In just over two months, the Paris Olympics will begin.
The Table Tennis Association has announced the national table tennis roster. Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Sun Yingsha, Chen Meng, and Wang Manyu were selected into the squad, and Liang Jingkun and Wang Yidi won P cards.
During the Paris Olympics, there are eight major suspenses to be solved in national table tennis.
First, can Malone win the sixth gold medal?
The Paris Olympics are the fourth Olympics in which Malone has participated. In the previous three Olympic Games, Malone won five gold medals. Ma Long competed in the men's team competition at the Paris Olympics and is expected to win the men's team gold medal. This will be Ma Long's sixth gold medal at the Olympics. In the international table tennis arena, Deng Yaping, Wang Nan, and Zhang Yining won four gold medals. Malone can open the gap. And Ma Long's number of major championships will reach 31, continuing to improve his personal record.
Second, can Fan Zhendong win the men's singles gold medal and achieve a Grand Slam?
Fan Zhendong has won four World Cup men's singles championships, two World Table Tennis Championships men's singles championships, and one Olympic men's singles gold medal is still missing to achieve a Grand Slam. Fan Zhendong wants to win the men's singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics and achieve a Grand Slam. Will he be able to achieve it?
Third, can Sun Yingsha win the women's singles gold medal and achieve a Grand Slam, and she is also the player who achieved a Grand Slam in the shortest time?
Sun Yingsha has won a World Cup women's singles championship and a World Table Tennis Championships women's singles championship. If she wins the women's singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, she will be able to achieve a Grand Slam. And she only needs 433 days to achieve a Grand Slam, surpassing Zhang Jike to become the player who has achieved a Grand Slam in the shortest time. Zhang Jike achieved the Grand Slam in 445 days.
Fourth, can Sha Tou win the mixed doubles gold medal?
The mixed doubles event entered the Olympics for the first time in 2021. Unfortunately, at the Tokyo Olympics, Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen lost to the Japanese pair Mizutani Hayabusa/Misei Ito and only won the silver medal. Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha will participate in the Paris Olympics, can they win the mixed doubles gold medal?
The Shatou combination is strong and has a very good chance of winning the mixed doubles gold medal, but they can't be slackened. In the past, the strength of the Xinwen simulcast group was also very strong, known as the golden combination, but it also lost to the Japanese combination in the Tokyo Olympics. The Shatou combination must not follow Xinwen's old path.
Fifth, can Sun Yingsha or Wang Chuqin become the Three Golden Kings?
Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin both played three roles at the Paris Olympics. Can they become the players to win three gold medals at a single Olympics? Both men have hope, but they will also encounter difficulties, especially in singles, which is more difficult to win.
Sixth, can Chen Meng win the gold medal in women's singles and women's team?
At the Tokyo Olympics, Chen Meng won gold medals in women's singles and women's team. At the Paris Olympics, Chen Meng competed in both women's singles and women's teams. She is the only player with a chance of winning back-to-back singles and team gold medals. Can Chen Meng come true?
Seventh, can the national table tennis win the hardware?
In the past Olympic Games, the national table tennis won a maximum of four gold medals. Can there be a breakthrough in national table tennis this year? Five gold medals?
8. Do P card players have a chance to play?
At the Tokyo Olympics, P card player Wang Manyu replaced Liu Shiwen and participated in the women's team competition and won an Olympic gold medal.
Liang Jingkun and Wang Yidi participated in the Paris Olympics with P cards. Will they have a chance to play as a substitute?