Gong Li to play volleyball icon Lang Ping on film

Memoirs Of A Geisha star Gong Li is set to tackle the life story of Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping in a new biopic.
Nicknamed the Iron Hammer, Lang led the Chinese women’s national volleyball team to the Olympic gold medal over the U.S. at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She later turned to coaching, and helped the U.S. women’s team power through to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, before returning to China to head up the women’s side, helping them take home the gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Lang’s professional achievements made her the first person to ever win gold at the Olympics both as a player and a coach.
Director Peter Chan is aiming to get cameras rolling on the film soon, so it can be released next year to coincide with the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
He is also working on another sports biopic about retired Chinese tennis ace Li Na.