CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- On the evening of August 3, Beijing time, Zheng Qinwen, a Chinese young athlete, made history at the Paris Olympics by winning the women's singles championship, which marks the first women's singles gold medal for Chinese tennis in the Olympics. Behind this achievement is the contribution of a student from Chongqing. From the Asian Games to the Olympics, Xiao Lin'ang from Southwest University has been Zheng Qinwen's dedicated training partner, accompanying her through thick and thin.

It is reported that Xiao Lin'ang, who is about to be a sophomore at Southwest University, from Guilin, Guangxi, has played tennis since he was six. He said that he initially took up tennis to cultivate an interest and never expected to go so far in the sport.

Zheng Qinwen's playing style is unique and leans towards a more masculine approach, requiring her training partner to not only have matching technical skills, but also to be able adapt to her style. Xiao Lin'ang, with his excellent playing style and ball control ability, met these requirements. Last September, Xiao Lin'ang was recommended by a coach from the Shanghai team to be the training partner for Zheng Qinwen, to help her prepare for the Asian Games. Due to their strong cooperation, this June, Xiao Lin'ang was invited again to be the dedicated training partner for Zheng Qinwen to prepare for the Olympics, and he will witness her journey to the championship at Paris.

Having been the training partner for Zheng Qinwen for twice, Xiao Lin'ang felt proud, saying that “It's a rare experience for me to provide support for Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and witness the development of Chinese tennis."

》》 The Olympic champion in the eyes of her training partner: "Diligent", "Hardworking" and "Confident"

"Diligent", "Hardworking" and "Confident" are the three keywords Xiao Lin'ang uses to describe Zheng Qinwen.

Xiao Lin'ang recalled that the team once discussed with Zheng Qinwen whether she could win more than two rounds against a top 100 male players worldwide. After a moment of thought, Zheng Qinwen nodded with a smile. In the view of Xiao Lin'ang, such confidence was due to her strength.

"She never ends training on her own." Xiao Lin'ang told the reporter that most tennis players train for 2 to 3 hours, while Zheng Qinwen would always request additional training time. Even when the coaching team thought the training was sufficient, she would still request additional training to make up for her shortcomings.

When they first met, Zheng Qinwen told Xiao Lin'ang to do his utmost during training and never to "feed the ball", but to make her feel “challenged”.

In Xiao Lin'ang's view, athletes as disciplined as Zheng Qinwen were rare. Her diet during competitions was very clean, consisting of salad, chicken breast and white rice. "She can completely disregard taste, few athletes could be as hardworking and diligent as her," said Xiao Lin'ang.

》》 From the Asian Games to the Olympics

The champion in the eyes of her training partner having made remarkable progress

Before the Asian Games last September, Zheng Qinwen's technical coach was poached, leaving her to rely on herself for technical training.

Despite this, Zheng Qinwen won the Asian Games championship with her strong strength. This June, Xiao Lin'ang, once again serving as her dedicated training partner, found that Zheng Qinwen had made further progress, not only technically but also mentally.

"It can be seen from the round of 16 to the quarterfinals and the quarterfinals to the semifinals matches at this Olympics," said Xiao Lin'ang, adding that the scores fluctuated from leading to falling behind and finally to a comeback, making the team feel like riding a roller coaster. However, even feeling extremely tired and at a disadvantage, Zheng Qinwen managed to make a comeback in the games through her strong willpower.

Xiao Lin'ang admitted that before the Olympics, the team was not entirely confident about her winning the gold. However, during the games, Zheng Qinwen, with her strong strength and steady mind, overcame all the challenges, and by paying great attention to details, effectively executing tactics, she tried her best to reduce mistakes, and finally made history by winning the gold.

"It is a rare experience for me to be the training partner for an Olympic champion and witness the development of Chinese tennis," said Xiao Lin'ang. He planned to participate in international competitions and hope that one day, he could also stand on the Olympic stage to win glory for the country. (Translated by Jane, Fathom Language Limited)