Title: "Countdown to the Paris Olympics: A New Journey on the Road to Table Tennis Domination".
On the evening of February 25, Beijing time, the 2024 World Table Tennis Team Championships came to a successful conclusion in Busan, South Korea. The Chinese men's and women's teams both won the championship, and the brilliant results of 11 consecutive championships and 6 consecutive championships demonstrate the dominance of national table tennis in the table tennis world. However, has this victory laid the foundation for a new journey for Chinese table tennis before the Paris Olympics?Let's take a look at the performance and challenges of national table tennis at this World Championships.
At the World Table Tennis Championships, the national table tennis men's and women's teams continued their lineup at the Chengdu World Championships, with Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan and Sun Yingsha, Wang Yidi, Chen Meng, Wang Manyu, and Chen Xingtong forming the men's and women's teams respectively. However, even in the group stage, they also encountered a "resistance war" at a critical moment.
The men's team had a smooth group stage, but in the semi-finals, facing the strong pressure of the host South Korean team, the national table tennis men's team was slightly lacking in on-the-spot adaptability. However, Fan Zhendong's stable performance at the critical moment became the greatest salvation, twice tied and finally overtook when the score was behind, showing the resilience of the national table tennis men's team in times of crisis.
Unlike the men's team, the women's team faced stubborn resistance in both the group stage and the final. Against India, despite the preparations, the opponent's "playing out of the box" sent the match into a five-game battle. In the final, they fell behind 1-2 again, but the strong performances of Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng finally kept the honor of Chinese women's table tennis. It is worth noting that the current world No. 2 Wang Yidi became a regular choice in the knockout stage, and her emergence may bring new thinking about the selection of the Olympic squad.
Although the successful defense of the title achieved the set plan, the head coach of the men's team, Wang Hao, and the head coach of the women's team, Ma Lin, both mentioned after the game that the problems exposed in the game need to be taken seriously. These problems may give the team plenty of time to reflect and adjust before the Paris Olympics.
At the World Table Tennis Championships, the French men's and women's teams performed eye-catchingly, especially the women's team won medals again after 33 years. As the host of the Paris Olympics, the French team has strong players such as the Lebrun brothers, Simon, and Yuan Jianan, which will become a new challenge for the Chinese team.
The Japanese team ushered in a change in both the men's and women's lineups, with Tomokazu Haramoto leading the men's team, while only Miu Hirano had Olympic experience in the women's team. Although Tomokazu Haramoto revealed in the interview that the gap between Chinese players is getting wider and wider, the overall strength of the Japanese women's team is average, and there are many players who can pose a threat to Chinese players.
The Indian women's team has won the most times against Chinese players in major tournaments, and their unique style of play makes it difficult for opponents to deal with. While they may not have the advantage of beating China in the team competition overall, they have the potential to be dark horses in the singles competition.
During the Paris Olympic cycle, although Chinese table tennis still dominates the team competition, the rise of the powerhouses and the exposure of internal problems in the team have made the Chinese team usher in the challenges of a new journey. The end of the World Table Tennis Championships is not the end, but a new starting point. Before the Paris Olympics, the national table tennis team needs to solve the internal problems of the team while maintaining its strength, and guard against the opponent's new tricks. In the countdown to the Paris Olympics, Chinese table tennis has embarked on a new challenge, which is not a simple defense of the title, but also the mission of the table tennis hegemon.