View source for Lang Ping

{{short description|Chinese volleyball player and coach}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Lang (Chinese surname)|Lang]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography
| name            = Lang Ping
| image_size      = 
| nickname        = Iron Hammer ({{lang|zh-hans|铁榔头}}/{{lang|zh-hans|鐵榔頭}})
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1960|12|10|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Tianjin]], [[China]]
| hometown        = [[Tianjin]], [[China]]
| height          = {{convert|1.84|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight          = {{convert|71|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| teamnumber      = 1
| position        = Outside hitter
| nationalyears   = 1978–1985, 1990
| nationalteam    = {{vbw|China}}
| college         = [[Beijing Normal University]]<br>[[University of New Mexico]]
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Volleyball at the Summer Olympics|volleyball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CHN}} }}
[[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]]|[[Volleyball at the 1984 Summer Olympics#Women's competition|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1982 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1982 Peru]]|}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1990 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship|1990 China]]|[[1990 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship squads|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|FIVB World Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1981 Japan]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[1985 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup|1985 Japan]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Goodwill Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1990 Goodwill Games|1990 Seattle]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Summer Universiade]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1981 Summer Universiade|1981 Bucharest]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1982 Asian Games|1982 New Delhi]] |[[Volleyball at the 1982 Asian Games – Women|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1978 Asian Games|1978 Bangkok]] |[[Volleyball at the 1978 Asian Games – Women|Team]]}}
}}

'''"Jenny" Lang Ping''' ({{lang-zh|c=郎平|p=Láng Píng}}; born 10 December 1960) is a Chinese former [[volleyball]] player and coach. She is the former head coach of the [[China women's national volleyball team|Chinese women's national volleyball team]] and [[United States women's national volleyball team|U.S. women's national volleyball team]]. As a player, Lang won the most valuable player award in [[Volleyball at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|women's volleyball at the 1984 Olympics]].<ref name="return">{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2008/08/09/return-of-the-iron-hammer/|title=Return of the 'Iron Hammer'|last=Tabuchi|first=Hiroko|author-link=Hiroko Tabuchi|date=2008-08-09|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=2008-08-19}}</ref>

