Exclusive: Volleyball captain sees gold as inspiration

Hui Ruoqi, captain of the Chinese women's volleyball team, celebrate winning the gold medal in women's volleyball after beating Serbia 3:1 in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 20, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Hui Ruoqi, captain of the Chinese women's volleyball team, said it is the team's responsibility to carry on the spirit of Chinese women's volleyball, in an exclusive interview with China Daily as she led the Chinese team to win the third Olympics gold medal in history on Saturday.

"I believe this kind of spirit is what the society needs right now, whether it is in sports or people's daily lives. We made it today and I hope this could serve as an inspiration for every one of us," said the 25-year-old Hui, also an outside Hitter of China women's national volleyball team.

Hui also expressed her great excitement to see a huge Chinese fan base here in Rio de Janerio. "The cheers of Chinese fans made me feel as if we were playing at home," said Hui Ruoqi.

Wei Qiuyue, player of the Chinese women's volleyball team, celebrate winning the gold medal in women's volleyball after beating Serbia 3:1 in Rio de Janeiro on Aug 20, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Meanwhile, the veteran volleyball player Wei Qiuyue said all her efforts and sufferings have paid off after clinching the gold for the team. In the past two years, Wei has experienced a tough recovery following knee injuries and surgeries in late 2014.

"I really appreciated the trust showed by the head coach Lang Ping and the whole team, though I was absent from many international games during the 2 years," said the 28-year-old Wei, who is also part of the bronze-winning team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.