Zhang Jike facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zhang Jike
Zhang at the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships, Paris
Personal information
Native name	张继科
Nationality	Chinese
Born	(1988-02-16) 16 February 1988 (age 37) Qingdao, Shandong, China
Playing style	Right-handed, shakehand grip
Equipment(s)	Butterfly Viscaria FL, DHS Hurricane 3 National (FH-Black), Butterfly Tenergy 80 (BH-Red)
Highest ranking	1 (June to December 2012)
Club	Shandong Luneng
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Medal record Men's table tennis Representing  China Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 0 World Championships 7 1 3 World Cup 6 1 0 Total 16 3 3 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Singles Gold 2012 London Team Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles World Championships Bronze 2009 Yokohama Doubles Silver 2009 Yokohama Mixed doubles Gold 2010 Moscow Team Gold 2011 Rotterdam Singles Bronze 2011 Rotterdam Doubles Gold 2012 Dortmund Team Gold 2013 Paris Singles Gold 2014 Tokyo Team Bronze 2015 Suzhou Singles Gold 2015 Suzhou Doubles Gold 2016 Kuala Lumpur Team World Cup Gold 2009 Linz Team Gold 2010 Dubai Team Silver 2010 Magdeburg Singles Gold 2011 Paris Singles Gold 2013 Guangzhou Team Gold 2014 Düsseldorf Singles Gold 2015 Dubai Team Asian Games Gold 2010 Guangzhou Doubles Gold 2010 Guangzhou Team Gold 2014 Incheon Doubles Gold 2014 Incheon Team Asian Championships Silver 2009 Lucknow Singles Gold 2009 Lucknow Team Silver 2011 Macau Singles Gold 2011 Macau Team Gold 2013 Busan Team Gold 2015 Pattaya Team

Zhang Jike (Chinese: 张继科; pinyin: Zhāng Jìkē; born 16 February 1988) is a famous retired Chinese table tennis player. He is known for his amazing skills and quick wins.

Zhang Jike made history by becoming only the fourth male player to achieve a "Grand Slam" in table tennis. This means he won gold medals in men's singles at the World Championships, the World Cup, and the Olympic Games. He did this incredibly fast, in just 445 days! He won the World Championships in 2011, the World Cup in 2011, and then the London Olympics in 2012. After his first Grand Slam, he continued to win, taking home the World Championships again in 2013 and the World Cup in 2014.

Early Life and First Steps in Table Tennis

Zhang Jike was born on February 16, 1988, in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. His parents are Zhang Chuanming and Xu Xiying. His father was a table tennis coach, which probably helped Zhang Jike get started in the sport.

He was even named after a famous Brazilian soccer player and coach, Zico. Zhang Jike first started playing table tennis when he was just four years old, on March 5, 1992.

Amazing Career Highlights

Winning Big in 2011 and 2012

In 2011, Zhang Jike played in the singles event at the World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) for the first time. He won the gold medal by beating strong players like Joo-Sae Hyuk, Wang Liqin, Timo Boll, and Wang Hao in the final. After winning, he celebrated in a very exciting way!

A few months later, he won the 2011 World Cup in Paris. He defeated Joo-Sae Hyuk and then Wang Hao in the final. He celebrated again, showing how happy he was to win.

At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Zhang Jike played a tough match against European legend Vladimir Samsonov, coming back from behind to win. In the semi-final, he beat Dimitrij Ovtcharov. In the final, he faced his teammate Wang Hao again. Zhang Jike played incredibly well and won, completing his career Grand Slam! He also won a gold medal in the team event at the London Olympics. Later that year, he won the Slovakia Open.

More Victories in 2013 and 2014

In 2013, Zhang Jike had a tough start, losing at the Asian Games. But he quickly bounced back at the World Table Tennis Championships. He proved he was still a top player by winning the gold medal again. He beat many strong opponents, including Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin, and Wang Hao in the finals. After this win, he ran to celebrate with his parents. That same year, he also won the Kuwait Open.

In 2014, he won the World Cup in Germany. He defeated Timo Boll in the semi-final and then Ma Long in a very close final match. People praised his amazing backhand shot that helped him win. After this victory, he celebrated by damaging some barriers, and his prize money was used to create a "Fair Play Award" to encourage good sportsmanship.

