Ding Ning

Ding Ning
Ding Ning in 2013
Nationality	Chinese
Born	(1990-06-20) 20 June 1990 (age 26) Daqing, Heilongjiang, China
Playing style	Left-handed, shakehand grip
Highest ranking	1
Current ranking	1 (December 2016)
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Weight	63 kg (139 lb; 9.9 st)

Ding Ning (simplified Chinese: 丁宁; traditional Chinese: 丁寧; pinyin: Dīng Níng; born 20 June 1990) is a Chinese table tennis player. She was the winner of women's singles in the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships. At the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships, Ding Ning won her second world title in women's singles by defeating her compatriot Liu Shiwen 4-3 in the final. She won the women's table tennis singles gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Rio Olympics where she beat compatriot Li Xiaoxia in the women's singles final.

In the Olympic Singles final against compatriot Li Xiaoxia, Italian umpire Paola Bongelli controversially and repeatedly cautioned Ding Ning for her backhand tomahawk serve. Bongelli deducted 3 penalty points from Ding Ning leading her to break down in tears in the fourth set. The controversial decisions from Bongelli hugely affected the game and caused her to lose the final. After the game Ding Ning stated, "I had an obstacle today, and not only from the opponent but from the judge as well," said Ning."I was affected by the judge. After the first one (point penalty), I tried to keep cool but could not hold it after the second. The judge was too strict. I always serve the ball like this. I have done that for the last two years and, even from the first game of the Olympics, I have served like this. I do not know what to say. As soon as I raised my hand to serve, she sentenced me with a service violation."