# Leap (夺冠)
**Leap** (夺冠) is a 2020 Chinese sports drama film directed by Peter Chan (陈可辛) that recounts the wins and losses of the Chinese women's national volleyball team over roughly four decades, from the late 1970s to the team's 2016 Rio Olympic Games title[1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/leap-28). It was originally titled *China Women's Volleyball Team* (中国女排) before being renamed[2](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html). [Gong Li](https://www.edgepedia.org/gong-li) plays [Lang Ping](https://www.edgepedia.org/lang-ping) (郎平), the star player of the 1980s team who later coached the side to the 2016 Olympic championship, and Huang Bo plays her longtime colleague Chen Zhonghe (陈忠和)[3](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article). The film was released in mainland China on 25 September 2020, ahead of the National Day holiday[2](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / screenwriter | Peter Chan (Peter Ho-Sun Chan); screenplay by Zhang Ji[1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/leap-28) • [4](https://www.cgrhfff.com/golden-rooster-award-en/33859/?lang=en) |
| Release | 25 September 2020 in mainland China; 135 minutes; Mandarin[2](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html) • [1](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/leap-28) |
| Original title | *China Women's Volleyball Team* (中国女排), later changed to *Leap* (夺冠)[2](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html) |
| Lead cast | Gong Li as Lang Ping, Huang Bo as Chen Zhonghe, with Wu Gang, Peng Yuchang, and Bai Lang, Lang Ping's daughter, as the young Lang Ping[3](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article) |
| Three centerpiece matches | 1981 World Cup final vs Japan, 2008 Beijing Olympics vs the United States, 2016 Rio Olympics quarterfinal vs Brazil[5](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html) |
| Box office | Passed 100 million yuan (about $15 million) one day after release; later passed 600 million yuan[6](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-09-30/trending-in-china-team-effort-vs-individualism---what-is-the-message-behind-box-office-smash-hit-volleyball-movie-leap-101611560.html) • [7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5089098.html) |
| Major awards | Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay at the 33rd Golden Rooster Awards; Outstanding Screenplay at the Huabiao Film Awards[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670442/awards/) |
| Oscar submission | China's official selection for the 2021 Academy Award for International Feature Film[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/) |
## Spoilers
### Story and structure
The film opens in 1979 at the [Zhangzhou](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhangzhou) training base in Fujian, where the Chinese women's volleyball squad trains in rudimentary conditions as the country begins its reform and opening-up period[3](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article). Chen Zhonghe joins the team as an assistant trainer and meets the hard-working young Lang Ping, played by Bai Lang, Lang Ping's real-life daughter[3](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article). One scene has a sports-commission official travel two days and nights to Zhangzhou to report that the United States team is experimenting with computer-assisted training; lacking such equipment, the head coach responds by raising the net 15 centimeters and pushing the team harder[10](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0121/c40606-31557683.html).
**Three matches carry the narrative.** Screenwriter Zhang Ji selected three games from the team's history: the 1981 World Cup final against Japan, the 2008 Beijing Olympics match against the United States, and the 2016 Rio Olympics quarterfinal against Brazil[5](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html). The 1981 and 2016 games frame the film as symmetrical wings: in both, Japan and Brazil were then among the world's strongest sides with long winning streaks against China and home-crowd advantage, and in both China won 3:2 after five grueling sets. The 1981 final marked Lang Ping's debut as the team's primary attacker; the 2016 quarterfinal showcased her as coach[5](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html).
The 2008 Beijing Olympics match sits at the structural midpoint. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics pool stage, China, coached by Chen Zhonghe, lost 3-2 to the United States, coached by Lang Ping, before a home crowd; China later lost to Brazil in the semifinal and won bronze[5](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html) • [19](https://usavolleyball.org/womens-national-team/womens-national-team-olympic-history/). The film treats this as an emotionally charged moment for both coaches and for Chinese spectators, and it bridges the story to Lang Ping's return as China's head coach, with Chen Zhonghe stepping aside[5](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html). The film ends with the 2016 Rio campaign, in which China beat Brazil 3:2 in the quarterfinal and then defeated Serbia 3:1 in the final after losing the first set[2](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html).
## Cast and production
**Casting real athletes.** Peter Chan initially cast about 12 actresses to play the 1980s players and trained them for two months, then found it impossible: they lacked volleyball players' physique and their movements could not be filmed convincingly, so he replaced them with real athletes, including members of the Tianjin Bohai Bank women's team and college players[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/). Ten of the 12 Olympic gold medalists from China's 2016 Rio team appeared as themselves, including [Zhu Ting](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhu-ting), Hui Ruoqi, Zhang Changning, and [Yuan Xinyue](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuan-xinyue)[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/) • [4](https://www.cgrhfff.com/golden-rooster-award-en/33859/?lang=en). Gong Li prepared for the role of Lang Ping by attending the 2019 FIVB Tokyo volleyball qualification tournament in Beilun, observing the coach and players courtside[11](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_9362574).
Chan said he resisted making a Lang Ping biopic: "I can't make a Lang Ping biopic because Chinese women's volleyball is too big for the audience of China to get into a story about one person," while acknowledging that Lang runs through the whole history the film covers[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/). The production used the Zhangzhou and Beilun training bases, which the real team thanked by name after the 2016 Olympic final[11](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_9362574).
