Name: LANG Ping
Gender: W
Date of birth: December 10, 1960
Place of birth: Beijing
Height: 1.84m
Weight: 71kg
Sport: Volleyball
Personal best: 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games - 1st volleyball
Sports career:
Took up volleyball in a spare-time sports school in Beijing Workers' Gymnasium in April 1973. Joined the volleyball team of Beijing's Chenjinglun Middle School a year later and then entered a volleyball training class in Beijing's No. 2 Spare-time Sports School before becoming a member of the Beijing youth volleyball team. Promoted to the Beijing municipal team headed by Yuan Weimin in 1976 and chosen by the national team towards the end of 1978. In the national team she played as a chief spiker and served successively as the team's deputy captain, captain and assistant coach. Steered the Chinese team to the first world title at the Third World Cup Volleyball Tournament in 1981, before they swept three more major world titles in the 1982 World Championships, 1984 Olympic Games and 1985 World Cup for four straight wins in five years.
High performances:
1978 Asian Games - 2nd volleyball
1979 Asian Championships - 1st
1981 Bremen International Volleyball Invitational - 1st
1981 World Cup - 1st (China's first world title in women's volleyball)
1982 World Women's Volleyball Championship - 1st
1982 Asian Games - 1st volleyball
1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games - 1st volleyball
1985 World Cup - 1st
Known as an "Iron Hammer" for her powerful spikes characterized by high jumps, stylish arm movements, brisk and forceful downward punches, varied tactics and a high success rate.
Honours:
1980 - Awarded a prize for outstanding results achieved in the year by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission (SPCSC)
1980 - Awarded the title of Master of Sports
1981-1986 - Selected one of National Top Ten Athletes of the year for six times in succession
1981 - Named Best Spiker at the Bremen International Invitational and Best Player at the 3rd World Cup
1981 - Named Outstanding Athlete by the SPCSC
1981 - Named Shock Worker of the New Long March by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China
1981, 1983 & 1985 - Thrice awarded National Sports Medal of Honour by the SPCSC
1984 - Named National "March 8th" Red-Banner Holder by the All-China Women's Federation
1984 - Cited for First-Class Military Exploit by the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army of China
1984 - Voted one of 35 Sports Stars in 35 years since the founding of new China in 1949
1985 - Named Best Player at the 4th World Cup
1985 - Awarded a badge for the Year of Youth by the IOC
1986 - Awarded the title of International Master of Sports by the SPCSC
1994 - Voted one of 45 Sports Stars in 45 years since the founding of new China in 1949
April 1997 - Elected Best Women's Coach of 1996 by the International Volleyball Federation
April 1998 - Awarded the title of Advanced Sports Worker by the All-China Sports Federation
1998 - Elected member of the Sports Group for the 1st Session of the 9th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
August 1999 - Voted one of 50 Sports Stars in 50 years since the founding of new China in 1949
1999 - Nominated as one of Best Athletes of the Century in a national selection jointly organized by the Chinese Olympic Committee, Henry Fok Foundation and China Sports Press Association
Coaching experience:
1989 - Italy's Modena Club women's team - 1st, Italian Cup
1990 - Chinese national women's team - 2nd, World Women's Championship
1991 - New Mexico State University women's team - 1st, Eastern US Women's Volleyball Tournament
1995 - Chinese national women's team - 3rd, World Cup
September 1997 - Chinese national women's team - 1st, Asian Women's Championship
November 1998 - Chinese national women's team - 1st, Asian Games volleyball
December 1998 - Chinese national women's team - 2nd, World Women's Championship
May 2002 - Italy's Modena Club women's team - 1st, Italian Women's Volleyball League
Became a student of English language at the Beijing Normal University after retirement in 1986. Moved to the United States in April 1987, where she continued her English study in the New Mexico State University on a two-year scholarship provided by the New China Foundation of the overseas Chinese residing in San Francisco. Began to study for a Master's degree in the sports management department of the same university after passing the TOFEL and GRE tests in 1988. In 1990 she was called back to lead the Chinese national team to the 11th World Women's Volleyball Championship. Following that, she went back to New Mexico to continue her studies while serving as a coach of the university's women's volleyball team. During the period, she was also invited to be the head coach of both Japan's Yaohan Multinational All-Stars Team and the World Superstars Team, and was appointed chief coach of the All-American Training Centre under the US Volleyball Association. In January 1995, she decided to run for the position of the national head coach in women's volleyball. Returned to Beijing in February 1995 and began her coaching career in China. Resigned from her post for health reasons in March 1999. Took up the post of the head coach of Italy's Modena club team in July 1999. Named head coach of the national women's volleyball team of the United States in February 2005.
The most brilliant sports achievement for China in the 1980s was the historic breakthrough made by the Chinese women's volleyball team, which swept five major world titles in succession, thanks to the great efforts made by Lang Ping, one of the world's three ace spikers who played a leading role in it with her hammer-like devastating smashes.
