Wang Nan (table tennis) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wang Nan
Wang Nan in 2001 in Moscow after China was awarded the Olympics
Personal information
Native name	王楠
Nickname(s)	Nan Nan (楠楠), Nan Jie (楠姐)
Nationality	China
Residence	Beijing, China
Born	(1978-10-23) 23 October 1978 (age 46) Fushun, Liaoning, China
Playing style	Shakehand grip
Highest ranking	1 (January 1999)
Height	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Medal record Women's table tennis Representing  China Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 1 0 World Championships 15 3 2 World Cup 5 2 0 Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Singles Gold 2000 Sydney Doubles Gold 2004 Athens Doubles Gold 2008 Beijing Team Silver 2008 Beijing Singles World Championships Gold 1997 Manchester Team Gold 1999 Eindhoven Singles Gold 1999 Eindhoven Doubles Gold 2000 Kuala Lumpur Team Gold 2001 Osaka Singles Gold 2001 Osaka Doubles Gold 2001 Osaka Team Gold 2003 Paris Singles Gold 2003 Paris Doubles Gold 2003 Paris Mixed doubles Gold 2004 Doha Team Gold 2005 Shanghai Doubles Gold 2006 Bremen Team Gold 2007 Zagreb Doubles Gold 2008 Guangzhou Team Silver 1997 Manchester Singles Silver 1997 Manchester Doubles Silver 2007 Zagreb Mixed doubles Bronze 1997 Manchester Mixed doubles Bronze 1999 Eindhoven Mixed doubles World Cup Gold 1997 Shanghai Singles Gold 1998 Taipei Singles Gold 2003 Hong Kong Singles Gold 2007 Chengdu Singles Gold 2007 Magdeburg Team Silver 2000 Phnom Penh Singles Silver 2004 Hangzhou Singles Asian Games Gold 1998 Bangkok Singles Gold 1998 Bangkok Doubles Gold 1998 Bangkok Mixed doubles Gold 1998 Bangkok Team Gold 2006 Doha Mixed doubles Gold 2006 Doha Team Silver 2002 Busan Singles Silver 2002 Busan Team Bronze 2002 Busan Doubles Bronze 2002 Busan Mixed doubles Bronze 2006 Doha Singles Bronze 2006 Doha Doubles

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 was ranked 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. In terms of achievements, she is one of the most successful female table tennis players (alongside Li Xiaoxia, Deng Yaping, Ding Ning, Zhang Yining) having won the gold medal in each of the Table Tennis World Cup, the Table Tennis World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Personal life

Wang Nan is married to Guo Bin.

Career performance

In 1994 Wang Nan won the women's singles titles at the Swedish 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.

Wang Nan attended 2003 World Table Tennis Championships in Paris. This is her fourth time representing China. She won three gold medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles and of particular interest, she won both singles and doubles championship for the third time in a row, records which are hard to break in the future. Many people didn't expect her success before the competition began; however, the three gold medals proved that she was still one of the top players in the world.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics Wang Nan failed to retain her singles crown but went on to win the women's doubles with Zhang Yining.

Four years later at the 2008 Summer Olympics she made it to the Women's Final yet again, this time losing out to Zhang Yining, 8–11, 13–11, 11–8, 11–8, 11–3. She did, however, win the team gold for the host country.

Performance timelines

World Title Events Finals (24–6)

Team (8–0)

Result	W–L	Year	Tournament	Location	Partners	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	1997	World Championships (1)	Manchester, United Kingdom	Deng Yaping Li Ju Wang Hui Yang Ying	Kim Hyon-hui Tu Jong-sil Wi Bok-Sun	3–0
Win	2–0	2000	World Championships (2)	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Li Ju Sun Jin Wang Hui Zhang Yining	Chen Jing Lu Yun-feng Pan Li-chun Tsui Hsiu-li Xu Jing	3–1
Win	3–0	2001	World Championships (3)	Osaka, Japan	Li Ju Sun Jin Yang Ying Zhang Yining	Kim Hyang-Mi Kim Hyon-hui Kim Mi-Yong Kim Yun-Mi Tu Jong-sil	3–0
Win	4–0	2004	World Championships (4)	Doha, Qatar	Zhang Yining Guo Yue Niu Jianfeng Li Ju	Lau Sui-fei Song Ah Sim Zhang Rui Tie Ya Na Yu Kwok See	3–0
Win	5–0	2006	World Championships (5)	Bremen, Germany	Zhang Yining Guo Yue Guo Yan Li Xiaoxia	Lau Sui-fei Lin Ling Zhang Rui Tie Ya Na Yu Kwok See	3–1
Win	6–0	2007	World Cup (1)	Magdeburg, Germany	Guo Yue Li Xiaoxia Zhang Yining	Kim Kyung-ah Kwak Bang-bang Lee Eun-hee Park Mi-Young	3–0
Win	7–0	2008	World Championships (6)	Guangzhou, China	Guo Yan Guo Yue Li Xiaoxia Zhang Yining	Feng Tianwei Li Jiawei Wang Yuegu Sun Beibei Yu Mengyu	3–1
Win	8–0	2008	Summer Olympic Games (1)	Beijing, China	Zhang Yining Guo Yue	Feng Tianwei Li Jiawei Wang Yuegu	3–0

Singles (8–4)

