European Olympic Singles Qualification | 14 Aug 2014

PERSSON and WANG Liqin role models at YOG

The ITTF presented two extremely well known Table Tennis profiles for the Athletes Role model positions in Nanjing – WANG Liqin from China working alongside with seven times Olympian and Jörgen PERSSON from Sweden. In Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, three times Men’s Singles World champion, China’s WANG Liqin, working alongside seven times Olympian and multiple world champion Sweden’s Jorgen Persson.

Athletes on a daily basis will receive opportunities to interact with WANG Liqin and PERSSON. “I feel just proud to be selected as one of two Role Models for the Nanjing Games. It will be a great honor for me to once again connect with the Olympic movement,” stated WANG.

WANG Liqin holds the 2000 Sydney Men’s Doubles title higher than the two bronze medals in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. “It was the Olympics, YAN Sen and myself really played as a team that time; we defeated two strong and great team mates in LIU Guoliang and KONG Linghui to win the gold”, said WANG Liqin in an interview with the ITTF in June this year.

PERSSON is the winner of five World Championship titles – four in the Men’s Team event and one in Men’s Singles (Chiba 1991).

Furthermore, he is one of only three athletes to have competed in all the seven Olympic table tennis events. Twice he came close to winning an Olympic medal in Sydney 2000 and in Beijing 2008 –both times losing to Chinese competitors “I still, until this day, think about Sydney as one of my best opportunities”, said Jorgen PERSSON. “I was in good form then and should have done one step better.As for Nanjing I am looking forward to interacting with all the young athletes. It is always fun to participate in major sporting events in China; our sport is still big here and it will be my pleasure to work for the ITTF and the Olympic Movement.”

Jörgen PERSSON (Sweden) - 22 April 1966 (Age: 48)
Highlights: 1991 World Singles Champion; World Team Champion (1989, 1991, 1993, 2000)
Story: Jörgen PERSSON started his journey to stardom playing around with a ball and a racket on the kitchen table in his hometown Halmstad, Sweden at the age of eight. The local table tennis club quickly picked up the talented youngster who had early success with his game in the very competitive Swedish environment.

WANG Liqin (China) - 18 June 1978 (Age: 36)
Highlights: 2000 Olympic Games Doubles Champion; 2004 Olympics Singles Bronze; 2008 Olympic Games Team Champion & Singles Bronze; World Singles Champion (2001, 2005, 2007); 8 other World Championships gold medals.
“I am looking forward to interacting with all the young athletes. It is always fun to participate in major sporting events in China. Our sport is still big here and it will be my pleasure to work for the ITTF and the Olympic Movement.”

Milica NIKOLIC, EWT, Milica NIKOLIC, EWT