With the 2024 Busan Team World Table Tennis Championships approaching, the event not only indicates the honor competition of the Chinese table tennis team in the international arena, but also directly related to the selection layout of the Tokyo Olympics. In this suspenseful competition, Wang Manyu's situation is particularly eye-catching. In the face of the upcoming team World Table Tennis Championships and the resulting Olympic selection points, Wang Manyu's challenge is not small.
The list of participants released earlier by the Chinese Table Tennis Association revealed the competitive landscape of the Busan Team World Table Tennis Championships, which will kick off on February 16. It is reported that this event is not only a key battle for the Chinese table tennis team to defend the championship, but also an important part of the Olympic selection. Especially from the 1 8 finals, the competition will provide valuable Olympic selection points for the players, which will undoubtedly add a bit of pressure to Wang Manyu, who is ranked fourth in the world.
According to Ma Lin, the head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, the important matches of the team competition will give priority to the top three players in the world in the team. In the current world rankings, Wang Manyu is ranked fourth, and her slightly awkward position puts her at risk of being opened up by Wang Yidi and other teammates in the upcoming World Table Tennis Championships, and the Olympic qualification seems to be getting more and more distant.
The Chinese team adopts a comprehensive points system for Olympic selection, which aims to evaluate the strength and condition of the athletes through a series of domestic and foreign performances. In addition to the singles competitions, a number of important team events have also been included in the selection system, including the World Championships, Asian Games, World Cup and Asian Championships. Wang Manyu failed to enter the top three due to the world ranking and missed the opportunity to participate in the semifinals and finals of the women's team at the Asian Championships. Now, history seems to be repeating itself at the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan, which is undoubtedly a big blow to her.
At present, according to the official data of the International Table Tennis Federation, the top three in the world ranking of the Chinese women's team are occupied by Sun Yingsha, Wang Yidi, and Chen Meng, respectively, and Wang Manyu follows. Such a ranking means that according to Ma Lin's standards, Wang Manyu may not be able to participate in the key matches of the World Table Tennis Championships. More critically, Wang Manyu is also ranked fourth in the Olympic selection standings, and the gap with the top three is obvious. If she can't appear at the World Table Tennis Championships, the gap between her and Wang Yidi may be further widened.
However, Wang Yidi's road is not an easy one. A win in the team competition is the only way to increase the points, and if you lose, all your hard work will be in vain. It is worth mentioning that the selection of the "third person" of the national table tennis Olympic team is not entirely based on the ranking of the standings, but is recommended by the coaching staff according to the actual situation. Therefore, unless Wang Yidi can surpass Chen Meng in the standings and rank in the top two, even if she surpasses Wang Manyu in points, her Olympic road will not be smooth.
The WTT Grand Slam and World Cup before the Olympics were also included in the selection system, which provided Wang Manyu with the opportunity to overtake in the corners. The competition never stops until the dust settles at the last minute, and every player needs to give it their all. Let's hope that Wang Manyu can rise to the challenge and show her strength and determination for the Olympic dream.