Where He Fits

Beyond the singles spotlight, he trained doubles into a craft sharp enough to decide the fate of major tournaments.

Playing Style

  • Steady loops with delicate placement control, creating attacking positions for his partner
  • Outstanding backhand defense-to-attack transitions, able to handle smash after smash
  • Clear-headed and quick to adjust mid-match — the anchor his partner could always trust

Career and Key Moments

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics he won men’s doubles gold with Wang Tao; the two took men’s doubles silver again at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Throughout his national team years he carried the doubles workload, serving as the key that could both steady a team tie and steal the crucial point for Chinese men’s table tennis.

What He Left Behind

His career shows that a team’s depth is often measured by who takes the “second point” — and that someone has to train specifically for it.

Remember this: master the event nobody else wants to train, and you can still stand at the very top.