On May 14, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced the list of 8 people for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The most striking thing is that the 35-year-old Ma Long once again led the men's team list and became a legend among veterans; In the women's team list, Chen Meng was shortlisted for the women's singles and successfully counterattacked, while Wang Manyu missed the singles for two consecutive Olympic Games. The announcement of this list not only shows the strong strength and profound heritage of national table tennis, but also triggers infinite expectations for the fierce competition in the future Olympic Games.
Men's team roster: Veterans and rising stars go hand in hand
On the men's side, Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin have successfully secured a singles spot, and these two young players have performed well on the international stage in recent years, and their strength is unquestionable. Although the 35-year-old veteran Ma Long failed to qualify for singles, he still won the men's team quota with his excellent comprehensive strength. The Paris Olympics will be Ma Long's fourth Olympic journey, and he has a chance to challenge for his sixth Olympic gold medal. If successful, it would make him the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals in Chinese sports history, a feat that will surely go down in history.
The coaching staff's selection of Liang Jingkun as a P-card player is also a highlight. Liang has made significant progress in the Paris Olympic cycle, beating Tomokazu Zhang at the Singapore Grand Slam 2024 to show his consistency and strength in key events. The coaching staff also spoke highly of him, believing that he has the potential to perform well at the Paris Olympics.
Women's team list: Chen Meng counterattacked, Wang Manyu missed the singles
The announcement of the women's team roster was equally eye-catching. Chen Meng successfully counterattacked at the last moment and won the women's singles place, while Wang Manyu missed the singles and only served as the third person in the women's team. Throughout the Paris Olympic cycle, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu had the most outstanding singles results at the World Championships, but Chen Meng's performance after the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan reversed the situation. The coaching staff's new selection rules clearly state that 3,000 Olympic points will be deducted if an athlete loses a foreign fight, and in the end, Wang Manyu lost to India's Batra in the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, while Chen Meng defeated Japan's main players in a series of matches to finally achieve a counterattack.
Wild card players: Doubles ability is key
In terms of the selection of wild card players, the P card player of the men's team is Liang Jingkun, and the P card player of the women's team is Wang Yidi. Liang Jingkun has performed well in the Paris Olympic cycle and is considered to have immediate combat power; Although Wang Yidi has lost to Japanese players 7 times in a row, the coaching staff believes that her ability in doubles events and comprehensive strength in recent years are more outstanding, so she won a wild card place.
This choice has sparked some controversy. Especially for Wang Yidi's selection, although her ability to fight abroad has been questioned, coach Ma Lin believes that her performance in doubles is trustworthy. In terms of the men's team, Liang Jingkun's selection also means that the 19-year-old talented Lin Shidong will not be able to participate in the Olympics, which may have a certain impact on his career development.
Malone's Legendary Road
The 35-year-old Ma Long is on the Olympic list again, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest highlights of the list announcement. As one of the most legendary players in table tennis history, Ma Long has five Olympic gold medals. He will go all out to win his sixth gold medal at the Paris Olympics, which is not only of great significance to him personally, but also will add another brilliant stroke to the history of Chinese table tennis.
Ma Long's perseverance and hard work are not only the embodiment of his personal legend, but also an inspiration to countless young athletes. Despite failing to qualify for singles, his role in the men's team should not be underestimated. Ma Long's experience and leadership will play an important role in the team competition and win more honors for the Chinese table tennis team.
Chen Meng's counterattack
Chen Meng's selection process in this list can be described as ups and downs. Throughout the Paris Olympic cycle, Chen Meng has been in a passive position, and the Olympic points once lagged behind Wang Manyu. However, after the Busan World Table Tennis Championships, Chen Meng finally overtook the points and won the women's singles quota by defeating a number of major Japanese players in a row and defeating the world's No. 1 Sun Yingsha in the final. This counterattack process not only demonstrated Chen Meng's strength and resilience, but also demonstrated her ability to withstand pressure at critical moments.
Chen Meng's selection is of great significance to the overall strength of Chinese women's table tennis. Her outstanding achievements in foreign battles have won more victories for the Chinese team in the international arena. The selection of the coaching staff also shows that they are confident that Chen Meng will achieve great results at the Paris Olympics.
Wang Manyu's loss and expectation
Missing the singles for two consecutive Olympic Games, Wang Manyu's loss is obvious. As a member of the national table tennis women's team, she performed well in the past world competitions, but her disadvantage in Olympic points and foreign results ultimately made her miss the singles. This result not only has an impact on her own career, but also sparks a lot of discussion in the outside world.
Despite this, Wang Manyu's role in the girl group is still crucial. She will continue to fight for the Chinese team in the team competition. For her personally, the setback may be a motivation to push her harder in future competitions in the hope of regaining her momentum and striving for better results at the next Olympics.
The controversy and future of wild card players
Although the selection of Liang Jingkun and Wang Yidi was a deliberate choice of the coaching staff, it also caused some controversy. In particular, the young player Lin Shidong missed the Olympics, which caused concerns about the future development of national table tennis. Whether the coaching staff's choice of Liang Jingkun, who is more capable of fighting, will affect the growth and experience accumulation of young players, this question is worth pondering.
Similarly, Wang Yidi's selection has also been questioned. While her ability in doubles has been recognized, her performance on the outside has been inconsistent. Whether the coaching staff should think more about the development of young players and reserve more good talent for the future is a trade-off that needs to be weighed.
Conclusion: Expectations and controversies coexist
The list of the Paris Olympics announced by the Chinese Table Tennis Association this time has both exciting highlights and certain controversies. Ma Long's re-selection and Chen Meng's counterattack are undoubtedly gratifying news, while Wang Manyu's loss and the selection of wild card players have sparked heated discussions in the outside world. The announcement of this list not only shows the strong strength of the Chinese table tennis team, but also indicates that there will be more fierce competition in the future Paris Olympics.
In this context, how to balance the experience of veterans and the cultivation of newcomers, and how to reserve more outstanding talents for the future while maintaining the existing achievements, will become an important issue for the Chinese table tennis team. In any case, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are sure to be a spectacular sporting extravaganza that is worth waiting for.