Other Events | 20 Mar 2018
Australia Dominates ITTF-Oceania Championships in Gold Coast 2018 Lead-up
Photo: ITTF
Team Australia dominated 2018 ITTF-Oceania Championships, sweeping 12 out of 14 Gold on offer.
Team Australia has dominated the 2018 ITTF-Oceania Championships, winning gold in 12 of the 14 events on offer. Gold Coast, Australia hosted the tournament as the region's best athletes came together to compete from the 15-19March 2018.
Australia's Xin YAN claimed the Men's Singles, and teammate Jian Fang LAY won gold in the Women's event. For LAY it was her third straight title, while YAN succeeded in going back to back in the Men's Singles after taking out the event in 2016.
YAN was simply irrepressible during the Championships. The Olympian and Commonwealth Games representative won in every event on offer, coming away with four gold medals (Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, Mixed Doubles & Men's Team).
Meanwhile, Gold Coast local Danni-Elle TOWNSEND starred in the Under 21 Women's Events. The 14-year-old took home the Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles titles. Impressively, the Australian didn't drop a game in any of her final encounters.
Australia also laid claim to the Men's, Women's, and Under 21 Women's Team Events.
New Zealand managed to stop the host nation making a clean sweep, taking two titles in the Under 21 Men's category.
The Kiwis were able to upset the odds and win gold in the Under 21 Men's Team, while Nathan XU won the Under 21 Men's Singles to take another gold medal back across the Tasman for Team New Zealand.
The tournament was seen as a perfect warmup for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Two days of competition were held at Oxenford Studios, the venue for table tennis events during Gold Coast 2018. Oceania athletes capitalised on the opportunity to be the first to play in the venue.
After his strong performance this week on the Gold Coast, Xin YAN said he is looking forward to returning to compete in two weeks' time.
"It's a privilege to play in front a home crowd, and I hope I can make a strong performance once again when I'm back on the Gold Coast," said YAN.
Results:
- Men's Singles – Xin YAN (AUS)
- Women's Singles – Jian Fang LAY (AUS)
- Men's Doubles – Heming HU (AUS) / Xin YAN (AUS)
- Women's Doubles – Melissa TAPPER (AUS) / Michelle BROMLEY (AUS)
- Mixed Doubles – Jian Fang LAY (AUS) / Xin YAN (AUS)
- U21 Men's Singles – Nathan XU (NZL)
- U21 Women's Singles – Danni-Elle TOWNSEND (AUS)
- U21 Men's Doubles – Xavier DIXON (AUS) / Luke COSGRIFF (AUS)
- U21 Women's Doubles – Parleen KAUR (AUS) / Danni-Elle TOWNSEND (AUS)
- U21 Mixed Doubles – Xavier DIXON (AUS) / Danni-Elle TOWNSEND (AUS)
- Men's Team – Australia
- Women's Team – Australia
- U21 Men's Team – New Zealand
- U21 Women's Team – Australia
