China volleyball star Zhu Ting to undergo wrist surgery, shuts down retirement talk and targets next two Olympic Games
- The 26-year-old star spiker is keen to bounce back after the Chinese women’s team failed to defend their title at the Tokyo Games
- Zhu says she would have the surgery abroad without naming the country, adding she needs to be careful when choosing the medical team
Zhu Ting was expected to carry China’s women to volleyball gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last summer. Instead, she carried a painful wrist injury that hindered her ability to perform as defending champions China failed to even qualify for the play-offs.
Almost four months since the Games, the 26-year-old spiker has decided to do something about her long-standing injury and undergo surgery, according to Xinhua.
“The preparations, including pre-surgery communications and visa application, are progressing step by step. Time will give the best answer,” Zhu told the Chinese news agency.
“For me as an volleyball athlete, the therapeutic and recovery plans to the wrist are much more complicated than usual, because playing professional volleyball requires my wrist to have good movement, strong combat strength and a flexible angle.
“Therefore, I must be very careful when choosing experienced doctors and specific therapeutic solutions. Especially with the impact of the epidemic, there are many things to consider and prepare,” added the 26-year-old, who said she would have the surgery abroad without naming the country.