4 olympics TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 CHINA DAILY TEAM CHINA BOUND FOR LONDON TABLE TENNIS China should run the table (and paddles) Last year’s Worlds and World Cup champion duo Zhang Jike and Ding Ning will lead the men’s and women’s table tennis teams as they set out to defend all four titles on off er. Despite missing several key mem- bers, including former women’s leader Zhang Yining, who retired in 2008, China still seems invincible in the face of challenges from South Korea, Ger- many and Singapore. “Th e Olympics holds diff erent mean- ings for diff erent teams. But for us, it only means winning as many gold med- als as we can,” said Liu Guoliang, head coach of the men’s squad. Still, offi cials remain alert. “We are confi dent in our players. But to win all four gold medals is much more diffi cult than expected,” said team leader Huang Biao. China has won 20 out of 24 gold medals available since the game was introduced into the Olympic program in 1988. Four years ago in Beijing, it took away all six medals in the men’s and women’s singles, plus gold in both team events. RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS 2004 Athens Games: 3 gold medals (men’s doubles, women’s singles and doubles) 2008 Beijing Games: all 4 gold medals (men’s and women’s singles and teams) China Daily’s gold-medal projection for London: 4 gold medals BADMINTON RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS Yang, Wang Xiaoli, Zhao Yunlei Dan’s career. 2004 Athens Games: 3 gold medals STARS TO WATCH WANG YIHAN, 24 ROSTER (women’s singles, doubles and mixed LIN DAN, 28 Men: Zhang Jike, Wang Hao, Ma doubles) Birthplace: Birthplace: Longyan, Fujiang Shanghai Long, Xu Xin 2008 Beijing Games: 3 gold med- province Women: Ding Ning, Guo Yue, Li These three are als (men’s and women’s singles and Highlights: 2011 Xiaoxia, Liu Shiwen women’s doubles) Highlights: 2008 Beijing Olympic World Championships men’s singles champion women’s singles title China Daily’s gold-medal projection for London: 3 gold medals Four-time World Championships men’s 2012 Uber Cup team STARS TO WATCH singles titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011) champion basically a lock ZHANG JIKE, 24 ROSTER Birthplace: Qingdao, Shandong prov- Widely considered the greatest badmin- Coached by twice Olympic champion ince Th e seemingly unbeatable badminton team has also set its sights on Men: Lin Dan (above), Chen Jin, Chen a multi-gold fi nish with a glittering roster that features Lin “Super” Dan ton player of all time, Lin had completed Zhang Ning, Wang has emerged as the Long, Cai Yun, Fu Haifeng, Chai the “Super Grand Slam”, having won all backbone of the female squad, which and women’s world No 1 Wang Yihan. Aft er delivering an emphatic Biao, Guo Zhendong, Xu Chen, Zhang nine major titles including the Olympics, lacks leadership after Zhang’s retirement. Th omas Cup victory in May at home, the Chinese shuttlers have vowed Nan Worlds, Sudirman and Thomas Cup in The current world No 1 expects to fulfi ll to defend the three titles they won in Beijing while making up for losses Women: Wang Yihan, Li Xuerui, badminton by the age of 28. One more her vow to lead the team by winning her in the men’s and mixed doubles. Wang Xin, Ma Jin, Tian Qing, Yu Olympic gold medal will perfect “Super” fi rst Olympic title in London. WEIGHTLIFTING Weights in their hands, weight on their shoulders Th e weightlift ers will carry a heavy burden following China’s eight titles from a total of 15 categories in 2008. First-time Olympian Wang Mingjuan and Beijing’s 85kg winner Lu Yong will lead a 10-strong lineup to fi ght for four and three golds on the women’s and men’s sides, respectively. RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS 2004 Athens Games: 5 gold medals After fellow 69kg Beijing Olympic (men’s 62kg and 69kg, women’s 58kg, champion Liao Hui was banned by 69kg and +75kg) the IWF for doping last November, Lu 2008 Beijing Games: 8 gold medals was left the only leader on the young (men’s 56kg, 62kg, 69kg and 85kg, men’s team. He will try to inspire a women’s 48kg, 58kg, 69kg and 75kg) roster lacking in Olympic experience by defending his title in London. China Daily’s gold-medal projection for London: 5 gold medals WANG MINGJUAN, 26 ROSTER Birthplace: Yongzhou, Hunan Men: Lin Qingfeng, Lu Haojie, Lu province Yong (below), Lu Xiaojun, Wu Jingbiao, Zhang Jie Highlight: Three SHOOTING time World Cham- Highlights: 2011 World Table Tennis Women: Li Xueying, Wang Min- pionships winner at Championships men’s singles title gjuan, Zhou Jun, Zhou Lulu 48kg (2003, 2005 2011 World Cup men’s singles title and 2009) Taking up arms for the country STARS TO WATCH Winning two major titles last year, Zhang LU YONG, 26 Replacing the current 48kg world Claiming a record fi ve titles in Beijing, the Chinese shooting team is unlikely to emulate that performance will be the fourth in history to achieve a Birthplace: Sanjiang Dong au- record holder Tian Yuan in the last career grand slam if he claims his fi rst due to the absence of some of its “old guns”, but it still seems capable of snaring at least three titles on the men’s tonomous county, Guangxi Zhuang minute, the surprising substitute is Olympic singles gold medal in London. and women’s 10m ranges plus veteran Du Li’s 50m rifl e three-position event. autonomous region expected to provide a solid perfor- The 24-year-old has been surging as the mance in the event. The veteran Highlights: 2008 Beijing Olympic male team’s new leader after veteran Ma missed the last two Games due to champion (men’s 85kg) Lin’s out. RESULTS AT PREVIOUS Qinan, Lan Xing pistol title temporary slumps and will be looking OLYMPICS Women: Chen Ying, Du Li (above), 2008 Olympic Games 10m air pistol 2009 World Championships title to bag her fi rst Olympic gold medal 2004 Athens Games: 4 gold med- Guo Wenjun, Li Peijing, Liu champion (men’s 85kg) at the age of 26. DING NING, 22 als (men’s 10m pistol, rifl e and 50m Yingzi, Su Yuling, Wei Ning, Yi DU LI, 30 Birthplace: Daq- rifl e 3-position champions, women’s Siling, Yu Dan, Yuan Jing ing, Heilongjiang 10m rifl e champion) Birthplace: Zibo, Shandong province province 2008 Beijing Games: 5 gold med- STARS TO WATCH Highlights: 2006 ISSF World Shoot- Highlights: 2011 als (men’s 10m pistol and 50m rifl e World Table Tennis 3-position champions, women’s PANG WEI, 25 ing Championships women’s 10m air rifl e Championships 10m pistol, 25m pistol and 50m rifl e Birthplace: women’s singles title 3-position champions) Baoding, Two-time Olympic champion 2011 World Cup women’s singles title China Daily’s gold-medal projec- Hebei prov- (2004 women’s 10m air rifl e, 2008 tion for London: 3 gold medals ince women’s 50m rifl e 3-position) Highlights: Replacing the injured Guo Yan on the 2006 ISSF The “love birds” of the shooting Olympic roster in May, Ding is keen to ROSTER World team, Pang and Du expect to shoot prove in London that she is worthy of be- Men: Ding Feng, Du Yu, Hu Binyuan, Shooting down gold for their son’s second ing drafted at the last moment. Boasting Li Jun, Pang Wei, Tan Zongliang, Champion- birthday, which comes during the a solid mental toughness and impressive Wang Tao, Wang Weiyi, Wang Zhiwei, ships men’s Games. Both have already vowed to overseas record, Ding reminds people of Zhang Jian, Zhang Tian, Zhu 10m air defend their Beijing Olympic titles. the team’s former leader Zhang Yining..