Wang Nan (table tennis)
| Wang Nan | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Native name | 王楠 |
| Full name | Wang Nan (王楠) |
| Nickname(s) | Nan Nan (楠楠) |
| Nationality |
 China
|
| Born |
October 23, 1978 Fushun, Liaoning, China |
| Playing style | Shakehand grip |
Wang Nan (Chinese: 王楠; pinyin: Wáng Nán; born October 23, 1978 in Fushun, Liaoning) is a female Chinese table tennis player from Liaoning. Wang remained as world #1 on the ITTF ranking system from January, 1999 to November, 2002. She is left-handed, and began playing table tennis when she was seven years old. Her particular skills are changing the placement of the ball during rallies and her loop drive, as well as her notable speed. Wang has been the leader of the women's table-tennis team of China after Deng Yaping's retirement.
Wang Nan is married to Guo Bin.
In 1994 Wang Nan won the women's singles titles at the Sweden Open. The nex, Women's World Table Tennis Cup and Olympic Games. From 1997 to 1998 she won the Women's World Table Tennis Cup twice, as well as the American Open and China Open. At the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Wang won the four gold medals on offer (singles, doubles, mixed doubles and women teams). At the end of 1998, she won the ITTF tour finals.
In 1999, she won the gold medal at the World Table Tennis Championships and the ITTF tour finals in both singles and doubles. She became world #1 in the same year. In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney she won two gold medals in singles and doubles. Her excellent success record has resulted in her becoming a Grand-Slam champion.
However, in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, she lost two finals in the singles and women's teams competitions, winning no gold medals. Many people criticized her attitude and observed that she was inactive and lacking confidence. A lot of rumors claimed that she was going to retire because her skills were depleted and she could not compete on the improving world stage.
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