AS a core player and one of the nation¡¯s most respected volleyball players, Lang Ping, 45, won every major event while serving as a player for the Chinese Women¡¯s Volleyball Team in the 1980s.

Nicknamed ¡°Iron Hammer?by her fans, who thus showed their admiration for her powerful spikes, awesome offensive force and toughness, she was one of the dominant volleyball players of the 1980s.

The Beijing girl joined the national team in 1978. She began making herself an all-time legend by leading the Chinese Women¡¯s Volleyball Team to win two World Cups, one World Championship and one Olympic gold between 1981 and 1985.

In her role as a coach, she led China to a silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and successfully coached professionally in Italy for many years. She was awarded the Best Woman Volleyball Coach in Italy twice for her achievements in coaching the Modena team.

In 1991, she coached the New Mexico State University women¡¯s team to first place in the Eastern US Women¡¯s Volleyball Tournament.

She was elected Best Women¡¯s Coach of 1996 by the International Volleyball Federation.

Lang joined the Volleyball Hall of Fame as a player on October 18, 2002, culminating an incredible career that saw her establish herself as one of the finest female volleyball players ever. She was the first Asian volleyball player to receive this honour.

(Star News)