Wang Nan & Li Ju

Updated: 2004-08-02 09:57

Wang Nan

Events: singles, doubles

When China's four-time Olympic gold medallist Deng Yaping retired in the years following the 1996 Atlanta Games, the nation needed a new queen for its No. 1 sport, table tennis. Wang Nan has emerged from the country's deep pool of talent to claim the throne.

The old met the new at the 1996 World Championships when the outgoing Deng faced the incoming Wang in both the singles and doubles gold-medal matches. Deng, a gold medallist in both categories at Atlanta and at the 1992 Barcelona Games, had too much experience for the young, attacking left-hander, beating her in both games. Yet, the signs of changing times were there.

As Deng cut back on her playing schedule, Wang won her first Pro Tour title in doubles in 1997. The next year, she collected both the singles and doubles titles. Last year, she added another Pro Tour doubles title. That was not the big one, though she also positioned herself as Deng's clear successor by emulating Deng's feat in becoming both singles and doubles world champion.

In 2000 she has continued her form to win numerous tournaments and remain atop the world rankings and Pro Tour standings.

The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games represent Wang's chance to make her ascension to the throne official. As the world's top-ranked women's player, she is favored to succeed.

Li Ju

Born: 22 January 1978

Birthplace: Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China

Events: singles, doubles

The doubles team of Li Ju and Wang Nan has dominated women's table tennis of late, but Wang gets most of the attention as the top-ranked singles player in the world.

Occasionally, though, Li manages to slip out of the shadows. After all, she is ranked No. 2.

Together, the duo owns the 1999 World Championships gold medal and have won the Pro Tour Finals for three straight years, 1997 through 1999. They almost had the other world championship from that stretch, too, but lost out in the 1997 finals to four-time Olympic gold medallist Deng Yaping and her partner, Yang Ying.

In singles, the 1997 Pro Tour final came down to Li and Wang, and Li won the title. In 1998, she won the prestigious China Open. Then she again reached the final of the 1999 Pro Tour, but lost to Chen Jing of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), the 1988 Olympic gold medallist originally with China.

In 2000, Li was defeated again by Wang at the Japan Open, but turned the tables at the China Grand Prix. On the Pro Tour standings by mid July, Li was where she is often found second, behind Wang.

Li first emerged as a rising star of the game with China's national youth team at 15. She had begun playing at age 7.

Now an aggressive, shakehand-style player, she figures to make her Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games.