Tokyo tune-ups keep China's Olympians on track for glory

Prep focused on domestic events amid ongoing pandemic difficulties

With the Tokyo Olympics just three months away, most of Team China's athletes remain unable to gauge their preparations at international events as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the globe.

Thanks to China's successful fight against the coronavirus, however, domestic events offer the nation's Olympians a safe alternative to getting their bodies and minds ready for the heat of competition at the delayed Games.

On Monday, the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) announced the latest addition to the domestic pre-Games schedule-the 2021 WTT Smash Trails and Olympic Simulation in Xinxiang, Henan province, from May 3-7.

The tournament will feature 36-player fields for the men's and women's singles, with 16 pairs battling it out in the mixed doubles.

Paddlers who have qualified for the singles competitions at September's Chinese National Games in Shaanxi province will also compete in the Olympic simulation.

The tournament is also open to gold and silver medalists in the singles events at the under-18 and under-15 national championships, as well as a number of other young talents who have qualified via other events.

"The nation's finest under-15, under-18 and senior table tennis players will compete together in this event, in keeping with the Chinese Table Tennis Association's policy of cultivating future talent from different age groups," read the CTTA announcement.

"The CTTA is not merely focusing on the Tokyo Olympics. We are also attempting to select and nurture talent for the Paris Olympics and beyond… Through the new tournament, we hope to let athletes of all age groups maintain their competitiveness."

The event will adopt a similar format to the Olympic tournament. Among the bonus prizes players can win are qualifying berths for the WTT Grand Smash events, the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals and the China Table Tennis Club Super League.

"The innovative element of this tournament is that it breaks the barrier that only national team players can participate in certain events. That gives provincial and youth players more opportunities to participate in more events," said CTTA president Liu Guoliang.

"Those who can win tickets to the 2021 WTT Smash Trails are the best players of their age groups now in China. And I believe they will grow to become the best table tennis players in the world in the future."

Up to speed

China's elite track-and-field athletes have also been competing in various domestic events recently, with sprinter Su Bingtian catching the eye. Last Saturday, the 31-year-old clocked another sub-10 100 meters at an invitational event in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, registering 9.98 despite a 0.9m/s headwind.

Teammate Xie Zhenye, who owns a 100m personal best of 9.97, finished second (10.16) behind Su.

In 2015, Su became the first Asian-born sprinter to break the 10-second mark in the 100m. He twice equaled the Asian 100m record of 9.91 in 2018, and clocked 9.92 to take that year's Asian Games title in Jakarta.

The chance to win glory for his nation at what likely will be his last Olympics is keeping the veteran motivated through the uncertain buildup to the postponed Tokyo Games.

"I'm still not satisfied with my performance today. I started the race well, but I felt tension in my body at the end of the race. I was pretty excited today because of the nice weather and my overall condition, but now I feel tired," Su said after his victory.

"I hadn't broken the 10-second barrier for a very long time-since 2018. It's not easy to produce a time like that. I also want to thank the younger generation of sprinters who are putting pressure on me and pushing me to give my all.

"When you run alone, it's hard to bring out your best on the track. In my previous race, I was easing myself back, but this time I wanted to go all out and test my training. A sub-10 result can sometimes indicate if a sprinter is capable of reaching the 100m final at the Olympics."

Testing times

Last Sunday, the Chinese women's volleyball squad, which had been training at home under legendary coach Lang Ping, arrived in Tokyo on Sunday to take on Japan in a two-day Olympic test event, beginning May 1.

With Tokyo still reporting hundreds of new COVID-19 cases on a daily basis, the event will not be open to spectators, but will be broadcast on TV. The games are the first international tests for Lang's defending Olympic champions since their title-winning run at the World Cup in 2019.

"Our team finally has the chance to compete in an international event. All of our players have high expectations of the test event," said Lang. "We can experience the Olympic venue in advance and the players can get up to speed with the pace of international competition."