Result	W–L	Year	Tournament	Location	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	1997	World Championships (1)	Manchester, United Kingdom	Deng Yaping	21–12, 8–21, 11–21, 10–21
Win	1–1	1997	World Cup (1)	Shanghai, China	Li Ju	21–15, 17–21, 21–23, 21–16, 21–17
Win	2–1	1998	World Cup (2)	Taipei, Taiwan	Li Ju	21–12, 21–15, 21–16
Win	3–1	1999	World Championships (1)	Eindhoven, Netherlands	Zhang Yining	15–21, 14–21, 21–5, 21–12, 21–11
Win	4–1	2000	Summer Olympic Games (1)	Sydney, Australia	Li Ju	21–12, 12–21, 19–21, 21–17, 21–18
Loss	4–2	2000	World Cup (1)	Phnom Penh, Cambodia	Li Ju	10–21, 22–20, 17–21, 16–21
Win	5–2	2001	World Championships (2)	Osaka, Japan	Lin Ling	14–21, 21–12, 21–12, 21–19
Win	6–2	2003	World Championships (3)	Paris, France	Zhang Yining	11–7, 11–8, 11–4, 5–11, 6–11, 8–11, 11–5
Win	7–2	2003	World Cup (3)	Hong Kong	Niu Jianfeng	11–9, 11–9, 6–11, 11–4, 11–6
Loss	7–3	2004	World Cup (2)	Hangzhou, China	Zhang Yining	13–15, 11–7, 5–11, 6–11, 11–8, 8–11
Win	8–3	2007	World Cup (4)	Chengdu, China	Zhang Yining	11–5, 8–11, 11–8, 11–6, 11–8
Loss	8–4	2008	Summer Olympic Games (1)	Beijing, China	Zhang Yining	11–8, 11–13, 8–11, 8–11, 3–11

Doubles (7–1)

Result	W–L	Year	Tournament	Location	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	0–1	1997	World Championships (1)	Manchester, United Kingdom	Li Ju	Deng Yapin Yang Ying	17–21, 20–22, 21–17, 21–19, 11–21
Win	1–1	1999	World Championships (1)	Eindhoven, Netherlands	Li Ju	Sun Jin Yang Ying	22–20, 21–18, 21–19
Win	2–1	2000	Summer Olympic Games (1)	Sydney, Australia	Li Ju	Sun Jin Yang Ying	21–18, 21–11, 21–11
Win	3–1	2001	World Championships (2)	Osaka, Japan	Li Ju	Sun Jin Yang Ying	21–16, 21–14, 21–14
Win	4–1	2003	World Championships (3)	Paris, France	Zhang Yining	Guo Yue Niu Jianfeng	11–7, 11–7, 7–11, 11–2, 14–12
Win	5–1	2004	Summer Olympic Games (2)	Athens, Greece	Zhang Yining	Lee Eun-Sil Seok Eun-Mi	11–9, 11–7, 11–6, 11–6
Win	6–1	2005	World Championships (4)	Shanghai, China	Zhang Yining	Guo Yue Niu Jianfeng	11–4, 11–5, 10–12, 11–9, 11–5
Win	7–1	2007	World Championships (5)	Zagreb, Croatia	Zhang Yining	Guo Yue Li Xiaoxia	11–5, 11–6, 13–11, 11–9

Mixed Doubles (1–1)

Result	W–L	Year	Tournament	Location	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	2003	World Championships (1)	Paris, France	Ma Lin	Bai Yang Liu Guozheng	9–11, 10–12, 11–0, 11–7, 11–9, 5–11, 11–8
Loss	1–1	2007	World Championships (1)	Zagreb, Croatia	Ma Lin	Guo Yue Wang Liqin	11–13, 7–11, 11–8, 9–11, 11–9, 10–12

Other significant finals

ITTF Pro Tour Grand Finals (7–3)

Singles: 4 (2–2)

Result	W–L	Year	Location	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	1997	Hong Kong	Li Ju	25–23, 5–21, 16–21, 17–21
Win	1–1	1998	Paris, France	Lin Ling	21–23, 21–18, 19–21, 22–20, 21–9
Loss	1–2	2000	Kobe, Japan	Zhang Yining	10–21, 21–19, 24–26, 21–9, 11–21
Win	2–2	2001	Hainan, China	Niu Jianfeng	11–6, 11–9, 9–11, 9–11, 11–3, 11–1

Doubles: 6 (5–1)

Result	W–L	Year	Location	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	1997	Hong Kong	Li Ju	Kim Moo-kyo Park Hae-jung	21–17, 21–13, 9–21, 21–13
Win	2–0	1998	Paris, France	Li Ju	Cheng Hongxia Wang Hui	23–21, 22–20, 21–7
Win	3–0	1999	Sydney, Australia	Li Ju	Sun Jin Yang Ying	21–9, 21–12, 19–21, 21–18
Loss	3–1	2003	Guangzhou, China	Zhang Yining	Guo Yue Niu Jianfeng	11–9, 3–11, 4–11, 11–3, 7–11, 11–6, 8–11
Win	4–1	2004	Beijing, China	Zhang Yining	Guo Yue Niu Jianfeng	11–6, 11–7, 11–3, 8–11, 14–12
Win	5–1	2006	Hong Kong	Zhang Yining	Gao Jun Shen Yanfei	11–6, 8–11, 11–9, 11–8, 12–10

Tournament of Champions (1–1)

Result	W–L	Year	Location	Opponent	Score
Loss	0–1	2006	Changsha, China	Zhang Yining	9–11, 7–11, 8–11, 4–11
Win	1–1	2007	Changsha, China	Li Xiaoxia	11–5, 9–11, 12–10, 11–6, 6–11, 6–11, 11–9

Pro Tour Titles (37)

Team (3)

Singles (18)

Doubles (16)

See also

In Spanish: Wang Nan para niños