The Paris Olympics is approaching, the lineups of the teams are coming out, and ITTF has also announced the allocation of singles quotas for each association according to the world ranking on June 18, 2024, in which Ni Xialian, the 60-year-old former Chinese table tennis world champion and current Luxembourg mainstay, is also listed, which means that she has already got the qualification to take part in the Olympics this year.
Ni Xialian’s Chinese table tennis teammates Cao Yanhua, Guo Yuehua, Cai Zhenhua and others have long since retired, while she is still galloping in the international arena, and now will step into the Olympic arena for the sixth time, it is really old and strong, congratulations!
Born in 1963, Ni Xialian was the main athlete of the Chinese table tennis team. At the age of 19, she won the gold medals in the women’s team and mixed doubles at the World Table Tennis Championships with her teammates, and later went abroad to develop and settle in Luxembourg, where she became one of the most famous figures in the “Overseas Corps”.
Since the Olympic Games did not introduce table tennis until 1988, when Ni Xialian had already started to go downhill, she did not have the opportunity to represent the Chinese table tennis team, but after leaving the country, she had the pleasant surprise of eventually qualifying for the first time in 2000 with her efforts, and then continued to participate in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, becoming a member of this event! “veterans”.
Sanweisport-Professional Table Tennis Equipment Provider
If you are interested in table tennis equipment, you can visit our Sanweisport homepage to select the most professional table tennis equipment. We will provide you with the best table tennis blades, rubbers and other products!
After the arrival of the Paris Olympic cycle, Ni Xialian originally wanted to lead her teammates to impact the mixed doubles, women’s team, women’s singles three Olympic qualification, but unfortunately the first two goals failed to materialize, but the good thing is that she herself in the field of women’s singles is still making a difference, and this year, she also defeated Chinese table tennis team’s hopeful Kuai Man, and ultimately got the ticket to participate in the competition by virtue of the world rankings.
It is worth mentioning that Ni Xialian’s women’s doubles partner Denault, mixed doubles partner Luca also made the Olympic list by virtue of the world ranking, which is the first time in the history of the Luxembourg Ping Association can have three athletes to participate in, Ni Xialian’s usual guidance, help is indispensable.
Although she is about to turn 61 years old, Ni Xialian’s fighting strength is still not to be ignored. As a rare left-handed straight racket, long rubber attacking athlete in today’s ping pong world, she can often disrupt her opponent when facing unfamiliar athletes, especially the young juniors, and the Olympic Games, which is easy to make people nervous, is even more experienced Ni Xialian can be like a fish out of water.
But objectively speaking, it is still difficult for Ni to achieve good results and get a medal in Paris, but to be able to go to the Olympics at the age of 60 is already very remarkable, and no matter what the final result will be, we should all give her a round of applause!
