Ding Ning

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ding.
For the Taiwanese actress, see Ding Ning (actress).
Ding Ning
Ding Ning in 2013
Personal information
Nickname(s)The Queen of Hearts[1]
NationalityChinese
Born (1990-06-20) 20 June 1990 (age 34)[2]
Daqing, Heilongjiang, China
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[3]
Weight63 kg (139 lb)[3]
Table tennis career
Playing styleLeft-handed, shakehand grip
Highest ranking1 (March 2019)
Medal record
Women's Table Tennis
Representing  China
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 3 1 0
World Championships 8 5 3
World Cup 10 0 0
Total 21 6 3
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Singles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Rotterdam Singles
Gold medal – first place 2012 Dortmund Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Tokyo Team
Gold medal – first place 2015 Suzhou Singles
Gold medal – first place 2016 Kuala Lumpur Team
Gold medal – first place 2017 Düsseldorf Singles
Gold medal – first place 2017 Düsseldorf Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2018 Halmstad Team
Silver medal – second place 2009 Yokohama Doubles
Silver medal – second place 2010 Moscow Team
Silver medal – second place 2011 Rotterdam Doubles
Silver medal – second place 2013 Paris Doubles
Silver medal – second place 2015 Suzhou Doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Paris Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest Mixed doubles
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2009 Linz Team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Dubai Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 Singapore Singles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Magdeburg Team
Gold medal – first place 2013 Guangzhou Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Linz Singles
Gold medal – first place 2015 Dubai Team
Gold medal – first place 2018 London Team
Gold medal – first place 2018 Chengdu Singles
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tokyo Team

Ding Ning (Chinese: 丁宁; pinyin: Dīng Níng; born 20 June 1990) is a former Chinese table tennis player.[2] She was the winner of women's singles in the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships.

At the 2015 World Table Tennis Championships, Ding won her second world title in women's singles by defeating her compatriot Liu Shiwen 4–3 in the final. At the 2017 World Table Tennis Championships in Düsseldorf Ding defeated Zhu Yuling 4–2 in the final, becoming World Champion for the third time. She won the women's table tennis singles gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she beat compatriot Li Xiaoxia in the women's singles final. She previously won the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women's singles event. She was part of the Chinese team that won the gold medal in the team event at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.[4] She is one of the most successful female table tennis players (alongside Li Xiaoxia, Deng Yaping, Wang Nan, Zhang Yining) having won the gold medal in each of the Table Tennis World Cup, the Table Tennis World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

She is currently retired, and studying in Peking University for a master's degree in Physical Education. Ding officially announced her retirement in September 2021.[5]

Ding Ning at the 2016 Summer Olympics


London 2012 Controversy

[edit]

In the Olympic Singles final against compatriot Li Xiaoxia, Italian umpire Paola Bongelli repeatedly cautioned Ding for her backhand tomahawk serve [clarification needed]. Bongelli deducted 3 penalty points from Ding leading her to break down in tears in the fourth set. The decision from Bongelli affected the game, Ding's composure and her timing, and caused Ding to lose the final. After the game Ding stated, "I had an obstacle today, and not only from the opponent but from the judge as well. I was affected by the judge. After the first one (point penalty), I tried to keep cool but could not hold it after the second. The judge was too strict. I always serve the ball like this. I have done that for the last two years and, even from the first game of the Olympics, I have served like this. I do not know what to say. As soon as I raised my hand to serve, she sentenced me with a service violation."[citation needed] International Table Tennis Federation president Adham Sharara tried to console Ding, congratulating her on her silver medal before saying he hoped the 22-year-old would return to win gold in Rio in four years time.[6] He admitted he would have been more flexible saying, “She felt that the umpire was too strict on her and this happens sometimes,” he said. “The umpires can be very strict and the players should adapt. When two players from the same country play each other, the umpire should be a little bit more lenient. If I was the umpire I would have been maybe a little bit more flexible.” [7]

Career records

[edit]
Singles (as of 2016)[8]
  • World Championships: Winner (2011, 2015, 2017)
  • World Cup: Winner (2011,2014, 2018).
  • Pro Tour Winner (11): Kuwait Open (2009); English, UAE, Austrian Open (2011); Slovenian, Polish Open (2012); Austrian, Qatar, Russian Open (2013); China Open (2014); Korea, China Open (2016); China Open (2017)
    Runner-up (4): German Open (2010); Qatar, Harmony China <Suzhou> Open (2011); KRA Korea Open (2012); Kuwait, China, Polish Open (2015); Kuwait, Qatar, Japan Open (2016).
  • Pro Tour Grand Finals Winner (1): Lisbon, Portugal (2015)
    appearances: 4. