Chinese table tennis star Ma Long returns the ball to Canada’s Edward Ly during their men’s singles group match at the ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup on April 17, 2024 in the Macao Special Administrative Region. Ma sealed the top spot in the group after winning his opening two matches and advanced to the last 16. Photo: VCG
China’s table tennis legend and two-time Olympic men’s singles champion Ma Long will miss the opportunity to defend his title at the upcoming Paris Olympics as he was not included in the newly unveiled China’s squad for men’s singles.
Current men’s singles world No.1 Wang Chuqin and No.2 Fan Zhendong will be the two players to represent China in men’s singles at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) announced on Tuesday.
Ma, a five-time Olympic gold medalist since London 2012, is however likely to be included in the team event, analysts say.
“Though Ma will miss this chance to defend his singles title, but with his rich experience and seasoned skills, he is highly likely to secure a spot in the team event, where he could seek a sixth Olympic gold medal,” Mao Jiale, a Chengdu-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
The table tennis events at the Paris Olympics will take place from July 27 to August 10 at the South Paris Arena, with the mixed doubles gold medal to be decided first on July 30 and the men’s singles champion crowned on August 4.
Wang is also included in the mixed doubles, pairing with his long-term partner Sun Yingsha. This Paris Games will be Wang’s debut at the Olympics and Sun’s second appearance.
Since forming their partnership, Wang and Sun have demonstrated chemistry on the court while achieving impressive results. The duo stormed through to clinch the mixed doubles title at the 2021 table tennis world championships and successfully defended their title in 2023.
The aforementioned players included in the CTTA’s list automatically qualify for the men’s or women’s team events.
The other berth for the women’s singles will be decided in a week, as Tokyo Olympics women’s singles champion Chen Meng and current world No.2 Wang Manyu are vying for the spot.
It also means that Wang Chuqin will become the first Chinese male player to shoulder singles, mixed doubles and team events in a single Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Chinese pair Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen narrowly missed out on the gold medal, losing to the Japanese pair of Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito in the finals.
The table tennis mixed doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 16 pairs. Prior to CTTA’s announcement on Tuesday, nine pairs had already been determined through qualifiers and Olympic qualification events.