chinese pinyin born august chinese born table tennis player ranked athletes sport spotted singapore talent scouts beijing moved singapore commenced international career competitive table tennis singapore citizen age years singles player ranked sixth world august highest ranking december key player women team doubles mixed doubles events finished fourth place singles summer olympics athens summer olympics beijing august singapore women team composed teammates defeated south_korea semifinals finals august team lost china earned silver medal marking time singapore won olympic medal nation independence medal came years won country medal silver summer olympics rome ended high winning gold women team event pro tour german open berlin november doubles pro tour grand finals december won women team bronze medal summer olympics london announced retirement competitive sports december early years daughter government official housewife born august beijing student entered beijing provincial team skill table tennis recognized talent scouts invited train singapore returning china year visit parents began representing singapore internationally competitive table tennis following year singapore citizen professional career ranked 18th world achieved gold medals women team women doubles mixed doubles events commonwealth games held july august manchester ranked eighth november following year december member singapore team swept awards 23rd southeast asian games women team women singles women doubles mixed doubles july took gold women singles open chicago subsequently summer olympics athens defeated second seeded china player eventually finished fourth place second pro tour grand finals gained silver medals women singles mixed doubles 23rd southeast asian sea games held november december manila key player gold winning women team women doubles events december ranked world singles player won individual singapore commonwealth games melbourne won gold women team women doubles silver medal women singles mixed doubles events subsequently won women singles pro tour russia open achieved place pro tour grand finals prestigious difficult competitions table tennis arena 15th asian games held november december achieved medals silver women team event women singles mixed doubles year won gold singles pro tour chinese open helped singapore spots women team mixed doubles events sea games thailand august ranked sixth world won year times row received club competition level plays represented club played consists world champion summer olympics represented singapore time olympic games summer olympics beijing flag bearer opening ceremony games august having requested honour explained debate foreign talent scheme way showing achieved singapore beijing olympics table tennis team events played best matches format teams play single matches followed doubles match winner matches teams play fourth singles match necessary rubber match determine winning team august singapore women table tennis team coached comprising team captain teammates beat teams united_states nigeria comfortable wins august singapore team defeated netherlands reach semifinals game doubles match dutch players eventually won day august singapore team defeated south korean team park young semifinals went matches lost singles match korea kim beat kim park doubles partner singapore won singles matches park august teammates gained singapore silver medal women table tennis losing china matches won game singles match defeated doubles match china singapore marked time singapore won olympic medal nation independence medal came years won country medal silver lightweight category summer olympics rome prime minister requested live english language broadcast national day rally speech coincided table tennis finals postponed day provided audience updates score conference chef mission team teammates received round singles tournament asked stood chance winning medals said try best match definitely hope win medal singapore beat croatia round hong_kong fourth round usa quarter finals august defeated semifinals china ranked number world lost bronze medal china placed fourth singles tournament performance athens olympics failed quest individual olympic medal bronze medal match told reporters final olympics victory celebration singapore august minister community development youth sports announced presented service medal time medal awarded athletes previous recipients swimmer expressed interest pursuing communications degree october said prepared offer scholarship said wished continue career compete summer olympics national table tennis women team composed teammates awarded team year event prize events november despite crashing singles event earlier teammates won title pro tour german open berlin ended year seed achieving gold women doubles pro tour grand finals december time singapore won event beat south park young named today newspaper year returned international stage february taking year competitive table tennis birth child major competition moscow saw teammates beating china finals clinch gold series good performances return guided women team gold commonwealth games went win women doubles title ended bang winning silver medal women team event 16th asian games summer olympics represented singapore summer olympics london participated women team competition beaten japan semifinals took bronze medal august south_korea defeated successfully succeeded doubles game marked time singapore won medal olympic games said instrumental team win called achievement perfect birthday present commented significant meaningful olympics managed focused today best performances asked compete summer olympics said given thought retirement need break allow long standing knee injury recover situation closer date retirement announced retirement competitive sports december planned relocate beijing husband son said hoped continue involvement table tennis singapore said helping find employment singapore company operations based china medals personal life met player fellow sports meet began dating participating athens olympics golden sports couple dubbed media announced engagement september years later rumours breaking denied time january journalist confirmed broken previous week following report contemplating legal action recover money claimed spent buying apartment car disagreed share apartment implied trying affect mood chances winning medal beijing olympics declined discuss matter press saying private matter wished best olympics october announced settled property dispute terms settlement confidential september registered marriage beijing businessman based city introduced mutual friend march sources quoted said long wanted children bear surname lavish wedding banquet held beijing hotel april november said wished children turning affect table tennis career october husband child boy weighing kilograms husband confirmed hoping kids reported try children following summer olympics started training february competed commonwealth games asian games
Li Jiawei