Who is the "group favorite" in China's table tennis world? It must be Sun Yingsha. With her round face that looks so soft, it gives people an urge to pinch it.
In South Korea's table tennis world, there is also such a "group favorite." She has a cute appearance and a very likable personality, and she is the "smiling girl" who won the hearts of many during the recently held Olympics - Shin Yu-bin.
She really loves to laugh. She laughs when she wins a match, laughs when her teammates communicate with her, and even laughs when she loses a match. It must be said that Shin Yu-bin has a really good character.
With her round face, she also looks soft. Although her facial features are not particularly three-dimensional or delicate, she looks very cute overall.
Her smile is not the kind that makes a hundred charms with a single glance; it's more like the warm smile of afternoon sunshine, making people feel very happy and relaxed.
No wonder people often say that attitude determines appearance. Under the influence of her good attitude, Shin Yu-bin appears very sunny, giving off a "girl next door" vibe.
Fans who like her call her the "Kapibara" of the table tennis world, which is quite an apt metaphor.
In real life, Shin Yu-bin fully embodies the term "girl next door."
Being cheerful and sunny has become her byword, and her extremely infectious smile has become her trademark. It's no wonder so many people like her.
During her free time without training, Shin Yu-bin, like most girls, enjoys taking beautiful photos. Floral dresses complement her cute temperament perfectly.
Born in 2004, Shin Yu-bin is just 20 years old but has already become South Korea's "table tennis queen," with a strength that cannot be underestimated.
Known as a "genius girl," Shin Yu-bin displayed exceptional table tennis talent at a young age, starting to play at the age of 3 and beginning formal training at the age of 5.
In 2017, at the tender age of 13, she began competing on various international stages, participating in many table tennis open tournaments hosted by different countries. However, her results were average, and she was usually eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
It wasn't until 2019 that Shin Yu-bin saw a significant improvement in her performance. At the Czech Table Tennis Open, Shin Yu-bin and Zhao Dacheng defeated the Japanese pair Mizutani Jun and Ito Mima 3-2, winning the mixed doubles championship. At this time, she was still in junior high school.
After graduating from junior high school in 2020, she did not choose to continue her education but instead decided to turn professional, joining the Korean Air women's table tennis team.
With her outstanding competitive achievements, Shin Yu-bin was selected for the Tokyo Olympics roster. In the women's singles event at the Tokyo Olympics, Shin Yu-bin lost 2-4 to Hong Kong, China's Du Kaiqin, stopping at the round of 32.
On October 5, 2021, in the women's doubles final of the Asian Table Tennis Championships, Shin Yu-bin and Tian Zhixi defeated Du Kaiqin and Li Haoqing 3-1, winning the women's doubles championship.
On May 17, 2022, the latest world rankings released by the International Table Tennis Federation showed that Shin Yu-bin had refreshed her career-high ranking, placing 22nd in the women's singles.
On May 27, 2023, in the women's doubles final of the World Table Tennis Championships, Shin Yu-bin and Tian Zhixi lost 0-3 to the Chinese pair Chen Meng and Wang Yidi, finishing as runners-up.
In the recently concluded "Waldner Cup" in 2024, the Asian team she was part of defeated the world team 14-10 to win the championship. In the latest world rankings published in 2024, Shin Yu-bin ranked 11th with a total of 2310 points.
I hope Shin Yu-bin can maintain such a positive attitude and sweet smile, and I also hope to see her again at the Olympics four years from now.