- Wang Yuegu
Infobox Tabletennis player
playername = Wang Yuegu
imagesize =
caption =
fullname = Wang Yuegu
nicknames =
nationality = flagcountry|Singapore
residence = Singapore
playingstyle = Right-handed shakehand gripcitation|title=WANG Yue Gu|url=http://www.ittf.com/biography/biography_web_details.asp?Player_ID=110000&s_Assoc=&s_Gender=&s_Name=&s_Player_ID=&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |accessdate=2008-08-23.]
equipment = Nittaku blade
hrank = 7th (2008)citation|title=World ranking record for WANG Yuegu (SIN)|url=http://www.ittf.com|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=August 2008|accessdate=2008-08-17.]
club =
birthdate = birth date and age|1980|6|10|df=yes
birthplace = Anshan,Liaoning ,People's Republic of China
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = convert|1.55|m|ftin|abbr=oncitation|title=Athlete biography: WANG Yue Gu|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/3/202323.shtml|publisher=Beijing 2008, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|year-2008|accessdate=2008-08-18.]
weight = convert|63|kg|lb|abbr=on (2008)
medaltemplates =Wang Yuegu (zh-cp|c=王越古|p=Wáng Yuègǔ) (pronounced|waŋ jye gu, respelled|waang yooe goo) (born 10 June 1980) is a China-born
Singapore antable tennis player who is ranked among the top ten players in the world. Wang made her inaugural appearance on theInternational Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour in June 2005 at the Volkswagen Korean Open in Suncheon,South Korea , where she and Sun Beibei took thesilver medal in the women's doubles. On 24 September 2006, Wang achieved her firstgold medal on the Pro Tour at the Japan Open inYokohama . She repeated the feat against her compatriotLi Jiawei on 12 November at the ITTF Pro Tour German Open inBayreuth . In June 2007, Wang helped Singapore sweep the women's team, women's doubles and mixed doubles gold trophies at the 17th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships inJaipur .Representing Singapore for the first time at the
2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing , she was a member of the silver medal-winning women's table tennis team. This is the first time that Singapore has won an Olympic medal since Singapore's independence in 1965. The medal comes 48 years afterTan Howe Liang won the country's first and only medal to date, a silver in weightlifting at the1960 Summer Olympics inRome .Early years
Wang Yuegu was born on 10 June 1980 in Anshan,
Liaoning ,People's Republic of China . [citation|title=Wang Yuegu|url=http://www.tgezi.cn/blog/article.asp?id=256|publisher= _zh. 淘宝 [Táobǎo] |date=2008-03-02 |accessdate=2008-08-23.] In December 2004 she relocated to Singapore under theForeign Sports Talent Scheme as this offered her more opportunities to prove herself at the international level.citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Wang Yue Gu stages remarkable recovery to win her first ITTF Pro Tour title|url=http://www.ittf.com/World_Events/press_release.asp?PT_Title=Japan%20Open&s_Year=2006|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2006-09-24 |accessdate=2008-08-23.] She subsequently became a Singapore citizen.Career as national player
Wang made her inaugural appearance on the
International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Pro Tour in June 2005 at the Volkswagen Korean Open in Suncheon,South Korea , where she and Sun Beibei took thesilver medal in the women's doubles.citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=New names|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=7225&Competition_ID=1510&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2005-06-12 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] Later that year, she and Sun went on to take two more silvers in doubles matches at the Chinese Taipei Opencitation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Unbeatable combination|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=7267&Competition_ID=1511&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2005-06-19 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] and Volkswagen (China) Open.citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Title for classic combination|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=7601&Competition_ID=1531&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2005-09-18 |accessdate=2008-08-21.]In 2006, Wang came third in the women's singles at the ITTF Pro Tour Chinese Taipei Open held in
Taipei , bettering that effort by taking the singlessilver medal at the subsequent ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open. [citation|title=Wang Yue Gu|url=http://www.snoc.org.sg/p_wangyuegu.php|publisher=Singapore National Olympic Council |year=2008|accessdate=2008-08-17.] On 24 September, Wang achieved her firstgold medal on the Pro Tour at the Japan Open inYokohama , beating China's Guo Yan who was then the number one seed and ranked third in the world.citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Wang Yue Gu performs the great escape to capture gold in Yokohama|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=10131&Competition_ID=1590&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2006-09-24 |accessdate=2008-08-21; citation|title=Wang secures second Japan crown|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/table_tennis/5379572.stm|publisher=BBC Sport |date=2006-09-25 .] The achievement brought her into the top ten of the women's world ranking list for the first time in her career. [citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Wang Yue Gu secures top ten place for the first time in her career|url=http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?ID=10262&Category=&General_Catigory=General&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2006-10-04 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] Wang repeated her gold-winning feat against compatriotLi Jiawei on 12 November at the ITTF Pro Tour German Open inBayreuth .citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Wang Yue Gu avenges defeat of one week earlier by succeeding in Bayreuth|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=10545&Competition_ID=1596&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2006-11-12 |accessdate=2008-08-15.] In June 2007, Wang helped Singapore sweep the women's team,citation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Stern resistance from Malaysia but Singapore captures gold in Jaipur|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=11820&Competition_ID=1650&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2008-06-02 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] women's doublescitation|title=17th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2007, Jaipur, India, 30 May – 5 June 2007|url=http://jaipur.comtab.com|publisher=Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation|date=2007-06-05 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] and mixed doublescitation|author=Ian Marshall|title=Singapore adds to gold medal collection as mixed doubles crown is secured|url=http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=11836&Competition_ID=1650&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=2008-06-04 |accessdate=2008-08-21.] gold trophies at the 17th Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships inJaipur . As a singles player, she was ranked seventh in the world as of August 2008.2008 Summer Olympics
