Wang Liqin

Wang Liqin
File:Wang Liqin from ITTF.jpg
Personal information
Full name	Wang Liqin
Nationality	China
Born	(1978-06-18) June 18, 1978 Shanghai, China
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	75.0 kg (165.3 lb; 11.81 st)
Table tennis career
Playing style	Shake hands grip
Medal record Men's table tennis Representing China Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Singles 2008 Beijing Team 2004 Athens Singles 2000 Sydney Doubles World Table Tennis Championships 2009 Yokohama Singles 2008 Guangzhou Team 2007 Zagreb Singles 2007 Zagreb Doubles 2007 Zagreb Mixed doubles 2006 Bremen Team 2005 Shanghai Singles 2005 Shanghai Doubles 2005 Shanghai Mixed doubles 2004 Doha Team 2003 Paris Doubles 2001 Osaka Team 2001 Osaka Singles 2001 Osaka Doubles 2000 Kuala Lumpur Team 1999 Eindhoven Doubles 1999 Eindhoven Mixed Doubles 1997 Manchester Mixed Doubles World Cup 2007 Magdeburg Team 2007 Barcelona Singles 2006 Paris Singles 2003 Jiangyin Singles 2001 Courmayeur Singles 2000 Yangzhou Singles

Wang Liqin (simplified Chinese: 王励勤; traditional Chinese: 王勵勤; pinyin: Wáng Lìqín; born June 18, 1978, Shanghai, China) is a Chinese table tennis player. As of February, 2011, he is ranked 9th in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). He began playing at the age of 6 and was picked for the Chinese men's national squad in 1993 when he was only 15 years old. Wang is the last man since Jiang Jialiang to defend his world title (1987). He holds three majors (3 World Championships). He has been ranked #1 by ITTF for 25 consecutive months, from September 2000 to September 2002, which is the second longest period for being consecutive #1 of the world as of January, 2011.

Style/Equipment

Wang Liqin uses the shakehand grip. He plays a forehand dominated style with the occasional backhand loop to open a topspin rally. His above average height allows him additional leverage for acceleration and momentum, creating more powerful shots. Many often describe him as possessing one of the most unique forehand shots.

Awards

Wang won the gold medal in doubles at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and the bronze medal in singles at the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece, as well as at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China. For most of 2004-6, he ranked as the world's best table tennis player.

Wang Liqin won his first World Championship in Osaka, Japan in 2001. In 2003, Wang made it to the quarter-finals of the World Table Tennis Championships. He has since won two more World Championships - 48th WTTC 2005 in Shanghai, China and 49th WTTC 2007 in Zagreb, Croatia. Wang Liqin is ranked #8 in the world for Men's Singles, based on the ITTF World Ranking page as of January 2011(www.ittf.com).

Wang and his teammates won the 2006 world table tennis team championships, beating Korea in the finals. Wang has won the highest number of pro tours, winning over 20. Wang now plays for the Shanghai city team.

He won the 2007 Men's Singles World Table Tennis Championship in Zagreb coming back from a 1-3 deficit to Ma Lin in a scintillating best of 7 match.

At the 2007 Pro Tour Grand Finals he has won the final with Chen Qi against Wang Hao/Ma Lin.

See also

• Table tennis
• List of table tennis players
• List of World Table Tennis Champions
• Sports in China

References

• Career profile of Wang Liqin Table Tennis Master
• Biography at CCTV.com