Lang Ping signed up for her second stint as
China’s coach last year and led the team to the silver medal in the World Grand
Prix. In a glittering playing career, the ‘Iron Hammer’ was a key member of the
Chinese teams that won gold medals at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, the
1982 World Championship and the 1981 and 1985 World Cups. As coach, she led her
country to bronze at the 1995 World Cup and silver at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic
Games. She became coach of the United States women’s team in 2005 and her
charges claimed Olympic silver at Beijing 2008, famously beating China along
the way. She was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2002. |