Lang Ping has all but confirmed she will step down as head coach of the Chinese women's volleyball team following its disappointing Tokyo Olympics campaign.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, the volleyball legend also revealed more details of Zhu Ting's much-talked-about wrist injury, which has been widely blamed as the main reason for the defending champion's struggles, describing it as a "time bomb".

Lang's girls concluded their Tokyo 2020 campaign on Monday with a 3-0 win over Argentina, leaving them with a 2-3 win-loss record in Pool B. Three opening defeats consigned China to its worst-ever performance in the women's tournament at an Olympics as it failed to reach the knockout stage.

The early exit left fans stunned back home, prompting Lang to issue an apology and hint she will quit as head coach. China has since salvaged some pride with victories over Italy and Argentina, however Lang's retirement plans do not appear to have changed.

"I've almost fulfilled all my dreams in volleyball," the 60-year-old told Xinhua after Monday's win over Argentina. "I don't think I can ask for more, and it's also not feasible to pursue more given my age."

Since beginning a second stint in charge of the national team in 2013, Lang has guided China to gold at the Rio Olympics, two World Cup titles, and a silver and a bronze at the world championships.

"I had a lot of happiness over the years, although I am not satisfied this time. Regret is also part of life and an experience that we all have to face," she said.

Lang also won Olympic gold as a player at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Having given so much of herself to volleyball through the decades, she now appears ready to walk away from the sport.

"For so many years, I couldn't spend quality time with my family. I want to make it up to them and enjoy the happiness of family life. Otherwise, it will be too late," she said.

After Monday's match, China's players appeared to bid Lang farewell－hugging the head coach one by one, some with tears in their eyes.

Lang, a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame, first took charge of the national team in 1995, leading her squad to a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and another runner-up finish at the 1998 world championships. She stepped down from the job in the same year, citing health reasons, before being reinstalled as head coach in 2013.

'Time bomb'

"We are not as strong a side as we were back in 2013. But through those years, through ups and downs, I've seen the growth of my players," said Lang, pointing out how onetime rookies such as Zhu, Yuan Xinyue and Zhang Changning, are now all world-class players.

"Since then, all of our efforts have been rewarded. We've been crowned in almost all of the important events, except the world championships.

"Only this time in Tokyo, our efforts have gone unrewarded. It's unusual," added Lang, stressing that she is still trying to figure out the reasons for the Tokyo flop.

Zhu's injury, of course, figured heavily in China's struggles. The Rio 2016 MVP looked a shadow of her usual self on the court, and was dropped for the final two matches.

Lang said Zhu sustained the wrist problem years ago, describing it as "a time bomb". She revealed that when the postponement of the Tokyo Games was announced, surgery was considered on the injured wrist, but doctors ultimately advised against it.

"The fact is that the risk (of surgery) was too high, so we had to turn to a more conservative treatment. Hence Zhu Ting seldom participated in training on the front row throughout the whole year before the Tokyo Games."

Lang, though, refused to lay all the blame for the team's shock exit on Zhu's injury.

"Our players count on her and sometimes they were waiting for Zhu to stand out, just like every time when they encountered difficulties over the past eight years," she said.

"But it doesn't mean that our players didn't work hard. The thing is at times we didn't work as a team or as a unified force, and we couldn't find our rhythm."

Lang also attributed her team's poor performance to mental stress and a lack of international competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tokyo 2020 may be the end of Lang's Olympic story, but for her players a new journey begins with Paris 2024.

"They are still young. I told them before our final match that this is your restart point for Paris," she said.

"What happened in Tokyo is a precious experience for those young players. I told them don't forget this. They need to remember the failure and find out how to recover when they encounter difficulties in the next Olympics."

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