Zhang Jike facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zhang Jike
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 incredible speed and powerful shots.

Zhang Jike made history by becoming only the fourth male player to win a "Grand Slam" in table tennis. This means he won the World Table Tennis Championships, the Table Tennis World Cup, and an Olympic Games gold medal in men's singles. He achieved this amazing feat in just 445 days, making him the fastest player ever to win a Grand Slam!

Early Life & Introduction to Table Tennis

Zhang Jike was born on February 16, 1988, in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. His father, Zhang Chuanming, was a table tennis coach. This meant Zhang Jike grew up around the sport.

He was even named after a famous Brazilian soccer player and coach named Zico. His father wanted him to be a great athlete.

Zhang Jike first started playing table tennis when he was just four years old, on March 5, 1992.

Zhang Jike's Amazing Career Highlights

Zhang Jike had many incredible moments during his table tennis career. He won major titles and showed amazing skill.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2011, Zhang Jike played in his first singles event at the World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC). He won the gold medal by beating many top players. After winning the final, he famously ripped his shirt in celebration!

A few months later, he won the 2011 Table Tennis World Cup in Paris. He beat Wang Hao in the final, showing his strong performance.

Olympic Gold and Grand Slam

At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Zhang Jike played some tough matches. He came back from being behind against European legend Vladimir Samsonov. In the final, he faced his teammate Wang Hao again.

Zhang Jike won the match, completing his career Grand Slam. This was a huge achievement in table tennis! He also won a gold medal with the Chinese team at the London Olympics.

More Victories and Challenges

In 2013, Zhang Jike continued his winning streak. He won the World Table Tennis Championships again in Paris, beating Wang Hao in the final. After this win, he jumped over the barriers to celebrate with his parents.

He also won the World Cup in 2014 in Germany. He beat Ma Long in a very close final match. After winning, he was so excited that he damaged some barriers, and his prize money was used to create a "Fair Play Award."

In 2015, he won a gold medal in men's doubles at the WTTC with his partner Xu Xin. However, he faced some challenges and lost some matches in other tournaments.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Zhang Jike reached the singles final but lost to his teammate Ma Long. He still won a silver medal in singles and a gold medal in the team event.

Dealing with Injuries and Comebacks

In 2017, Zhang Jike faced some difficulties due to hip injuries. These injuries affected his performance in tournaments. He had to take breaks from playing.

His world ranking dropped because he was absent from competitions. However, he showed great determination to come back. In 2018, he started playing on the World Tour again. He had some good wins and showed he was still a strong player.

He reached the final of the Japan Open in 2018 but injured his back during the match. Despite the injury, his ranking improved a lot, showing his fighting spirit.

Equipment and Playing Style

Zhang Jike is known for his unique and powerful playing style. He uses special equipment to help him play his best.

His Equipment

Zhang Jike uses a Butterfly Viscaria blade for his racket. For his backhand, he uses a Butterfly Tenergy 80 rubber. On his forehand, he uses a DHS Hurricane 3 neo National blue sponge rubber. These are high-quality items that help him create powerful shots.

How He Plays

Zhang Jike uses a "shakehand" grip, holding the racket like shaking hands. He is a "two-winged" attacker, meaning he uses both his forehand and backhand very well. He is known for his quick "topspin" drives, counters, and loops.

He stays low to the ground and is incredibly fast on his feet. Many people say he has one of the best backhand techniques in the world. He can use his backhand even in the forehand corner of the table. His "backhand flick" (a quick, short shot) is also considered one of the best.

Zhang Jike's serves are tricky and hard to predict. His most famous serve is the "reverse-pendulum short serve," which has a lot of side-spin. This serve, combined with his quick footwork and ability to guess where the ball will go, helps him start rallies in his favor.

He is also known for his strong mental game. He can win important points in big competitions, even when he is under a lot of pressure. This mental strength is a key part of his success.

Career Records

Here are some of Zhang Jike's main achievements in table tennis:

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).
• 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