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Leaning on the Iron Hammer

By Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-23 10:37

Coach Lang Ping (center) has some tips for the US women's volleyball team during its semifinal against Cuba last Thursday. xinhua

When Lang Ping took the reins as head coach of the US women's volleyball team in 2005, she was set the task of helping it qualify for the Beijing Olympics. But, far exceeding those expectations, today the US squad will fight against world No 1 Brazil for Olympic gold in the Americans' second final appearance since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

The 44-year-old Chinese coach Lang (Jenny), one of the most respected volleyball players in the world, is the only female head coach among the top 20 countries in the FIVB world rankings.

In order to help the US qualify for the Games, she assembled a veteran roster after evaluating college players and relatively new players on the international scene.

Without enough time to train together before the Games, the US team played inconsistently in the preliminary round, losing 0-3 to Cuba.

But Lang soon ironed out its problems and encouraging her players to play fearlessly. Later in the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, the US team showed strong fighting spirit defeating Italy and Cuba to march into the final.

"We feel honored to have Jenny with us and she is part of our family," said US team captain Lindsay Berg after reaching the final.

"We're thrilled (by the victory)."

The head coach has attracted much local media attention since she has spearheaded the US team, a strong rival now for China.

But Lang always tries to remain professional about the rivalry between the two countries.

"It is just competition between the two teams and nothing else," she said before the US upset the host 3-2 in the preliminaries.

But she has her motherland to bear in mind.

Before she accepted the offer from the US team, she had made sure that her move to the US would not hurt the feelings of Chinese fans and she also gained support and encouragement from former teammates and colleagues, including Chinese head coach Chen Zhonghe.

Known as the "Iron Hammer" during her playing days on the Chinese team, she was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2002 18 years after winning gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, a World Championship title in 1982 and two World Cup crowns in 1981 and 1985.

As head coach of the Chinese team during 1995-99, she guided the squad to a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

After coaching several Italian League teams, Lang accepted the offer from the US team because it allowed her to join her daughter living in the States.

(China Daily 08/23/2008 page25)