On May 14, 2024, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced the list of 8 players for the 2024 Paris Olympics, which was like a bombshell and set off huge waves in the table tennis world. This list carries the expectations and attention of countless people, and also marks a key step in the journey of national table tennis towards the Paris Olympics.
Ma Long, the table tennis legend, will lead the men's team. Despite being 35 years old, his strength and experience are not to be underestimated. Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin locked in the singles quota, and they represent the new force and strong strength of the national table tennis men's singles. Fan Zhendong has already shown his prominence on the world stage, and his technology is comprehensive and stable; Wang Chuqin has attracted attention for his momentum and potential.
Although Ma Long missed the men's singles title for the third time in a row, his role in the men's team event was crucial, and he had the opportunity to challenge for his sixth Olympic gold medal. The coach of the national table tennis men's team, Wang Hao, affirmed Liang Jingkun, which also demonstrated Liang Jingkun's progress and strength in the Paris Olympic cycle, and his impressive performance in defeating Tomokazu Zhang at the Singapore Grand Slam, and the men's singles runner-up is also the best proof of his efforts.
In terms of the women's team, Chen Meng was shortlisted for the women's singles event, while Wang Manyu missed the singles for two consecutive Olympic Games, which is undoubtedly a major focus. In the past Paris Olympic cycle, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu's singles results were extremely dazzling, and the two teamed up to win many world series singles championships, and Wang Manyu's women's singles championship at the National Games was full of gold.
However, the new selection rules formulated by the national table tennis coaching staff have become a key factor. Wang Manyu lost to India's Batra in the main draw of the Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, while Chen Meng showed strong foreign strength, defeating the three main players of Japanese table tennis all the way and defeating the world No. 1 Sun Yingsha in the final to win the championship. This series of performances allowed Chen Meng to achieve a counterattack, not only surpassing Wang Manyu in Olympic points, but also letting the coaching staff see her tenacity and ability.
In addition, Wang Yidi and Liang Jingkun became wild card players. And the 19-year-old genius Lin Shidong missed the Olympics, which is somewhat regrettable. The P card candidates for the national table tennis men's team in the past three Olympic Games are all future stars, and the coaching staff chose Liang Jingkun this time, perhaps out of consideration of immediate combat power. But this does not mean that Lin Shidong's future will be bleak, and he still has unlimited potential waiting to be tapped.
The release of this list means that the preparation for the Paris Olympics of national table tennis has entered a new stage. Each of the selected athletes has a huge responsibility and mission, and they will represent their country in the Olympic arena. For Malone, this could be his last chance to hit the Olympic gold; For Chen Meng and other players, this is a critical moment to realize their dreams. For the unselected players such as Wang Manyu and Lin Shidong, it is also an incentive and spur for them to work harder to improve themselves and prepare for future opportunities.
The stage of the Paris Olympics is about to kick off, and the national table tennis athletes will write their own glorious chapter there. Every game they play will touch the hearts of the Chinese people, and their fighting spirit will also inspire countless people. Let's look forward to their wonderful performance in the Paris Olympics, cheer for the national table tennis, and cheer for Chinese sports!