Heroes stumble

The early exit of the Chinese women's volleyball squad at the Tokyo Olympics was one of the most disappointing moments for Chinese sports fans this year. The defending champion crumbled to an unexpected ninth-place finish in Tokyo after losing its first three games. The shock capitulation led to the resignation of legendary head coach Lang Ping. Known as the "Iron Hammer" during her playing career, Lang took over the Chinese women's team for the second time in 2013, leading it to Olympic gold in Rio 2016, as well as World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.