In 2002, Lang became an inductee of the [[International Volleyball Hall of Fame]] in [[Holyoke, Massachusetts]].<ref name="USAT">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2005-02-08-notes-lang-volleyball_x.htm|title=China's Lang Ping gets U.S. volleyball post|date=2005-02-08|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|access-date=2008-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527223510/https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/2005-02-08-notes-lang-volleyball_x.htm |archive-date=27 May 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She coached the U.S. women's national team to a silver medal at the [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing Olympics]] in her home country. Lang later coached the gold medal-winning Chinese women's national team at the [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio Olympics]], becoming the first person in volleyball history, male or female, to have won Olympic gold both as a player and as a coach.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=64550&Language=en#.V7tPuj4rIfE|title=Lang Ping becomes first person in volleyball to win Olympic gold as player and coach|date=August 21, 2016|website=[[FIVB]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826230742/http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=64550&Language=en |archive-date=26 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2006874/volleyball-visionary-coach-lang-ping-worth-her-weight-gold-and-more|title=Volleyball visionary: coach Lang Ping worth her weight in gold – and more|last=Zuo|first=Mandy|date=21 August 2016|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|access-date=2016-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625124723/https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2006874/volleyball-visionary-coach-lang-ping-worth-her-weight-gold-and-more |archive-date=25 June 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lang is the main character in the 2020 biographical film [[Leap (film)|Leap]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Davis|first=Rebecca|date=2020-09-25|title=Gong Li Drama 'Leap' Opens to $8.2 Million in China|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/peter-chan-leap-disney-mulan-china-box-office-1234784447/|access-date=2021-02-11|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|location=Los Angeles |publisher=Penske Media Corporation|language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818145243/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/peter-chan-leap-disney-mulan-china-box-office-1234784447/ |archive-date=18 August 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> in which she is played by actress [[Gong Li]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Chan|first=Peter Ho-Sun|date=2020-09-25|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670442/|type=Drama, Sport|others=Gong Li, Bo Huang, Gang Wu, Yuchang Peng|title=Leap|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=2021-02-11}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Lang Ping was born in [[Tianjin]]. She was married to Chinese former handball player "Frank" Bai Fan from 1987 to 1995. In 1992, they had a daughter named Lydia Lang Bai, who played volleyball for [[Stanford University]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=#1 Lydia Bai|url=https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/lydia-bai/7188|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Stanford University Athletics|language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911031513/https://gostanford.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/season/2013/player/lydia-bai |archive-date=11 September 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> and played the young version of Lang Ping in the film ''Leap''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gallegos|first=Ricardo|date=2021-01-10|title=Director Peter Chan and Actress Lydia Bai on the Technical and Political Challenges Behind China's Oscar Submission 'Leap'|url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/01/peter-chan-and-lydia-bai/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Asian Movie Pulse|language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711110552/https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/01/peter-chan-and-lydia-bai/ |archive-date=11 July 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> Lang is currently married to Wang Yucheng, a professor at the China Academy of Social Science.<ref name="WoV">{{Cite web |url=https://worldofvolley.com/latest_news/othercountries/64046/chn-lang-ping-got-married.html |website=WorldofVolley |title=CHN: Lang Ping got married! |date=January 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230911115252/https://worldofvolley.com/latest_news/othercountries/64046/chn-lang-ping-got-married.html |archive-date=September 11, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1987, Lang moved to Los Angeles with Bai to study and serve as an assistant volleyball coach at the [[University of New Mexico]]. When asked about the reasons for her move, she said she wanted "to taste a normal life."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/080608dnspoolyvolleyball.438a617.html?npc|title=Lang Ping left China for 'normal life'|last=Townsend|first=Brad|date=2008-08-06|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=2008-08-19}}</ref> She maintains Chinese citizenship despite having lived in the U.S. for more than 15 years.<ref name="pounding">{{cite news|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90779/90867/6342656.html|title=Iron Hammer still pounding |date=2008-01-22|newspaper=China Daily|access-date=2008-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821135752/http://en.people.cn/90001/90779/90867/6342656.html |archive-date=21 August 2022 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career==
Nicknamed the "Iron Hammer",<ref name="return" /><ref name="pounding" /> Lang was a member of the [[China women's national volleyball team|Chinese national team]] that won the gold medal over the United States at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref name="NYT">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/08/sports/triumph-and-defeat-for-american-women-volleyball-china-ends-us-quest.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Triumph and Defeat for American Women; Volleyball; China Ends U.S. Quest |last=Vecsey |first=George |page=A15 |date=August 8, 1984 |access-date=September 5, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> She was also a member of the team that won the World Championship crown in 1982 in [[Peru]] and won World Cup titles in 1981 and 1985 in Japan.<ref name="lang">{{cite news|url=http://washtimes.com/news/2008/aug/15/us-coach-lang-ping-returns-to-native-land/|title=Lang Ping goes home|date=2008-08-15|newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|access-date=11 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907214416/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/15/us-coach-lang-ping-returns-to-native-land/ |archive-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="IOC-Cup">{{Cite news |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/volleyball-world-cup-men-women-history-format-results-champions |work=Olympics.com |title=History of FIVB Volleyball World Cup and winners list |date=5 February 2023 |last=Lokegaonkar |first=Jay |access-date=5 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240916185840/https://olympics.com/en/news/volleyball-world-cup-men-women-history-format-results-champions |archive-date=16 September 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> She captained the 1985 World Cup team and was named the most valuable player of the tournament.<ref name="IOC-Cup" /> The Chinese women's volleyball team won multiple World Championships during Lang's career. Lang was the star outside hitter on the team. She was named one of China's Top Ten Athletes of the year from 1981 to 1986.<ref name="Lassen">{{cite news|url=http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/08/us-womens-volleyball-coach-an-icon-back-in/|title=U.S. women's volleyball coach an icon back in Beijing|last=Lassen|first=David|date=2008-07-08|newspaper=Ventura County Star|access-date=2008-08-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827214716/http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/08/us-womens-volleyball-coach-an-icon-back-in/|archive-date=2008-08-27}}</ref>

===Legacy in China===
Owing to her central role in the success of the Chinese women's volleyball team in the 1980s, Lang was seen as a cultural icon and is one of the most respected people in modern Chinese sports history. Lang is remembered as one of the first world champions for China.<ref name="Lassen"/>

===Coaching===
Lang was an assistant coach at the [[University of New Mexico]] from 1987 to 1989 and 1992–93.<ref name="USAT" />

