In the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese table tennis team will undoubtedly become a big gold winner again. However, in the women's singles event, the adjustment of the selection method of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, as well as the fierce competition between the top domestic women's singles players, undoubtedly added a lot of suspense and drama to this undefeated project.
As the three protagonists of the current national table tennis women's singles - Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, staged a wonderful triangular battle in the recent Saudi Grand Slam tournament. In the end, as a veteran, Chen Meng stabilized his form at a critical moment, won the championship with his outstanding performance, and also established himself as the first brother after the Tokyo Olympics.
As the women's singles champion of the Tokyo Olympics, Wang Manyu struggled in this civil war, and finally failed to lock the Olympic quota as she wished, but let Sun Yingsha, who came later, take the lead to become the occupant of the women's singles quota in the Tokyo Olympics. This result has undoubtedly triggered extensive discussion and discussion on the selection mechanism of national table tennis women's singles.
From the Olympic road of Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, three contemporary Chinese women's singles superstars, we may be able to see the challenges and dilemmas faced by the Chinese table tennis team in the process of adjusting the selection mechanism, as well as the terrifying competition between top domestic players. This wonderful scene makes people have to sigh: What will be the future of the national table tennis women's singles?
1. Chen Meng's difficult journey to qualify for the Olympics again
For Chen Meng, being able to regain the qualification for the Olympics this time is undoubtedly the joy of rebirth after going through many hardships. As the grandmaster of the contemporary Chinese women's table tennis, Chen Meng has previously made a historic achievement at the Tokyo Olympics - becoming a double champion in women's singles and team.
However, in the post-Tokyo cycle, Chen Meng's form has fluctuated a bit, leaving her in some trouble in her quest to qualify for Paris 2024. After the national table tennis coaching staff adjusted the selection mechanism and paid more attention to the players' international results, young players like Wang Yidi had the opportunity to lock in the Olympic quota in advance, while Chen Meng fell into a state of anxiety about being chased.
Fortunately, in the most crucial Saudi Grand Slam event, Chen Meng finally found her form, and defeated Sun Yingsha, who is also an Olympic contender, in the women's singles final, and won the championship of this event. This result not only established Chen Meng's position in the national table tennis women's singles pattern, but also allowed her to successfully lock in the women's singles qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For Chen Meng, this is undoubtedly a difficult and precious process. As a leading actress, she won a double championship at the Tokyo Olympics, and she should be the leader of the national table tennis women's singles. However, in the following cycle, she had to face the fierce impact from a number of rising stars in China, and was once in a passive situation.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Chen Meng still found her form, and with her rich experience and outstanding performance, she re-established her position in the national table tennis women's singles event. This is undoubtedly a difficult process, but it has also made Chen Meng's growth more full, injecting a new impetus into her upcoming Olympic battle.
2. The rise of Sun Yingsha and the new pattern of Olympic selection
Compared with Chen Meng's hardships in the process of competing for an Olympic quota, Sun Yingsha is undoubtedly another lucky person who has gained a lot. As a dark horse in the current national table tennis women's singles team, Sun Yingxin's performance in this Olympic cycle can be described as dazzling.
In the recent Saudi Grand Slam tournament, although Sun Yingsha missed the final women's singles championship, she still relied on the advantages accumulated in the early stage to successfully lock in the women's singles qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This result undoubtedly allowed Sun Yingsha to establish her position in the national table tennis women's singles pattern.
You must know that before this, the dominance of the national table tennis women's singles has always been in the hands of Chen Meng and Wang Manyu. As the two main players, they have performed exceptionally well in this Olympic cycle, not only domestically domesting, but also winning numerous titles on the international stage. This caused Sun Yingsha to encounter a lot of pressure on the way to compete for an Olympic quota.
However, with the adjustment of the national table tennis coaching staff in the selection mechanism and more attention to the international performance of the players, Sun Yingsha successfully occupied an Olympic quota with her outstanding performance. This result not only gave Sun Yingsha the opportunity to participate in the Paris Olympics, but also changed the original pattern of the national table tennis women's singles pattern.
In the face of Sun Yingsha's rise, Wang Manyu and Chen Meng, the two main forces, fell into a state of anxiety about being chased. In particular, Wang Manyu, a double champion at the Tokyo Olympics, was undoubtedly a big disappointment in her performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Slam event, missing out on the opportunity to compete for an Olympic quota.
