In the Paris Olympic cycle, the Chinese women's volleyball team failed to accomplish the task of rejuvenation. The team's overall performance was unsatisfactory, and in three years, they failed to win a world championship title. The gap between them and the world-class strong teams is growing larger. The coaching ability of head coach Cai Bin has been widely criticized. Additionally, the team suffers from a lack of talent, poor echelon construction, and severe aging among the players. Therefore, in the new cycle, the Chinese women's volleyball team will learn from the bitter lessons of the Paris Olympics and undergo comprehensive reforms.
In fact, after the Paris Olympics, the restructuring of the Chinese women's volleyball team had already begun. Many assistant coaches from the coaching staff were assigned to local teams for coaching practice. Although there were high calls for head coach Cai Bin to step down, Cai Bin did not resign voluntarily, and the Volleyball Association did not ask him to do so. Therefore, it is likely that Cai Bin will continue to serve in the new cycle.
However, what deserves the attention of fans is that the whereabouts of Lai Yawen, the director of the Volleyball Management Center, remains a mystery. After the Paris Olympics, Lai Yawen rarely appeared in public, leading many fans to speculate that she might be involved in the Li Quanqiang incident, although this is all just speculation. Lai Yawen is a veteran of the Chinese women's volleyball team. As a player, she was a mainstay of the national team and made contributions.
After retiring, Lai Yawen took on administrative positions with the Chinese women's volleyball team, serving as the team leader for a long time and assisting meritorious head coaches such as Chen Zhonghe and Lang Ping. She has a deep understanding of the Chinese women's volleyball team. After the Tokyo Olympics, Lai Yawen became the director of the Volleyball Management Center and became the head of Chinese volleyball. During her tenure as director, Lai Yawen worked diligently and spared no effort to shine in the volleyball industry.
She not only frequently appeared at the scene of Chinese women's volleyball matches to help guide the team under Cai Bin but also did not neglect the men's team. She helped the Chinese men's volleyball team hire foreign coaches for the first time, helping them out of difficulties. Therefore, Lai Yawen is a rare talent in the history of Chinese volleyball, and we have reason to believe that she can help the Chinese volleyball cause return to its peak. Thus, in the new cycle, Lai Yawen will also continue to hold the position of director of the Volleyball Management Center.
There is also new news about the players. Wang Mengjie, the main libero of the Chinese women's volleyball team during the Paris Olympic cycle, stated that she has not yet considered retirement and will not consider it until after the Paris Olympics. Wang Mengjie is 30 years old this year and has completed a major event in her life. Although she has reached the age of retirement, Wang Mengjie refuses to give up, which is great news for the Chinese women's volleyball team.
After all, during the Paris Olympic cycle, the young liberos trained by Cai Bin, Ni Feifan and Wang Wei, performed poorly, and Cai Bin quickly recalled Wang Mengjie. Wang Mengjie once again demonstrated the performance of a world-class libero. In the new cycle, Wang Mengjie's continued stay on the team can play a role in passing on skills and experience, helping young players like Ni Feifan and Xu Jianan transition.
Although the age of the Chinese women's volleyball team's lineup is already relatively old, from the current situation of domestic players, Zhang Changning still has hope to continue playing. Zhang Changning has rich experience in major competitions and very comprehensive personal skills. Although she experienced knee injuries after the Tokyo Olympics and did not train or compete with the team for two years, Zhang Changning's recent state is commendable. She can play a bridging role in the national team, and coupled with her good personal relationship with Cai Bin, Zhang Changning faces no pressure in continuing to play.