Tokyo Olympics: Lang Ping tells tearful China volleyball stars ‘move forward, fight on’ after win in her final game
- Victory over Argentina sees defending champions leave Japan with two wins after three losses confirmed early exit
- ‘Iron Hammer’ wishes players future success – ‘things have beginnings and endings, I hope they have great careers wherever they go’
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China’s women’s volleyball team signed off from the Tokyo Olympic Games on a high note with a win over Argentina, but it is the end of an era as legendary coach Lang Ping walked away following their disastrous gold medal defence.
The Rio 2016 champions were already out by the time they played Italy in their fourth group-stage match, and with the pressure off they have beaten them and now winless Argentina in their fifth and final game.
Lang did not dwell on their time in Japan as she passed on the torch to the next generation.
“We had a regretful experience here in Tokyo,” she said. “The new generation has so much potential and they will improve in the future. I hope they will not forget this Olympic experience and will learn from it and will perform well in three years in Paris.”
China’s players bowed to Lang after the match after sharing hugs with the gold medal-winning coach, who also won the Olympic title as a player at the Los Angeles Games in 1984. Many of the players were in tears.
“I said, ‘Move forward, fight on’. Things have beginnings and endings,” Lang said. “I hope they have great volleyball careers wherever they go from here.”