Ma Long's failure to participate in the Paris Olympics singles sparked heated discussions
On May 7, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced the list of men's singles and mixed doubles participants in the table tennis events of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. In the men's singles event, the leading players Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong were selected, while the "hexagonal warrior" Ma Long, who won the championship at the Rio Olympics and the Tokyo Olympics, missed the singles event, which caused heated discussions among fans.
This announced list once again confirms the general trend of the replacement of the old and the new in national table tennis. Wang Chuqin, 24, and Fan Zhendong, 27, will represent Chinese table tennis to maintain their Olympic glory, while the 35-year-old Ma Long will be placed in the men's team event and will likely be the last Olympic journey of his career.
A review of Malone's career
When it comes to Malone, fans will naturally think of his nickname of "Hexagonal Warrior". This nickname given by the Japanese media stems from his tenacious struggle and all-round performance on the field. From strength, speed to skill, from serve, defense to experience, Malone has achieved extremely high standards in all six aspects and is regarded as a near-perfect player.
Malone's career has been nothing short of spectacular. He is the most decorated male in ITTF history, and the first player to win the Olympic men's singles title and achieve the "double slam" of table tennis men's singles. At the 2012 London Olympics, Malone won the first Olympic gold medal of his career; Four years later, in Rio, he finally reached the top of the podium in the men's singles event; Then at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 33-year-old Ma Long made history again, not only defending the men's singles championship, but also helping the national table tennis team win the men's team championship.
Entering the Paris Olympic cycle, although Ma Long's state has ups and downs, he is still the "anchor" of national table tennis in major events. In 2022, he led the team to win the Swaythling Cup for the 22nd time, and in 2024, he defended the men's team championship at the Busan World Table Tennis Championships with the team. In the men's singles final of this year's World Cup, Ma Long defeated Lin Gaoyuan in a predicament of 3 games behind, adding chips to his participation in the Paris Olympics.
Expert interpretation
Although he missed the singles event, Ma Long still relied on his own strength and experience to qualify for the men's team. Wang Hao, the head coach of the men's team, explained: "Ma Long has participated in many Olympic Games, won three men's team and two men's singles championships, and his performance in various competitions in the past year is also obvious to all, and he is fully qualified to be the third person in the team. ＂
Regarding Ma Long's failure to play singles, experts also gave pertinent points. Some experts pointed out that this is the inevitable result of the replacement of the old and the new, and Ma Long, as a veteran of national table tennis, should make way for the younger generation. On the other hand, Ma Long's focus on the team competition is also a reasonable division of labor, and he can devote more energy to the work of passing and helping to contribute to the lasting development of national table tennis.
Although Ma Long missed the singles, he is still an important member of the national table tennis to maintain its long-term prosperity. He used his own performance to interpret what is the "national football inheritance", and showed the concept of stronger generation after generation with action.
Fans react
Regarding Ma Long's failure to participate in the singles, fans had mixed reactions. Some fans expressed regret, believing that Ma Long's strength is still strong and he can fight for the country again in the singles event; The nickname of "Hexagonal Warrior" has also become the object of nostalgia for many fans.
There are also fans who are open-minded. They believe that Ma Long is 35 years old, and it is not easy to persevere until now. The replacement of the old and the new is the trend of the times, and it is natural for Ma Long to withdraw from the singles arena. More fans cheered for Ma Long, hoping that he could play the role of "Dinghai Shenpin" in the team competition and lead the national table tennis to create more brilliance.
Former national player Ocharov also sent his blessings to Malone through social media. "Malone, you're a great athlete, a real champion," he said. I wish you every success at the Paris Olympics and salute your tenacity and youth. ＂
foreground
Although he missed the singles, Ma Long will still play an important role in the men's team project. According to the rules, Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong and Ma Long will automatically qualify for the men's team, and they will shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending the honor of national table tennis.
Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong are under more pressure in the singles event. As the current world No. 1 in men's singles, Wang Chuqin's form is undoubted, but Fan Zhendong has recently suffered injuries and his competitive form has been sluggish. Some experts believe that even if Fan Zhendong is not in good shape, with the overall strength of national table tennis, Wang Chuqin and him are still strong candidates for the championship.
Although Ma Long's peak may have passed, he is still the mainstay of national table tennis. At the Paris Olympics, he will fight side by side with the younger generation and write the glory of this generation in his own way. And the road of replacing the old and the new in national table tennis will surely be tested more in this top event.