## Release and box office
The film was originally scheduled for the 2020 Spring Festival season but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it reached cinemas on 25 September 2020, opening the National Day holiday period[6](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-09-30/trending-in-china-team-effort-vs-individualism---what-is-the-message-behind-box-office-smash-hit-volleyball-movie-leap-101611560.html) • [12](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0928/c40606-31877316.html). It took in more than 100 million yuan (about $15 million) on its first day and drew over 2 million viewers in that span[6](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-09-30/trending-in-china-team-effort-vs-individualism---what-is-the-message-behind-box-office-smash-hit-volleyball-movie-leap-101611560.html). On its opening day it held a 53.9 percent share of screenings, with cumulative box office passing 125 million yuan; Maoyan scored it 9.2 and Douban opened at 7.4[13](https://www.10100.com/article/8550858). Its total later passed 600 million yuan[7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5089098.html). Commentators noted that the crowded holiday schedule, filled with comedies, cost the film momentum and revenue[14](https://www.newcitizens.cn/newsitem/278574131).
## Reception and awards
**Critical response divided.** The *South China Morning Post* gave the film 3 of 5 stars, calling it technically accomplished and likely to please volleyball fans, but finding that Chan struggled to reconcile a nationalistic blockbuster with a nuanced portrait of Lang Ping[3](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article). A Variety review praised the glossy craft and the recreated match sequences, shot with slow motion, symmetrical overheads, and multiple angles, but criticized the film for presenting patriotism as the sole motivating force of its characters[15](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/leap-review-glossy-chinese-sports-173807133.html). Chinese critics were also mixed: some viewers felt the film had drifted into a Lang Ping biography at the expense of the team's collective story[6](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-09-30/trending-in-china-team-effort-vs-individualism---what-is-the-message-behind-box-office-smash-hit-volleyball-movie-leap-101611560.html), while others praised Gong Li's performance and the film's treatment of the "women's volleyball spirit" (女排精神) across generations[16](https://www.1905.com/news/20201009/1483854.shtml).
At the 33rd Golden Rooster Awards the film won Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay (Zhang Ji), with nominations for Best Director (Peter Chan), Best Supporting Actor ([Wu Gang](https://www.edgepedia.org/wu-gang)), Best Cinematography (Zhao Xiaoshi), Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670442/awards/) • [4](https://www.cgrhfff.com/golden-rooster-award-en/33859/?lang=en). Zhang Ji's screenplay also won the Huabiao Award for Outstanding Screenplay, and the film received Hong Kong Film Award nominations for Best Director, Best Actress (Gong Li), and Best Supporting Actress (Lydia Bai)[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670442/awards/) • [17](https://cccsydney.org/2024/01/05/leap/). It was selected as China's entry for the 2021 [Academy Award for Best International Feature Film](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-award-for-best-international-feature-film)[9](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/).
## Controversy before release
The road to release was troubled. A meritorious former coach objected to the film and demanded the deletion of all plot material about him, reportedly because he felt the dramatization was too sensationalist; scenes about him were cut, and the film was retitled from *China Women's Volleyball Team* to *Leap*[7](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5089098.html) • [18](https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2020/09/leap-but-not-soaring/). As a result, figures such as Chen Zhonghe and the 1980s head coach Yuan Weimin are largely sidelined, and the other coaches' characters are not even named in the film[18](https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2020/09/leap-but-not-soaring/). Screenwriter Zhang Ji defended the choices, saying that no single match or character could encapsulate the whole of Chinese women's volleyball within the running time[18](https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2020/09/leap-but-not-soaring/).
## References
1. [LEAP, Australian Classification](https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/leap-28)
2. [电影《夺冠》今起公映 讲述中国女排拼搏故事, 中央纪委国家监委网站](https://www.ahsxjjjc.gov.cn/html/m/wenzhang_718707.html)
3. [Leap movie review, South China Morning Post (Edmund Lee, 1 October 2020)](https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3103843/leap-movie-review-legacy-chinese-womens-volleyball-team?module=inline&pgtype=article)
4. [Leap, China Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival](https://www.cgrhfff.com/golden-rooster-award-en/33859/?lang=en)
5. [张冀的"小鸟式"剧作结构, 中国电影家协会](https://www.cfa.org.cn/cfa/yj/lwby72/2023083114321493817/index.html)
6. [Trending in China: Team Effort VS Individualism, Caixin Global (30 September 2020)](https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-09-30/trending-in-china-team-effort-vs-individualism---what-is-the-message-behind-box-office-smash-hit-volleyball-movie-leap-101611560.html)
7. [《夺冠》票房破6亿, 界面新闻·JMedia](https://www.jiemian.com/article/5089098.html)
8. [Leap (2020) Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10670442/awards/)
9. [Raising the Net in Leap, FilmInk (Karl Rozemeyer)](https://www.filmink.com.au/raising-the-net-in-leap/)
10. [陈可辛用《夺冠》为中国体育电影开了个好头, 人民网传媒](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0121/c40606-31557683.html)
11. [电影《夺冠》上映！一定要看一下中国女排与北仑的故事, 澎湃新闻](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_9362574)
12. [电影《夺冠》上映 女排精神就是这么"燃", 人民网传媒](https://media.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0928/c40606-31877316.html)
13. [提前"抢跑"国庆档的《夺冠》，票房破亿了, 大数跨境](https://www.10100.com/article/8550858)
14. [周星 何东煜：2020年中国电影热点现象述评](https://www.newcitizens.cn/newsitem/278574131)
15. ['Leap' Review, Variety via Yahoo Entertainment (Jessica Kiang, 22 January 2021)](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/leap-review-glossy-chinese-sports-173807133.html)
16. [女排精神的与时俱进 电影《夺冠》交出满意答卷, 电影网/光明网](https://www.1905.com/news/20201009/1483854.shtml)
17. [Leap, China Cultural Center Sydney](https://cccsydney.org/2024/01/05/leap/)
18. [Leap, But Not Soaring, The World of Chinese (September 2020)](https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2020/09/leap-but-not-soaring/)
19. [Women’s National Team Olympic History - USA Volleyball](https://usavolleyball.org/womens-national-team/womens-national-team-olympic-history/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works) › Drama films 2020 to 2022*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license