Lang preaches patience in Olympic waiting game

Back then, Team China stunned the world by winning five major trophies in a row from 1981-86－including a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. That was a very different era when living standards back home were basic and training facilities poor.

Now, with her team sitting atop the world rankings and supported by a robust State-run sports system, Lang urges her players to keep their feet on the ground and ignore the hype.

"The ranking is not that important," said Lang. "We don't want to focus too much on what happened, or the history. We will concentrate on our own way going forward.

"It is very important how you arrive for every tournament. We are looking forward, hopefully, to still having a chance to go to the medal round at the Olympics."

Lang, who will turn 60 in December, is planning to travel around the world with her family during her retirement and is not keen to delay her itinerary much longer.

"My travel plans needs to be pushed back 300 days later or more. That's OK," said Lang.

"I hope I will be healthy enough by then and still have more years to travel, to have a better life with my daughter and her family."

Pressed on whether she might be persuaded to change her mind and continue coaching past next summer, Lang laughed and replied: "I don't think so. It is going to be a very hard decision to continue. But, OK, I will keep a little door open."