Jan-Ove Waldner: Difference between revisions

Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner
Personal information
Full name	Jan-Ove Waldner
Nationality	Sweden
Born	3 October 1965 (age 58); Stockholm, Sweden
Table tennis career
Playing style	Shakehand grip

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 15:17, 12 January 2013

Jan-Ove Waldner (Stockholm, 3 October 1965)^[1]^[2] is a Swedish table tennis player. He is known as "the Mozart of table tennis"^[3]^[4] and is a legend in his native Sweden as well as in China.^[3] In China he is known as 老瓦 Lao Wa - "Old Wa(ldner)" or 常青树 Chang Qing Shu - "Evergreen".

Biography

Waldner's potential was recognized at an early age and was displayed in 1982 as a 16-year-old when he reached the final of the European Championship, losing to teammate Mikael Appelgren. When he was young, he, along with other Swedish players, went to a training camp in China and was amazed by their dedication and claims he learned much during his stay. In China, a country that loves table tennis, he is the best-known^[3] Swede and a well-known sports personality. In the 1990s he was more recognized in China than Bill Clinton. Waldner is referred to as "the evergreen tree" and "Old Wa", and people often flock to see him when he comes.

He received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1992.

As of 2012, Waldner has been playing international elite level table tennis for 30 years, which is unusual in the table tennis world where hand-eye coordination and quick reactions are essential factors. Some young Chinese players that he has recently played against are trained by those he played against in the 1990s, who were in turn trained by others he played against in the 1980s.

He is one of seven active table tennis players to have competed at the first five Olympics since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1988. The others are Swede Jörgen Persson, Croatian Zoran Primorac, Belgian Jean-Michel Saive, Hungarian Csilla Bátorfi, Serbian-American Ilija Lupulesku, and German Jörg Roßkopf.

In 2010 Waldner won his ninth Swedish championship against Pär Gerell, born the same year Waldner became Swedish champion for the first time.

He played for TTC Rhön-Sprudel Fulda-Maberzell in the German Bundesliga until May 2012. In May 2012 Stefan Frauenholz, Fulda-Maberzell's President, confirmed that Jan-Ove Waldner finished his contract with the club. Timo Boll: "Was yesterday's match against us the last one for Jan-Ove Waldner?" referring to the Bundesliga semifinal between Borussia Düsseldorf and Fulda-Maberzell. This ended his career at the international elite level, at the age of 46 years.^[5]^[6]

He is one of four male players in the history of table tennis to achieve a career grand slam (World Champion and World Cup winner in singles, Olympic gold medal in singles) (in 1992). The others are: Liu Guoliang, China (in 1999), Kong Linghui, China (in 2000) and Zhang Jike, China (in 2012).^[7]

When it comes to Olympic singles medals he is still, (after the 2012 Olympics) the leader of the scoreboard, with one Gold and one Silver medal.

World championships

1983 Silver medal in team competition
1985 Silver medal in team competition
1987 Silver medal in single, silver medal in team competition
1989 Gold medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1991 Silver medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1993 Bronze medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1995 Silver medal in team competition
1997 Gold medal in single (21-0 in games), silver medal in double
1999 Bronze medal in single
2000 Gold medal in team competition

Olympic Games

1988 Final 8 in single, final 8 in double
1992 Gold medal in single, first round in double
1996 Final 16 in single, final 8 in double
2000 Silver medal in single, final 16 in double
2004 Fourth in single, final 8 in double

European Championships

1982 Silver medal in single
1984 Silver medal in double
1986 Gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1988 Gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1990 Gold medal in team competition
1992 Silver medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1994 Silver medal in single, silver medal in team competition
1996 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
2000 Gold medal in team competition
2002 Gold medal in team competition

Swedish Championships

1981 Gold medal in double
1982 Gold medal in double
1983 Gold medal in single
1984 Gold medal in single
1986 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double
1987 Silver medal in double
1989 Gold medal in single, silver medal in double
1991 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double
1992 Gold medal in double
1993 Silver medal in double
1994 Silver medal in single, gold medal in double
1996 Gold medal in single
1997 Gold medal in single, silver medal in double
1999 Gold medal in double
2006 Gold medal in single
2010 Gold medal in single

References

Svenskar i världen (Swedes in the World), Spring edition 2005, Swedish magazine.

^ Jan-Ove Waldner profile. Swedish Table Tennis Federation
^ Biography of WALDNER Jan-Ove. ITTF.
^ ^a ^b ^c Bishop, G. (August 23, 2008). A Swedish face for China’s beloved sport. The New York Times.
^ Clarey, C. (August 23, 2004). For 'table tennis Mozart,' few high notes. International Herald Tribune.
^ Table Tennista Europe
^ Fulda-Maberzell web site, retrieved 19 July, 2012
^ "Sport Olympics 2012: table tennis". Retrieved 03-08-2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

Preceded by Pernilla Wiberg	Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal 1992	Succeeded by Torgny Mogren

Template:Persondata

[svenska-1] Jan-Ove Waldner profile. Swedish Table Tennis Federation

[2] Biography of WALDNER Jan-Ove. ITTF.

[nytimes-3] Bishop, G. (August 23, 2008). A Swedish face for China’s beloved sport. The New York Times.

[4] Clarey, C. (August 23, 2004). For 'table tennis Mozart,' few high notes. International Herald Tribune.

[5] Table Tennista Europe

[6] Fulda-Maberzell web site, retrieved 19 July, 2012

[7] "Sport Olympics 2012: table tennis". Retrieved 03-08-2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 '''Jan-Ove Waldner''' ([[Stockholm]], 3 October 1965)<ref name="svenska">''[http://www.svenskbordtennis.com/t2.asp?p=44931 Jan-Ove Waldner profile].'' Swedish Table Tennis Federation</ref><ref>[http://www.ittf.com/World_Events/Biography1.asp?Player_ID=93 Biography of WALDNER Jan-Ove]. [[ITTF]].</ref> is a Swedish [[table tennis]] player. He is known as "the [[Mozart]] of table tennis"<ref name="nytimes">Bishop, G. (August 23, 2008). [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/24swede.html A Swedish face for China’s beloved sport.] ''The New York Times''.
-</ref><ref>Clarey, C. (August 23, 2004). [http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/08/23/olypong_ed3_.php For 'table tennis Mozart,' few high notes.] ''International Herald Tribune''.</ref> and is a legend in his native [[Sweden]] as well as in [[China]].<ref name="nytimes" /> In China he is known as 老瓦 Lao Wa - "Old Wa(ldner)" or 常青树 Chang Qing Shu - "Evergreen". He is widely considered to be the greatest player of all time.<ref>Fellke, Jens: ''J-O Waldner: När känslan bestämmer'' (1997) (in Swedish). Malmö, Sportförlaget. ISBN 	91-88540-83-9</ref>
+</ref><ref>Clarey, C. (August 23, 2004). [http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/08/23/olypong_ed3_.php For 'table tennis Mozart,' few high notes.] ''International Herald Tribune''.</ref> and is a legend in his native [[Sweden]] as well as in [[China]].<ref name="nytimes" /> In China he is known as 老瓦 Lao Wa - "Old Wa(ldner)" or 常青树 Chang Qing Shu - "Evergreen".
 ==Biography==

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF WorldCat
National	Germany Sweden Japan
Other	IdRef
Warning	Local parameters are deprecated.