Dateline Beijing /Jerry Sullivan at the Olympics
China’s Lang leads U. S. to silver
It’s hard to believe after the events of the last two weeks, but until 1984 the Chinese had never won an Olympic gold medal. One of their most celebrated athletes in Los Angeles that year was a young woman named Lang Ping, who led China to victory over the U. S. in the volleyball title game.
Back then, Lang was every bit as popular in China as Yao Ming and Liu Xiang are today. Lang had her likeness on postage stamps. Her wedding was televised live across the country. She had volleyball stadiums and children named in her honor.
Lang spent the next 18 years coaching around the world. She worked as an assistant college coach at New Mexico in the U. S., then spent three years coaching pro volleyball in Japan and five years as head coach of China’s national team, which she led to silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
In 2005, Lang took over as head coach of the U. S. women’s team. She returned home for the Beijing Games, still a national heroine, to lead the Americans. And Saturday night, her career came full circle as she coached the U. S. in its first gold medal match since it lost to her Chinese squad 24 years earlier.
It was an emotional fortnight for the U. S. and its coach, who now goes by her American name of Jenny Lang. On the opening weekend of the Games, the father of former U. S. player Elisabeth “Wiz” Bachman was stabbed to death at the Drum Tower in Beijing. Her mother was seriously injured in the attack. Bachman’s husband, Hugh McCutcheon, is the U. S. men’s coach.
Both U. S. teams reached the gold medal game for the first time since 1984 (the men were to play Brazil in the final at midnight Buffalo time). It’s a small thing when measured against a human life, but the Bachmans were avid followers of U. S. volleyball, and both American teams felt they could best honor the family by playing their best in Beijing.
The women had Wiz Bachman in their thoughts for the entire tournament, and they wanted desperately to win the gold for her family. But in the end, the Brazilian team was simply too good. Brazil won in four sets — 25-15, 18-25, 25-13, 25-21 — to capture its first ever women’s volleyball gold.
“Today we knew the match would be very difficult,” Lang said afterward. “Brazil definitely is the best team in the tournament.”
Brazil, the top seed and reigning world champion, had coasted to the gold medal game without losing a set. The U. S., by contrast, had rallied from a 2-1 deficit in sets three times on its way to the title game.
The Americans won the second set Saturday night. Even when they fell behind, two sets to one, you wondered if they might have another comeback in store. The teams then played a spectacular fourth set, trading big hits and remarkable saves. But finally, Brazil’s superior size won out. They scored the last four points of the fourth set to win the gold.
The U. S. women were disappointed, but they were smiling and upbeat after winning silver. It was their best finish at an Olympics in 24 years. And surely, the tragedy that struck USA volleyball two weeks earlier had put the competition in perspective for them.
“It was the worst start ever for a tournament, because we were so close to the Bachmans,” said Jennifer Joines. “We felt we had to uplift her and her family with volleyball. That family loves the sport of volleyball more than any else. The way to make them happy was to play hard.
“We read an e-mail from Wiz this morning, and we got another one just before the match,” said Joines, who had the name “Wiz” written on her wrist. “She told us that when she’s able to talk to the team, it brings a smile to her face.”
Lang had to deal with an emotionally staggered team and the attention of an adoring nation where she is still a hero. Large throngs of Chinese journalists followed her during the Games. During the introductions, she received by far the loudest and most sustained applause.
It was the overwhelming attention that caused Lang — who was known as the “Iron Hammer” in her playing days — to leave China in the first place. She has another reason. Her 15-year-old daughter, Lydia, lives in Tustin, Calif., with her father. Working in the U. S. allows Lang to spend more time with her girl.
Lang said she was grateful to be received so warmly in Beijing. At first, she worried that the Chinese people would resent her coaching another team here. But the response was warm and respectful. Her U. S. team beat China in pool play, but the Chinese women won a bronze medal.
“My friends here are proud of me as a Chinese coaching in the U. S.,” Lang said. “The fans were very supportive of us and gave us a lot of love and care. It was a wonderful international experience and it was very special for my players and for me.”
American volleyball suffered a great loss here. But the Chinese can take pride in the fact that their national heroine helped the USA players get through it and win silver. Someone asked Lang if she would consider coming back to China to coach its national team again.
“I don’t really think so,” she said. “China has a lot of great coaches. Plus, my daughter wants me to spend more quality time with her. For sure, tomorrow I will be starting my vacation.”
