China News Service Client Beijing, May 16 (Reporter Wang Yu) On May 16, the Chinese Table Tennis Association announced the list of athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics.

Ma Long and Chen Meng led the singles lineup, while veterans Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen missed the singles.

  At the key node less than 70 days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese ping-pong dream team finally "bright sword" at this time.

Externally, there is no coveting or even "encirclement and suppression" that is feared by powerful enemies, but internally, it will stabilize the "military spirit", unify the thinking, and make concerted efforts to launch the most powerful preparation and impact on Olympic hardware.

China Table Tennis Association announces Olympic roster

Choose the best among the best, choose the best among the strong

  The Tokyo Olympic cycle has lasted more than four years, and the framework of the main lineup of the Chinese table tennis team has also been adjusted several times.

Take the women's team as an example. From the initial "troika" formed by Liu Shiwen, Ding Ning and Zhu Yuling, to now led by Mesozoic player Chen Meng, dynamic competition has allowed the Chinese table tennis team to continuously polish its players and lineup in actual combat and training.

  According to the selection methods previously announced by the China Table Tennis Association, outstanding results in the competition, excellent foreign record, strong psychological quality and strong resistance to pressure have become the "threshold" for athletes to be selected for the Tokyo Olympic lineup.

In addition, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the athlete's injury and rehabilitation.

Data map: Malone is in the game.

Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency

  Therefore, based on the principle of "selecting the best among the best, choosing the strong among the strong", the Olympic lineup led by Ma Long, Chen Meng, and Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin, Liu Shiwen and Sun Yingsha is not only the best lineup in the national table tennis team. Optimal, but also more in line with outside expectations.

  As the only "Grand Slam" player among active male table tennis players, veteran Malone's tenacity should be recorded in the annals of history.

After injuries, postponement of the Olympics, and the baptism of age, he is now not only more and more brave in the war, but also to attack the defending men's singles champion, but also to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team. This is the trust of the team and the proof of his strength.

  At one time, the Tokyo Olympics was an unattainable existence for Chen Meng, but as her style of play has improved in recent years, with her stable performance in the foreign war and outstanding results in the competition, Chen Meng finally prepared for the sprint in the Tokyo Olympics. Stage upstream to achieve overtaking in a curve.

Data map: Chen Meng in the game.

China News Agency reporter Chen Wenshe

The teenager who made his debut in the Olympics looks forward to counterattack

  This time the Chinese table tennis team sent out a combination of “three olds and five new”, which also gave the outside world a strong impression on the team’s “three olds and five new” combinations of the Rio Olympic Games venue five years ago. "Newcomers" Fan Zhendong and Sun Yingsha are full of expectations.

  Behind such a lineup actually implies Guoping's intentions for the future.

The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics means that the Paris Olympics are one year ahead of schedule.

In line with the tenet of "preparing for Tokyo, looking at Paris", veterans pressed into the battle and recruited newcomers to fully take into account the challenges of the Tokyo Olympics and the preparations for the Paris Olympics.

  As a men's singles player trained by the national table tennis during the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old Fan Zhendong was selected from the above two considerations.

In the past four years, Fan Zhendong's growth has not been smooth sailing. He has not only experienced 15-month men's singles No. 1 spot, but also struggled to miss the Tour Championship for more than 300 days.

Data map: Fan Zhendong in the game.

China News Agency reporter Chen Wenshe

  For talented athletes, falling into a trough means the beginning of a change in thinking.

It is also through the "detours" and the "prices" paid in the eyes of others that finally achieved Fan Zhendong today.

Taking the Tokyo Olympics as a new starting point, Xiaopang is also eager to use this as an opportunity to usher in his own "era."

  Objectively speaking, the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has brought unexpected opportunities to young athletes. Sun Yingsha, who has made the Olympic lineup, is one of them.

Determined to compete for the Paris Olympic women's singles championship, she once received Liu Guoliang's "Why don't you think this (Tokyo Olympics) singles championship?" Such an intriguing response.

  Today, as the backbone of the new generation of national table tennis, Sun Yingsha maintains an excellent record against the main Olympic opponents of the Chinese team and currently ranks second in Olympic qualifications.

Sun Yingsha's hard work and potential finally brought her Olympic dreams into reality in advance.

Data map: Sun Yingsha in the game.

Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency

  The label of "young athletes" and "beginning at the Olympics" does not reduce the expectations of the outside world for them to hit the highest Olympic podium.

Under heavy pressure, driven and inspired by veterans, Sun Yingsha and Fan Zhendong are also expected to go further and achieve a "counterattack."

Missed singles "Xin Wen" also shoulders heavy responsibility

  The selection of veteran Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen can be said to be the least suspenseful part of the entire list.

By winning the mixed doubles championship in the ITTF year-end finals two years ago, the "Xin Wen" combination locked in advance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

  Unfortunately, Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen eventually missed the singles arena, which not only completely closed the door to the dream of the two veterans to chase the Olympic singles championship, but also made fans who follow the team feel very "entangled."

Data map: Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen in the game.

Image source: Osports All Sports Photo Agency

  In 2019, also the last full season before the new crown epidemic hit, Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen both showed a strong competitive momentum in the singles arena.

The former has won multiple tournament championships, and the latter has won the World Table Tennis Championships Women's Singles Championship and the World Cup "Five Champions" title.

  However, during the epidemic, Liu Shiwen suffered injuries one after another. It is not easy to recover in time before the Olympics. Faced with unprecedented and difficult challenges, according to the women’s team coach Li Xuan, it is also the team that focuses on mixed doubles and team competition. A decision made unanimously by the team and the team.

  Since the pairing, the Xu Xin/Liu Shiwen combination has won the 2019 World Championships and multiple open championships. The two are also the highest technical level players in the men's doubles and women's doubles in the national table tennis at this stage.

"Choosing the combination of Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen fully embodies the'select the best among the best, and choose the strong among the strong'".

Ma Lin said.

Data map: Fan Zhendong (right)/Xu Xin in the game.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Zhongju

  For the Tokyo Olympics, mixed doubles became an official Olympic event for the first time, and it was also the first gold medal in the table tennis arena.

According to the competition system, each representative team can only send a pair of combinations to participate.

  Therefore, a successful "good start" is essential to boost team morale and face individual and team competitions.

  Liu Guoliang, Chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said, “The purpose of the selection is to select the most trustworthy athletes to compete and complete the glorious mission of'raising the national flag and playing the national anthem.' Go to the Tokyo Olympics and win glory for the country."

  Today, the announcement of the Olympic list has sounded the charge of the National Ping Pong sprint for the Tokyo Olympics.

After five years of sharpening the sword, I hope that Guoping will bear fruit in Tokyo two months later.

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