In 1995, Lang became the head coach of the Chinese national team and eventually guided the squad to the silver medal at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]] and second place at the 1998 World Championships in Japan.<ref name="lang" /> Lang Ping resigned from the Chinese national team in 1998 for health reasons. In the following year, she took a head coaching position in the Italian professional volleyball league and enjoyed great success there, winning various honours and the coach of the year award multiple times. She was selected 1996 [[FIVB]] Coach of the Year.<ref name="USAT" />

She became the coach of the US National Team in 2005.<ref name="LAT">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-22-sp-olywomvolley22-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |title=U.S. settles score with Cuba, will play for gold |last=Dwyre |first=Bill |date=August 22, 2008 |access-date=10 September 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> Lang guided the team to the 2008 Olympics, where the US team faced off with China in her home country. The US team defeated China 3–2. Then Chinese and US presidents, [[Hu Jintao]] and [[George W. Bush]], attended the match.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/16/sports/olympics/16volleyball.html|title=Ex-Chinese Star Guides U.S. to Win in Volleyball|last=Wong|first=Edward|date=2008-08-15|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=2008-08-16}}</ref> The match drew 250 million television viewers in China alone. The team went on to win the silver medal, losing to Brazil in the finals 3–1. Lang allowed her contract to run out later that year, citing that she wanted to coach a club so as to spend more time with her family.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2008-11/26/content_16831840.htm|title=Lang Ping not to extend US volleyball contract |website=[[China Internet Information Center]] |date=26 November 2008 |publisher=中国网|access-date=26 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928040706/http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2008-11/26/content_16831840.htm |archive-date=28 September 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>
She became the head coach of the [[China women's national volleyball team]] for the second time in 2013 and won the World Cup in Japan in 2015. In 2014, she was the only female head coach among the 24 teams in the FIVB World Championship.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=50081&Language=en#.V7tMcD4rIfE |title=Coaches Lang Ping and Kiraly, star players 30 years ago, face off in title match |date=12 October 2014|website=FIVB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015041442/https://www.fivb.org/viewPressRelease.asp?No=50081&Language=en#.V7tMcD4rIfE |archive-date=15 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On August 21, 2016, Lang Ping guided the Chinese national team to the gold medal at 2016 Rio Olympics. With this victory, Lang Ping became the first person in volleyball history, male or female, to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games as a player with the Chinese national team in Los Angeles 1984 and as the Chinese national team head coach in Rio 2016. On September 29, 2019, after [[China women's national volleyball team|China]] swept all eleven matches to defend the World Cup title, Lang Ping also became the first person to win the back-to-back World Cup champions both as a player (1981, 1985) and as a coach (2015, 2019).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.fivb.org/EN/Media/viewPressRelease.asp?No=89034&Language=en|title=China crowned World Cup champions anew|date=September 29, 2019|website=FIVB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821135750/https://www.fivb.org/EN/Media/viewPressRelease.asp?No=89034&Language=en |archive-date=21 August 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Coaching career====
{| bgcolor="#f7f8ff" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: gray solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| align="center"|'''Club/Team'''
| align="center"|'''Country'''
| align="center"|'''year'''
|-align=left
| [[China women's national volleyball team|Chinese NT]]
| {{Flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]
| 1995 - 1998
|-align=left
| [[Volley Modena]]
| {{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy]]
| 1999 - 2002
|-align=left
| [[Asystel Volley|Asystel Novara]]
| {{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy]]
| 2002 - 2004
|-align=left
| [[Pieralisi Jesi]]
| {{Flagicon|ITA}} [[Italy]]
| 2005
|-align=left
| [[USA women's national volleyball team|USA NT]]
| {{Flagicon|USA}} [[United States]]
| 2005 - 2008
|-align=left
| Telecom Ankara
| {{Flagicon|TUR}} [[Turkey]]
| 2008 - 2009
|-align=left
| [[Guangdong Evergrande VC (women)|Guangdong Evergrande]]
| {{Flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]
| 2009 - 2014
|-align=left
| [[China women's national volleyball team|Chinese NT]]
| {{Flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]
| 2013–2021 <br>   
|}