Wang represented Singapore for the first time at the
2008 Summer Olympics in the women's table tennis team tournament with her teammatesFeng Tianwei andLi Jiawei . On 14 August the team defeated theNetherlands 3–0 to reach the semifinals, but not before a gruelling five-game doubles match against the Dutch players Li Jie andElena Timina which Li Jiawei and Wang Yuegu eventually won 3–2. [citation|author=Marc Lim|title=Moment of truth: Beat South Korea today, and Singapore are guaranteed the silver medal. Lose, and Singapore will go into a six-team play-off for the bronze|newspaper=The Straits Times (Sport)|date=2008-08-15 |page=B15.] During the semifinals againstSouth Korea 'sDang Ye-Seo ,Kim Kyung-Ah andPark Mi-Young on 15 August, Wang and Li beat Kim and Park in the doubles match, but Wang lost her singles match to Dang. Singapore eventually triumphed over South Korea 3–2. [citation|title=Compelling: How the Koreans were overcome in five matches|newspaper=The Straits Times (Sport)|date=2008-08-16 |page=C34.]On 17 August, Wang and her teammates gained Singapore a silver medal in women's table tennis after losing to China in three matches. [citation|title=China women take gold|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/17/sports/olytableten17.php|publisher=
International Herald Tribune |date=2008-08-17 .] In the doubles match, Wang and Li were bested by China'sZhang Yining andGuo Yue . This is the first time Singapore has won an Olympic medal since Singapore's independence in 1965. The medal comes 48 years afterTan Howe Liang won the country's first medal, a silver in weightlifting in the lightweight category at the1960 Summer Olympics inRome . [citation|title=Olympics: Singapore enter women's table-tennis team final|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sportsnews/view/368387/1/.html|publisher=Channel NewsAsia |date=2008-08-15 |accessdate=2008-08-15; citation|author=Marc Lim|title=At last! S'pore assured of at least a silver after 48-year wait|newspaper=The Straits Times |date=2008-08-16 |page=1; citation|author=Leonard Thomas|title=A new Olympic heroine: First medal since 1960|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/271233.asp|newspaper=Today|date=2008-08-16 |pages=1 & 3; citation|author=Leonard Thomas|title=A silver spark? Feng, Li and Wang could just be what's needed to fire up sports talent and development in S'pore|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/271499.asp|newspaper=Today|date=2008-08-18 |pages=1–2.]Wang and her teammates received byes into the third round of the singles tournament.citation|author=Low Lin Fhoong|title=Yuegu crashes out: Jiawei and Tianwei cruise into last 16 despite team-mate's shock loss|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/272095.asp|newspaper=Today|date=
2008-08-21 |page=55.] However, Wang's Olympics came to an end after she was defeated 1–4 by theDominican Republic 'sWu Xue . Seeded fifth in the tournament, Wang was expected to overcome Wu, ranked 50th in the world by the ITTF, without difficulty but made numerous unforced errors. She had beaten Wu at all previous encounters. [citation|author=Chua Chin Hon|title=Wang makes shock exit: She loses to Dominican player, but teammates Li and Feng progress|newspaper=The Straits Times (Sport)|date=2008-08-21 |page=B12.] Team manager Antony Lee attributed Wang's loss to the fact that Wu had played above her usual standard, and that Wang had been unable to cope with the spin from Wu's left-handed serves.At a victory celebration in Singapore on 25 August,
Vivian Balakrishnan , the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, announced that Wang, Feng and Li would be presented with the "Pingat Jasa Gemilang " (Meritorious Service Medal). This is only the third time the medal will be awarded to athletes, the two previous recipients being weightlifter Tan Howe Liang (1962) and swimmerJoscelin Yeo (2006). [citation|author=Jeanette Wang|author2=Lin Xinyi|author3=Valerie Chia|title=Cheers and national honours for winning trio|newspaper=The Straits Times |date=2008-08-26 |page=A6; citation|author=Tan Yo-Hinn|title=A party 48 years in the making: Team Singapore return to a grand heroes' welcome|url=http://www.todayonline.com/articles/272924.asp|newspaper=Today|date=2008-08-26 |page=31.]Medals
ee also
*
Singapore at the 2008 Summer Olympics
*Table tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics Notes
References
*citation|title=Athlete biography: WANG Yue Gu|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/3/202323.shtml|publisher=Beijing 2008, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|year-2008|accessdate=2008-08-18.
*citation|title=WANG Yue Gu|url=http://www.ittf.com/biography/biography_web_details.asp?Player_ID=110000&s_Assoc=&s_Gender=&s_Name=&s_Player_ID=&|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |accessdate=2008-08-23.
*citation|title=World ranking record for WANG Yuegu (SIN)|url=http://www.ittf.com|publisher=International Table Tennis Federation |date=August 2008|accessdate=2008-08-17.External links
* [http://www.snoc.org.sg Official website of the Singapore National Olympic Council]
* [http://www.stta.org.sg Official website of the Singapore Table Tennis Association]
* [http://www.teamsingapore.com.sg Official website of Team Singapore, managed by the Singapore Sports Council]
* [http://www.ssc.gov.sg/publish/teamsingapore/en/games/Olympics/Beijing2008/beijing_2008/our_athletes.detail.html?athleteID=1632 Wang Yuegu at the Team Singapore website]Persondata
NAME = Wang, Yuegu
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Wang, Yue Gu
SHORT DESCRIPTION =Singapore antable tennis player
DATE OF BIRTH = 10 June 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH =Beijing ,People's Republic of China
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.