World No. 1 Chen Meng ready to make Olympic debut
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E-mail Xinhua, May 27, 2021
World No. 1 women's singles paddler Chen Meng feels relieved after being named in China's table tennis Olympic squad for the first time.
"That's a weight off my mind," the 27-year-old told a post-match mixed zone on Wednesday at the Chinese table tennis Olympic simulation tournament.
"I can now focus on preparations for my first Olympic Games and make some specific plan after knowing that I will go play Tokyo 2020," said Chen, who beat Sun Mingyang 12-10, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6 in her first match here to make the quarterfinals.
Ten days ago, the all-time leading Chinese team announced its roster for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, with Olympic debutant Chen Meng spearheading China's challenge in the women's singles.
Her 20-year-old teammate Sun Yingsha, ranked third in the world, is the only other player to represent China in the Olympic women's singles table tennis, while reigning world champion Liu Shiwen joins them in the team event.
A widely accepted talent from a young age, Chen Meng made her name known to the public over 10 years ago when she upset world champion Guo Yue in the Chinese team's "Road to Rotterdam" world championships trial.
The 2011 youth worlds' Grand Slam winner of women's team, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles then began to shine on the international stage by denying Liu a China Open crown in 2012.
In the star-stud Chinese team, however, Chen was not admitted as the first-choice player until she took over the No. 1 seat in world rankings for the first time in January 2018 and claimed the women's World Cup title in 2020.
"The pressure is always there," she said, talking about the feeling of being named in the Olympic roster. "But I've also been ready, as always."
"I like my status today when I was a little bit nervous to pad off the simulation tourney while knowing that I was able to adjust well quickly.
"It must be like this when I stand on the Olympic competition floor. I could not be totally relaxed but sure to be playing better and better as the Games go on," she said.
"My goal is to vie for a win, no matter if it's at the Olympic Games or trials like this, or in singles or team events," she added.
The Tokyo Olympic Games table tennis competitions are set to take place from July 24 to August 6 in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. China has collected 28 out of 32 gold medals on offer since the sport debuted at the Olympics in 1988.
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