It can be said that the rise of Sun Yingsha has not only changed the pattern of national table tennis women's singles, but also posed a huge threat to other top domestic players. This civil war has undoubtedly brought a major reshuffle to the national table tennis selection mechanism, and also cast a veil of mystery over the high-profile women's singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
3. Wang Manyu's frustration and the dilemma of the national table tennis selection
Compared with Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha's smooth passage in the competition for Olympic places, Wang Manyu is undoubtedly the biggest "loser" in this civil war. As the double champion of women's singles and team at the Tokyo Olympics, Wang Manyu was once the absolute master of the women's singles event of national table tennis. But during this Olympic cycle, her performance has had its ups and downs.
In the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, Wang Manyu once again failed to reach the final, not only missing the opportunity to compete for the title, but also putting herself at a disadvantage in the competition for a place in the women's singles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is worth mentioning that due to Wang Manyu's poor performance in this event, she was also deducted as many as 3,000 points, and at the same time, Chen Meng also opened the gap between the two with her excellent performance.
This result undoubtedly made Wang Manyu the biggest loser in the civil war of the Olympic selection. A previous ace who has won numerous titles at home and abroad, she should have been the favourite to defend her women's singles title at Paris 2024. However, with the adjustment of the national table tennis selection mechanism and the sudden rise of Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu has become the object of challenge.
It can be said that Wang Manyu's frustration is not only a person's experience, but also reflects the dilemma faced by the current national table tennis selection mechanism. In this Olympic cycle, the competition pattern of the national table tennis women's singles event has undergone tremendous changes, from the previous "one brother dominates" to today's "three-legged standing", this change in the situation has undoubtedly brought a lot of challenges to the selection of national table tennis.
On the one hand, the adjustment of the selection mechanism of national table tennis has given some young players such as Wang Yidi the opportunity to lock in the Olympic quota in advance, while for veterans, they must show outstanding performance in key international competitions in order to get the opportunity to enter the Olympics. This "merit-only" selection method has undoubtedly intensified the competition among the top domestic players.
On the other hand, the sudden rise of dark horse players like Sun Yingsha has also brought uncertainty to the national table tennis women's singles pattern. Chen Meng and Wang Manyu, who once dominated the position, fell into a passive situation when facing Sun Yingsha's challenge. This inevitably makes people worry that the future of the national table tennis women's singles project will be unpredictable.
To sum up, Wang Manyu's frustration in this civil war is not only a blow to her personally, but also reflects the dilemma faced by the national table tennis in the selection mechanism. In today's unpredictable situation of the national table tennis women's singles pattern, how the national table tennis coaching staff weighs the pros and cons and makes the best choice is undoubtedly a topic that needs to be paid great attention to.
Fourth, the future of the national table tennis women's singles can be expected - Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu's Olympic battle
Although Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu each showed different results in this civil war, for the future of the national table tennis women's singles event, these three players are undoubtedly the protagonists worth looking forward to.
As the current leader of the national table tennis women's singles project, Chen Meng undoubtedly has rich experience and outstanding strength. The double champion at the Tokyo Olympics has undoubtedly established her status as the king of the event. However, in this Olympic cycle, Chen Meng encountered some turbulence and was once chased after him. However, she eventually re-established herself with her on-the-spot adaptability.
For Sun Yingsha, her sudden rise is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this Olympic cycle. As a dark horse player, Sun Yingsha's outstanding performance in the Saudi Grand Slam tournament not only locked in the Olympic quota, but also changed the original pattern of the national table tennis women's singles pattern. As a rising star, Sun Yingsha's future development is exciting.
Wang Manyu, a double champion at the Tokyo Olympics, has suffered some setbacks in this Olympic cycle. At the Saudi Grand Slam, she missed out on a chance to compete for an Olympic spot. But in any case, Wang Manyu is still a strong horse in the current national table tennis women's singles event, and her future performance is still worth paying attention to.
It can be said that at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the three national table tennis women's singles superstars, will definitely stage a shocking competition. Although Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha have already locked in the Olympic quota ahead of schedule, Wang Manyu still has a long way to go to defend her Tokyo Olympic title.
However, no matter who makes it to the top, the battle between these three players will undoubtedly bring a feast for the audience. The confrontation between them not only reflects the current competition pattern of the national table tennis women's singles event, but also reflects the continuous progress of Chinese table tennis. It is believed that at the Paris Olympics, this "Three Kingdoms Killing" will become another unforgettable classic in the history of Chinese sports.