==Awards==
===Individuals===
; As a player
* '''[[1982 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship#Awards|1982 FIVB World Championship "Most valuable player"]]'''<ref name="FIVB">{{cite web |title=Lang Ping: Iron Hammer Nailing Gold |date=13 May 2022 |url=https://www.fivb.com/lang-ping-iron-hammer-nailing-gold/ |publisher=[[FIVB]] |access-date=22 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127005202/https://www.fivb.com/lang-ping-iron-hammer-nailing-gold/ |archive-date=27 January 2025}}</ref>
* '''[[Volleyball at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament#Awards|1984 Olympic Games "Most valuable player"]]'''<ref name="FIVB"/>
* '''[[1985 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup#Awards|1985 FIVB World Cup "Most valuable player"]]'''<ref name="FIVB"/>

; As a coach
* 1996 [[FIVB]] Coach of the Year

===National team===
; As a player 
* 1981 World Cup - {{GoldMedal}} Gold Medal
* 1982 World Championship - {{World1}} Gold Medal
*
* 1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles - {{OG1}} Gold Medal
* 1985 World Cup - {{GoldMedal}} Gold Medal
* 1990 World Championship - {{World2}} Silver Medal
; As a coach
* 1995 World Cup - {{BronzeMedal}} Bronze Medal
* 1996 Olympic Games Atlanta - {{OG2}} Silver Medal
* 1998 World Championship - {{World2}} Silver Medal
* 2007 World Cup - {{BronzeMedal}} Bronze Medal
* 2008 Olympic Games Beijing - {{OG2}} Silver Medal
* 2014 World Championship - {{World2}} Silver Medal
* 2015 World Cup - {{GoldMedal}} Gold Medal
* 2016 Olympic Games Rio - {{OG1}} Gold Medal
* 2018 World Championship - {{World3}} Bronze Medal
* 2019 World Cup - {{GoldMedal}} Gold Medal

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.volleyhall.org/lang-ping.html International Volleyball Hall of Fame profile]
* [https://olympics.com/en/athletes/ping-lang Lang Ping at Olympics.com]
* [https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/52134 Olympedia profile: Lang Ping]
* [http://www.fivb.org/EN/Volleyball/Competitions/Worldgrandprix/2007/coaches/coaches.asp?TeamCode=USA&sm=27 FIVB profile]
* [https://volleybox.net/ping-lang-p4475 Volleybox.net profile]
* [https://www.fivb.com/en/development/news/lang-ping-iron-hammer-nailing-gold?id=97409 Lang Ping: Iron Hammer Nailing Gold] (FIVB)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040910054925/http://en.olympic.cn/athletes/serch_L/2003-11-04/3713.html Lang Ping's profile at Chinese Olympic Committee] (archived)

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|JPN}} [[Toshi Yoshida (volleyball)|Toshi Yoshida]]|title=[[United States women's national volleyball team]] coach|years=2004-2008|after={{flagicon|NZL}} [[Hugh McCutcheon]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{China squad 1981 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{China squad 1982 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{China women volleyball team 1984 Olympics}}
{{China squad 1985 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{China Squad 1990 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{China squad 1995 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{China women volleyball team 1996 Olympics}}
{{China Squad 1998 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{USA squad 2007 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{United States women's volleyball squad 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{China Squad 2014 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{China squad 2015 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{China women's volleyball squad 2016 Summer Olympics}}
{{China Squad 2018 FIVB Women's World Championship}}
{{China squad 2019 FIVB Women's World Cup}}
{{Volleyball Hall of Fame members}}
{{Touching the Heart of China}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, Ping}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American volleyball coaches]]
[[Category:Chinese volleyball coaches]]
[[Category:Chinese women's volleyball players]]
[[Category:Olympic coaches for the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic coaches for China]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Olympic volleyball players for China]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Beijing Normal University alumni]]
[[Category:University of New Mexico alumni]]
[[Category:Manchu sportspeople]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1978 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Volleyball players from Tianjin]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Chinese expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Expatriate volleyball players in Italy]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1978 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1982 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Asian Games volleyball players for China]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for China]]
[[Category:Expatriate volleyball coaches]]
[[Category:Chinese expatriate sportspeople in Turkey]]
[[Category:Chinese expatriate sportspeople in Italy]]
[[Category:New Mexico Lobos coaches]]
[[Category:Coaches at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Coaches at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Coaches at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:International Volleyball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists in volleyball]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in volleyball]]