Recently, China's authoritative media, Xinhua News Agency, announced the list of nominees for the Top Ten International Athletes! It is regrettable that Olympic champion Fan Zhendong was unexpectedly excluded from the list! This has also sparked heated discussions and attention from fans and the media. Over the past Olympic cycle, Fan Zhendong has really gone through a lot of tests! Many people were surprised that Fan Zhendong could eventually win the men's singles Olympic gold medal. Why is this so? Please see the analysis below.
Firstly, since last year's Durban World Table Tennis Championships, Fan Zhendong has experienced nearly 300 days without a championship title! It's hard to imagine that as the then world number one, Fan Zhendong was often eliminated in the third or fourth round of individual events by upsets. Even when he reached the final or semi-finals, Fan Zhendong lost to his teammates. So everyone was very worried about Fan Zhendong's qualification for the Olympic singles event.
Secondly, Fan Zhendong encountered many troubles off the court. On the one hand, Fan Zhendong was frequently harassed by fans. Even personal identity information was leaked. On the other hand, Fan Zhendong's private life was exposed, such as attending a concert during the Singapore Grand Slam period, and staying up late to watch the Champions League during the Saudi Grand Slam period. Fan Zhendong did not win any championships in the competitions, and many fans questioned Fan Zhendong's competitive attitude.
Furthermore, Fan Zhendong once mentioned in an interview that he encountered bottlenecks in his technical aspects. With the Olympics approaching, Fan Zhendong faced various problems. That's why everyone was worried about Fan Zhendong's journey to the Paris Olympics.
But Fan Zhendong's performance conquered both opponents and fans. The world number one Wang Chuqin was surprisingly eliminated in the first round of the Olympic men's singles, making Fan Zhendong the hope for the Chinese table tennis team to win the men's singles gold medal! At this time, the pressure on Fan Zhendong's shoulders was also great. But Fan Zhendong did not disappoint the country. He overcame all obstacles and won the Olympic gold medal. Fan Zhendong also achieved his grand slam and full grand slam.
Honestly, Fan Zhendong's performance can be considered perfect! Therefore, in the selection of the Top Ten International Athletes by Xinhua News Agency, many people were optimistic that Fan Zhendong would be included. But the result is regrettable. On the list of nominees released by Xinhua News Agency, Ma Long, Sun Yingsha, and others were also excluded. Among Chinese athletes, only Olympic champion Zheng Qianwen was included.
Of course, the reason why Fan Zhendong was excluded is mainly due to limited spots! After all, there are only 10 spots, and they are for the Top Ten International Athletes. It is regrettable that after being excluded from the Top Ten International Athletes by Xinhua News Agency, Fan Zhendong also made the decision to withdraw from the world rankings. The main reason for this is that he cannot accept the new ITTF rule that fines athletes for not participating in competitions! What will Fan Zhendong's professional career be like in the future? Let's wait and see quietly! Go Fan Zhendong!