Athens Olympic Games. The bronze medal really made me unwilling, because I took the lead in the first two moves that day. In this case, the technical handling of the middle three moves was not perfect. Although the last jump performed well, it was already powerless.I told myself: that was just one game, one out of hundreds of games, I believe in my own strength, as long as I am here, the gold medal will be mine!More importantly, I still love diving and want to continue to win glory for the country and contribute to Shaanxi!After all, the Olympic Games is just a game, a game that has been endowed with infinite meaning, and its essence is still a game.I have won so many games, losing once or twice is nothing, my diving career cannot end in failure.

Now some people often ask me, when did I have the thought of retiring?To be honest, I don't want to retire at all!Occasionally I would think about retiring, but I persisted. Since I am an athlete, I have to face failure calmly: this is the game, I lost this time, and I will win it back next time. In a word, continuing to dive does not depend on whether I have won the two gold medals in the Athens Olympics or whether I have achieved the double crown. No matter what, I want to work hard until 2008!Participating in the Beijing Olympics, which can be held in front of my house, is my biggest motivation. I don't want to retire at all!Even though I have encountered many ups and downs since 2005, as well as misunderstandings from various sources, my desire to participate in the Beijing Olympics has not been eradicated at all. On the contrary, this desire has become stronger.