Challenges and Comebacks

At the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships, Zhang Jike lost in the singles event. However, he teamed up with Xu Xin and won the gold medal in the men's doubles event. He faced some tough losses in other tournaments that year, including the Polish Open and the German Open.

In 2016, Zhang Jike started strong by defeating Ma Long in the Kuwait Open final. At the Rio Olympics, he reached the final after beating Koki Niwa and Vladimir Samsonov. In the final, he played against his teammate Ma Long and finished with a silver medal.

In 2017, Zhang Jike won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. He faced some challenges with a hip injury, which affected his performance in later tournaments like the World Table Tennis Championships and the China Open. He took a break to recover.

He returned to the World Tour in 2018. After a long break, he played in the Hong Kong Open. Later, at the China Open, he won against Quadri Aruna but lost to Tomokazu Harimoto. At the Japan Open, he showed great form, winning several matches. However, he injured his back during the final against Harimoto and lost a very close match. Despite the injury, his world ranking improved a lot. He continued to show his skill at the Asia-Euro Championships.

In June 2018, he played in the FIVB Tour China Open and the FIVB Japan Open, where he finished second. In August 2018, he helped Team Asia win against Team Europe in the Asia-Europe Men's Table Tennis All-Star Match and was named the most valuable player.

Equipment and Playing Style

Zhang Jike is sponsored by Butterfly, a well-known table tennis brand. He uses a Butterfly Viscaria blade for his racket. For his backhand, he uses a Butterfly Tenergy 80 rubber, and for his forehand, he uses a DHS Hurricane 3 neo National blue sponge rubber.

Zhang Jike uses a "shakehand grip," which is a common way to hold the racket like shaking hands. He is known for his powerful "two-winged" attack, meaning he uses both his forehand and backhand very effectively. He uses quick "topspin" shots, which make the ball spin forward and dip quickly.

He is very fast on his feet and stays low to the ground, which helps him move quickly around the table. Many people say he has one of the best backhand techniques, especially when returning tricky serves. His "backhand flick" (a quick, short shot) is also considered one of the best in the world.

When Zhang Jike first joined the national team, coaches were impressed by his powerful forehand and backhand. His playing style often gives him an advantage because of the strong spin he puts on the ball.

Zhang's serves are hard to predict and can trick his opponents. His most famous serve is the "reverse-pendulum short serve," which he uses to put a lot of side-spin on the ball. This, combined with his quick backhand flicks and excellent footwork, helps him control the game.

He often uses a backhand-focused strategy against players who rely heavily on their forehand, like Ma Long or Fan Zhendong. He tries to keep them in their backhand corner, forcing them to make mistakes.

One of Zhang Jike's greatest strengths is his mental toughness. He is known for being able to win important points in big competitions, even when he is under a lot of pressure.

In 2014, his world ranking dropped because he wasn't winning as many tournaments. His coach, Liu Guoliang, encouraged him to focus more. However, Zhang Jike then led his team, Shandong, to win the 2014 Chinese Table Tennis Super League championship and won the World Cup again that October.

Career Records

Here are some of Zhang Jike's major achievements:

Singles

• Olympic Games: Winner (2012); Runner-up (2016).
• World Championships: Winner (2011, 2013).
• World Cup: Winner (2011, 2014); Runner-up (2010).
• Pro Tour Winner (6 times): China Open (2010), German Open (2011), Korean Open (2012), Slovenian Open (2012), Kuwait Open (2013, 2016).
• Pro Tour Grand Finals: Runner-up (2011).
• Asian Championships: Runner-up (2009, 2012).
• Asian Cup: Winner (2010).

Men's doubles

• World Championships: Winner (2015).
• Pro Tour winner (6 times): Kuwait Open (2010); Slovenian, English, UAE, German, China (Suzhou) Open (2011).
• Pro Tour Grand Finals: Winner (2011).
• Asian Games: Winner (2010, 2014).

Mixed Doubles

• World Championships: Runner-up (2009).
• Asian Championships: Runner-up (2009).

See also

In Spanish: Zhang Jike para niños