Chinese table tennis player Wang Manyu will feature in the women's team event in Paris in her second trip to the Olympics.
The 25-year-old will try to help China win a 5th straight team title together with teammates Sun Yingsha, who is ranked 1st n the world, and defending singles champion Chen Meng. The women's team event is the last of the table tennis events to finish, with the final scheduled on August 10.
File photo of Wang Manyu. /CFP
Wang admits disappointment over not earning a singles berth, but has put it behind her, and is now focused on fine-tuning her doubles games with Chen.
In the three years since the Tokyo Olympics, Wang achieved impressive victories, including both the singles and doubles title in the National Games in 2021, and her first ever individual World Championship title in Houston shortly after.
After being a reserve player in Tokyo, those wins seemed to pave the way for a promising singles spot in Paris, until she struggled with unexpected losses earlier this year in the WTT Saudi Smash that cost her the chance. Still, the long-time Olympic dream outweighed any despair, and the dream is finally near.
"The Olympics happen only every four years. It is the ultimate goal for all of us in each Olympic cycle. We put in the work for it, dream of it, and count the days. There are a lot of competitions we play to gain experience, but it’s all for the Olympics," Wang said.