Table tennis is not only a sport in China, but also integrated into the cultural blood of the Chinese people. For countless fans, every time a national player sweats on the field, it is a persistence in honor and dreams.
And in the squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics, when they saw Fan Zhendong's name, all Chinese table tennis fans were enthusiastic. As the leader of the Chinese team, Fan Zhendong responded to this decision with three simple but affectionate words: "Last dance", indicating that he will shine in a different light in the final leg of his career.
For the 27-year-old Fan Zhendong, the Paris Olympics are the beginning of his "final stage". This leading player, who has been a national player for three years and has led the Chinese team countless times on and off the court, is qualified to stand side by side with Ma Long and Zhang Jike, and they are the "yesterday" of Chinese table tennis. In Paris, Fan Zhendong will show his strength and become a pioneer and leader in the new era of table tennis. If he can win the coveted gold medal in singles, he will become the 11th athlete in the history of table tennis to achieve a "Grand Slam", and keep himself at the top of the sports hall forever.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, Fan Zhendong's determination is just his own words, nothing more than wishful thinking for the Olympic gold medal. But the world's expectations for him are much more than that. In fact, for Fan Zhendong, winning the Olympic men's singles championship will be the last ideal of his career, and it is the only way to realize his personal value and gain full recognition.
Looking back on Fan Zhendong's career of more than 10 years, his achievements are already astonishing. As the representative of Chinese table tennis, Fan Zhendong has won the World Cup three times in 2013, 2019 and 2021, and he is also the men's singles champion of the 2017 and 2019 World Table Tennis Championships. In addition, he also won the men's team championship of the World Table Tennis Championships with the national team 5 times, and won the World Cup and the World Table Tennis Championships singles and doubles championships 2 times.
Such a dazzling record is enough to prove Fan Zhendong's persistent pursuit of table tennis. The only regret is that the Olympic men's singles gold medal has not been obtained. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the men's team runner-up; In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he once again won the runner-up in the men's team with the team, and the individual competition stopped in the quarterfinals; At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Fan Zhendong finally broke through strongly in the men's team competition, leading the Chinese team to defend the championship, and the individual competition stopped in the quarterfinals.
Every time he sees the Olympic gold medal getting closer and closer to him, Fan Zhendong's heart will be filled with yearning. Finally in 2024, when the national team announced the squad for the Paris Olympics, he had his last hopes and dreams, and went all out and made a desperate bet, just to touch his own men's singles gold medal in person. From this point of view, Fan Zhendong's interpretation of "Last dance" has a profound meaning. For him, this is not only the last dance of his career, but more importantly, if it is ultimately successful, it will become the most exciting and gorgeous dance on his table tennis path. For this, Fan Zhendong is willing to give everything, even if he tries his best, he will shine a different kind of light on this final stage.
However, it is not easy. Although the national team gave Fan Zhendong a chance, the competition in men's singles was still extremely fierce. First of all, he needs to cross the hurdle of teammate Wang Chuqin. In contrast, Wang Chuqin's current form is far better than Fan Zhendong, who is not only the Chinese men's singles star at this Olympics, but also a strong player, who tops the latest world rankings and is considered the favorite to win the title.
Secondly, even within the national team, Fan Zhendong is facing strong competition from veterans such as Ma Long. Ma Long is Fan Zhendong's most formidable old opponent, and the strength of the two is equal. Judging from his recent performance, Ma Long has frequently overtaken Fan Zhendong in many events and has become a strong contender for the championship. Not to mention that Lin Gaoyuan, Chen Zhen and other young players of the Mesozoic generation are still refreshing themselves, and they also pose a big threat to winning the championship.
Of course, the biggest headache for Fan Zhendong is probably the top masters from other traditional table tennis powers in Asia. At the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese team was once caught off guard by young athletes from Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Germany and other teams. In 2024, these teams will undoubtedly be even stronger, with young players such as Singapore's "First Brother" Chen Jiajun, Chinese Taipei's Lin Yunru, and Germany's Frese all opponents to be reckoned with. If Fan Zhendong wants to make a breakthrough in the men's singles, he will face tremendous pressure and challenges.
Despite this, we still have reason to believe that on the stage of the Paris Olympics, Fan Zhendong will shine. As a leader of national table tennis, his role is not only to pursue personal honor, but also to take the lead, lead by example, and inspire and drive the entire Chinese table tennis movement with actions. From this point of view, Fan Zhendong's understanding of "Last dance" will run through the unrepentant pursuit of the motherland, the cause and the honor.
Top athletes often have a pure heart. For Fan Zhendong, his desire for an Olympic gold medal is based on the dual pursuit of personal and career ideals. On the field, he aspires to one day lift the Olympic gold medal high and announce his arrival to the world; Off the field, he is more eager to use his actions to promote the Chinese spirit and show the demeanor of the motherland's athletes.
Today, Fan Zhendong has won numerous honors for the national team, and he clearly knows that only by winning the Olympic gold medal can his dream on the road of table tennis be considered complete.