In 2026 Tianyin Asian Championship, former volleyball coach Chen Zhonghe and player Zhao Ruirui reunited after 20 years. Their decades-long friendship remains warm and sincere.
In the stands at the 2026 Asian Championships in Tianjin, Chen Zhonghe and Zhao Ruirui sat side by side—the first time the two had appeared together in public in nearly two decades.
More than twenty years ago, Zhao Ruirui was a key player on the Chinese women’s volleyball team. At the 2003 Women’s Volleyball World Cup, her outstanding offensive performance earned her the title of Best Spiker,At that time, the entire nation had high hopes for her performance at the Athens Olympics, but an unexpected injury derailed all expectations. Many people at the time feared she might never return to the court.
Chen Zhonghe, then head coach of the
Chinese women’s volleyball team, closely monitored Zhao Ruirui’s entire rehabilitation process, from staying by her side in the hospital to accompanying her during rehab on the training court.Zhao Ruirui herself persevered through training with extraordinary willpower, never once backing down, and ultimately returned to the Olympic stage at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she helped the team win a bronze medal.
Later, when members of the women’s volleyball “Golden Generation” gathered privately, they often chose ordinary street-side restaurants—without fanfare or formality. Seated around a table, they raised their glasses and reminisced; the atmosphere of their conversation was exactly the same as it had been during those meals in the national team’s cafeteria all those years ago, and they rarely mentioned past regrets or hardships during their gatherings.
After
retiring, Zhao Ruirui did not choose to become a coach or take a job within the system; instead, she turned to literary creation. Her published works have won numerous awards, and she carries herself with a relaxed and composed demeanor in her daily life. Even when she appears in public without makeup, she exudes a natural, graceful presence,Many longtime fans who have followed her for years often pause for a moment when they see her posts.
Decades have passed, yet the bond between mentor and protégé has never waned. Despite setbacks in the past, she never lost heart; she has found her footing in new fields and remains down-to-earth and genuine in her interactions with others, finding contentment in simply meeting up with old friends for a casual meal.Do you still keep in touch with
those mentors who left a deep impression on you?
