The rising star of the table tennis world singles out the king, Lin Shidong strives for a good start, who will win the Saudi Grand Slam?
In May 2023, a multi-sport event known as the "Asian Grand Slam" kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As the top sports event in Asia, the Saudi Grand Slam has attracted the participation of many top athletes, and the Chinese delegation has performed well in traditional competitive events such as table tennis and weightlifting, which has attracted wide attention from the outside world.
The men's singles table tennis event has entered the round of 16 stage, and all the seeded players in the top half have advanced, among which the outstanding performance of Chinese teenager Wang Chuqin has attracted much attention. As a new generation leader in the domestic table tennis world, Wang Chuqin defeated many strong teams and passed all the way to the top 8. In the next round, he will face a strong conversation with Japanese star Tomokazu Haramoto, which is seen as a preview of the final encounter.
The two have played against each other many times before, and the two sides are equal in strength and strength. As the men's singles champion of the Tokyo Olympics, Tomokazu Zhang has comprehensive skills, profound heritage, sharp defensive counterattacks, and various offensive methods. Wang Chuqin is the most champion rookie in contemporary Chinese table tennis, with sharp offense, fast hand speed, and although the on-court experience is slightly insufficient, it has great potential. In the last few meetings, the two sides have been evenly divided, and neither side can be evenly matched.
This battle is of great significance to Wang Chuqin. Once he can defeat Tomokazu Zhangmoto, he will be expected to break the dominance of Japan's first brother and become a new generation of leaders in table tennis. On the contrary, if he loses and is eliminated, Wang Chuqin's world ranking and confidence may be hit hard. This life-and-death battle is a huge test for both sides.
In addition to table tennis, the Chinese Taipei delegation is also very strong in weightlifting. Lin Shidong, the men's 109kg champion at the Tokyo Olympics, will compete for gold in this Saudi Arabia Grand Slam.
As the top scorer of the Chinese Taipei delegation, Lin Shidong has been the favorite to win gold in weightlifting. He has been a regular on the international stage since Rio 2016 and has been a great winner in several important tournaments thanks to his strength and perseverance.
At the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Lin Shidong broke the world record twice in the final, and finally won the gold medal with a total score of 428 kg. This achievement not only made him the only gold medalist of the Chinese Taipei delegation at the Tokyo Olympics, but also the first time in 24 years that Chinese Taipei won the gold medal in the men's weightlifting event.
In this Saudi Grand Slam, Lin Shidong will go all out and strive to get a good start for the Chinese Taipei delegation. He also faced no small challenges on the road. In recent years, traditional strong teams such as Chinese mainland, Iran and Georgia have strengthened in men's weightlifting, and Lin Shidong must go all out if he wants to win the championship.
In addition to Lin Shidong, the Chinese Taipei delegation also has a good team in other events, such as triathlete Chen Yanbo, who won silver at the London Olympics, and world ranked badminton sister Tai Tzu Ying, who are all potential medal winners. It is believed that with the outstanding performance of these top athletes, the Chinese Taipei delegation will definitely be able to perform well in this Saudi Grand Slam.
The successful hosting of the Saudi Grand Slam will inject new impetus into the development of Asian sports. As the first large-scale comprehensive event in Asia, it will not only provide a new stage for Asian athletes, but also promote the increasing influence of Asian sports in the world.