The Nation Will Not Tolerate Wang Meng: 77 Gold Medals Do Not Represent Everything, Arrogance and Rudeness Will Only Lead to Rejection
The incredibly domineering phrase "My eyes are the measure!" comes from Wang Meng, a legendary figure in Chinese speed skating, known as the "Short Track Speed Skating Overlord." Her career has been nothing short of brilliant, with a total of 77 gold medals, countless honors, and endless glory. However, Wang Meng has also made many mistakes due to her arrogance and self-importance, not only being expelled from the national team three times but also remaining unforgiven to this day.
So, what exactly did Wang Meng do?
Speed Skating Legend
Born in 1984 in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang, a land filled with vitality and resilience, Wang Meng entered the world. Perhaps it was the ice and snow of the north that endowed her with agility and tenacity, and from an early age, she showed a strong and pure interest in sports: whether on the school playground or in the community's simple sports venues, one could always see her small, energetic figure.
At the age of ten, fate began to turn its gears, and an experienced and discerning short track speed skating coach discovered the unique brilliance hidden within Wang Meng among the crowd. Wang Meng thus stepped through the door of short track speed skating training, embarking on a journey filled with challenges and dreams.
Although training is undoubtedly arduous for a ten-year-old child, Wang Meng's stubbornness and love for sports in her bones never gave her the thought of retreating. Time flies, and in just two years, Wang Meng emerged like a rapidly rising new star, beginning to shine with remarkable brilliance.
Her standing long jump results and 500-meter speed skating results stood out among her peers, unmatched, and her graceful and agile figure on the ice, each glide seemingly aided by the wind, continuously demonstrated her extraordinary talent. This talent quickly made her a new star that everyone in the local sports circle focused on, and everyone had high hopes for the future of this little girl.
At the age of fourteen, with outstanding performance and unlimited potential, Wang Meng was successfully selected by the Heilongjiang speed skating team. This was an important step for her to reach a higher stage, and she also knew the mission and responsibility she bore. In the provincial team, she trained even harder, constantly honing her skills and improving her physical fitness, all to go further on the path of short track speed skating.
Finally, at the age of sixteen, Wang Meng welcomed another major turning point in her career—being recruited into the national team. From then on, she began to write her own splendid chapter, and in the days of the national team, Wang Meng fought on countless battlefields, standing on the podium time and again. Her domineering presence on the field made opponents wary. Until her retirement, she won a total of 77 gold medals, an astonishing number that made her worthy of the title of "Overlord" in the speed skating world.
However, this does not mean that Wang Meng's career was smooth sailing; in fact, it can be said to be full of ups and downs—she was expelled from the national team three times...
Three Expulsions
The first time was when Wang Meng had just entered the national team. At that time, she was like an untamed wild horse, freshly selected from the provincial team. In the provincial team days, she was like a crane among chickens, stepping onto the ice every time like a sword out of its sheath, racing across the field with excellent results that made people look sideways.
Perhaps because of this, the provincial team coaches also "treated her specially," rarely going too far in strict management, which cultivated her free-spirited and unrestrained style of action. At that time, she was like a knight who galloped freely and came and went alone on the ice, relying on her innate talent to repeatedly cross the finish line and laugh at the heroes.
But when she stepped onto the higher stage of the national team, everything changed. The national team had strict discipline and a systematic and rigorous training plan, with everyone functioning like tightly meshed gears, working together. However, Wang Meng failed to adjust quickly, continuing her previous way of doing things without regard for rules and regulations, arriving late for morning assembly training and sometimes acting according to her own ideas during daily team drills, not fitting in...
Such undisciplined behavior soon caused a stir in the team, with growing dissatisfaction among her teammates. After all, this is the national team, a place representing national honor, not a "private domain" where one can act on a whim. Thus, Wang Meng tasted bitterness, being expelled from the national team for the first time and setting the "record" for the fastest dismissal.
At that time, she may have felt wronged, or perhaps still harbored stubbornness and unwillingness, but reality is so cruel. Fortunately, Wang Meng's talent was too dazzling, and the national team could not bear to let such a promising seedling fade away. Not long after, they extended an olive branch to her again, recalling her.
This time, Wang Meng also sobered up somewhat, realizing how childish her past recklessness was, and began to correct her attitude, striving to integrate into the collective, sweating on the ice, trying to regain her best self.
But soon, fate presented her with another challenge: the national team changed coaches, with the famous Li Yan taking office. Coach Li Yan is known in the industry for being a strict teacher, adhering to a strict and high-standard coaching philosophy, with training plans detailed to every minute and every action, making almost impossibly stringent demands on the athletes.
This made Wang Meng, accustomed to a relatively relaxed environment, somewhat unable to cope, with her heart full of resistance. Initially, she only muttered and complained secretly, but later, she simply engaged in "passive resistance," skipping training as a matter of course.
After a major competition failure, she went so far as to openly blame the national team's training methods in front of everyone, directly targeting Coach Li Yan. This time, she really stirred up trouble and was expelled from the team again.
However, as time passed, for the sake of the national team's overall performance and her unfinished dreams, Wang Meng calmed down and proactively sought out Li Yan, opening her heart for a good communication, and the two resolved their grievances, ending their feud.
At the Vancouver Asian Winter Games, Wang Meng shone like a reborn phoenix, winning the "Triple Crown," a moment that left her so moved she could hardly contain herself, kneeling on the spot to express her gratitude to Coach Li Yan. This scene moved countless viewers, and everyone applauded Wang Meng's transformation and the reconciliation between master and apprentice.
But life's path is always full of twists and turns, perhaps due to the intoxication of honor or the loss after reaching the pinnacle of her career, Wang Meng "stumbled" again.
The Lijiang assault incident and the Qingdao conflict incident were exposed one after another, like two重磅 bombs, igniting a wave of public opinion: in Lijiang, post-drinking impulses led her into an assault scandal; in Qingdao, she had a fierce conflict with the team leader. These negative events raised big question marks about her character and attitude in the public eye.
The once-revered hero on the ice now found herself caught in the whirlpool of public opinion, facing constant doubts. The national team had no choice but to expel her for the third time and impose a suspension penalty.
During the suspension period, Wang Meng fell into deep reflection, with her past glories and mistakes replaying like movie clips in her mind. She realized that she could not sink into despair; to err is human, to forgive divine.
As soon as the suspension period ended, she rallied her spirits and returned to the arena, her eyes still reflecting that indomitable spirit. Unfortunately, fate seemed to enjoy playing tricks on her, and in 2014, during an accident at the selection of the United Nations, she suffered a right foot fracture, which was undoubtedly a fatal blow for a short track speed skater known for her speed.
With no choice, Wang Meng had to bid farewell to the arena with tears, carrying regrets, as well as the glory and lessons of the past, turning around to start a new chapter in her life. Her ups and downs on the ice have become a legendary tale that people often talk about, filled with warnings and inspiration.