Chuang Chih-yuan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuang Chih-yuan
Chuang at the 2013 World Championships
Personal information
Born	(1981-04-02) 2 April 1981 (age 44) Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Playing style	Right-handed shakehand grip
Highest ranking	3 (December 2003)
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Medal record Men's table tennis Representing  Chinese Taipei World Championships Gold 2013 Paris Doubles Bronze 2014 Tokyo Team Bronze 2024 Busan Team World Cup Silver 2013 Guangzhou Team Asian Games Silver 2002 Busan Singles Bronze 1998 Bangkok Team Bronze 2002 Busan Team Bronze 2006 Doha Doubles Bronze 2006 Doha Team Bronze 2014 Incheon Singles Bronze 2014 Incheon Team Bronze 2018 Jakarta Team Bronze 2022 Hangzhou Doubles Bronze 2022 Hangzhou Team Asian Championships Silver 2000 Doha Team Silver 2003 Bangkok Team Silver 2021 Doha Singles Silver 2021 Doha Team Silver 2023 Pyeongchang Team Bronze 2007 Yangzhou Doubles Bronze 2007 Yangzhou Team Bronze 2013 Busan Team Bronze 2015 Pattaya Singles Bronze 2015 Pattaya Team Asian Cup Bronze 2013 Hong Kong Singles Bronze 2022 Bangkok Singles

Chuang Chih-yuan (Chinese: 莊智淵; pinyin: Zhuāng Zhìyuán) was born on April 2, 1981. He is a famous table tennis player from Taiwan. He won the ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals in 2002. He also won a doubles title at the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships. Chuang has played in the Summer Olympics six times. This is more than any other Taiwanese athlete!

Chuang Chih-yuan: A Table Tennis Star

Early Life and Training

Chuang Chih-yuan comes from a family of table tennis players. Both his parents played the sport in Taiwan. His father was a national doubles champion. His mother, Lee Kuei-mei, was on the national team. After her playing career, his mother became his coach.

Chuang started playing in competitions when he was eight years old in 1989. When he was 13, his mother sent him to China for training many times. This helped him learn new skills. In 1998, Chuang joined the Taiwan national team.

In 1999, Chuang played in his first World Championships. He also joined the ITTF Pro Tour. At the end of 2000, his mother decided he should train in Europe. He trained in countries like France and Germany. This helped him combine Chinese and European playing styles.

Rising to the Top

The year 2002 was a very exciting time for Chuang. He reached three finals on the Pro Tour. He finished as the runner-up in all of them. In September, he entered the world's top ten players. He also won a silver medal at the Asian Games. He played in his first World Cup that year.

At the end of 2002, Chuang had a big win. He faced the players who had beaten him in the earlier Pro Tour finals. He won three matches in a row at the Pro Tour Grand Finals. He beat Jean-Michel Saive, Wang Hao, and Kalinikos Kreanga. This made him the Grand Finals champion!

In 2003, Chuang won his first singles title on the Pro Tour. This was at the Brazil Open. By the end of that year, he reached his highest world ranking ever: No. 3. He played in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He reached the quarter-finals but lost to Wang Hao.

Olympic Dreams and World Titles

In July 2008, Chuang opened his own table tennis stadium. It's called Chih Yuan The Ping-Pong Stadium. It is located in his hometown of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. At the 2008 Olympics, he lost in the third round.

Four years later, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, he reached the bronze medal match. He played very well but lost to Dimitrij Ovtcharov.

May 2013 was a historic moment for Chuang. At the 52nd World Table Tennis Championships in Paris, France, he teamed up with Chen Chien-an. They won the men's doubles title! They beat Hao Shuai and Ma Lin in a thrilling final. Chuang and Chen were the first athletes from Taiwan to win a World Table Tennis Championships title.

The next year, Chuang helped the Chinese Taipei men's team. They reached the semifinals at the World Team Table Tennis Championships. This was a new record for Taiwan in the men's team event.

Later Career and Retirement

In September 2019, Chuang announced he would not play for the Chinese Taipei national team anymore. He wanted to focus on singles games. He also wanted to give younger players a chance in team events.

However, Chuang returned to the team in 2020. He then played in his fifth Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He kept competing in international tournaments after the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Chuang won a men's singles title at a WTT Feeder tournament. He was 41 years old at the time!

In 2024, Chuang helped the Chinese Taipei men's team reach the semifinals again. This was at the 2024 World Team Championships. It was the second time in his career. After playing in his sixth Olympic Games in Paris, Chuang announced his retirement.

Career Highlights

Here are some of Chuang Chih-yuan's main achievements in singles matches:

• Olympics: Reached the semi-finals in 2012.
• World Championships: Reached the round of 16 in 2003 and 2007.
• World Cup: Played 10 times. Best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2010.
• ITTF World Tour titles: Won 4 titles (Brazil 2003, Chile 2011, Spanish Open 2012, Hungarian Open 2016). He was also runner-up 10 times.
• ITTF World Tour Grand Finals: Played 12 times. He won in 2002.
• Asian Games: Was the runner-up in 2002.

Awards and Recognition

Chuang Chih-yuan has received several awards for his amazing career:

• He won the Best Male Athlete Award in 2003 and 2012. These awards came from the Sports Affairs Council, Executive Yuan, Taiwan.
• He was named one of the 41st Ten Outstanding Young Persons in 2003. This award is given by the Ten Outstanding Young Persons' Foundation Co., Taiwan.

Personal Life

Chuang Chih-yuan married Gladys Shi on October 27, 2012. Their wedding took place in his hometown of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.