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) is a famous Chinese table tennis player. She was born on October 23, 1978, in Fushun, Liaoning. Wang Nan is known as one of the most successful female table tennis players in history.

She achieved a "Grand Slam" in table tennis. This means she won gold medals at the Table Tennis World Cup, the World Table Tennis Championships, and the Olympic Games. She played left-handed and started playing table tennis when she was seven years old. From January 1999 to November 2002, she was ranked the world's number one player by the ITTF.

Personal Life

Wang Nan is married to Guo Bin.

Amazing Career Highlights

Wang Nan's career is full of incredible achievements. She quickly became a top player in the world.

Early Success

In 1994, Wang Nan won her first big title at the Swedish Open. The next year, she started winning at major events like the Women's World Table Tennis Cup. From 1997 to 1998, she won the Women's World Table Tennis Cup twice. She also won the American Open and China Open.

At the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, Wang Nan was amazing. She won all four gold medals available in table tennis. These included singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and women's team events. By the end of 1998, she also won the ITTF tour finals.

Becoming World Number One

In 1999, Wang Nan won gold medals at the World Table Tennis Championships. She won in both singles and doubles. In the same year, she became the world's number one ranked player.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she continued her winning streak. She won two gold medals, one in singles and one in doubles. These victories helped her become a "Grand-Slam champion."

Facing Challenges and Making a Comeback

In 2002, at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Wang Nan faced some tough losses. She lost in two finals, for singles and women's teams. She didn't win any gold medals at these games. Some people wondered if her best playing days were over.

However, Wang Nan proved them wrong. In 2003, she competed in the World Table Tennis Championships in Paris. This was her fourth time representing China. She won three gold medals: singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She won both the singles and doubles championships for the third time in a row. This was a very difficult record to break. Her success showed everyone that she was still one of the best players in the world.

Olympic Achievements

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Wang Nan did not win the singles gold medal again. However, she teamed up with Zhang Yining to win the gold medal in women's doubles.

Four years later, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, she reached the Women's Singles Final once more. She played against Zhang Yining but lost the match. Even so, she won a gold medal for her home country in the women's team event.

Wang Nan's career is a great example of dedication and skill in table tennis. She won a total of 4 Olympic gold medals, 15 World Championship gold medals, and 5 World Cup gold medals. She also won many other titles throughout her career, including 18 Pro Tour Singles titles and 16 Pro Tour Doubles titles.

See also

In Spanish: Wang Nan para niños