Lang Ping is a Chinese former volleyball player and coach whose career is unique in combining Olympic gold as both an athlete and a head coach. Born in Tianjin in 1960, she became internationally famous as the “Iron Hammer,” the outside hitter who helped China win the 1981 World Cup, 1982 World Championship and 1984 Olympic Games. After her playing career, she moved into coaching and eventually became a major figure in both Chinese and American women’s volleyball.
Lang coached China to Olympic silver in 1996, then later led the United States women to silver at Beijing 2008. Returning to China for a second head-coaching period from 2013 to 2021, she guided the team to the 2015 World Cup title, Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and another World Cup title in 2019. Since leaving the national-team bench, her work has shifted toward education and sports leadership. Beijing Normal University reported in 2025 that she has been engaged in educational work there since 2021 while serving as a vice president of the Chinese Volleyball Association. In 2025 she also received the IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award. Her profile therefore extends beyond a conventional coaching résumé: she has been a defining player, an Olympic-winning coach in two national systems and, more recently, an educator and sports administrator.
Coach Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lang Ping |
| Date of Birth | 10 December 1960 |
| Born | Tianjin, China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Career Status | Former national-team head coach; sports educator and administrator |
| Current Roles | Researcher at Beijing Normal University; Vice President of the Chinese Volleyball Association |
| Former National Teams Coached | China Women; United States Women |
| Selected Coaching Achievement | Olympic gold with China women (2016) |
| Hall of Fame | International Volleyball Hall of Fame, Class of 2002 |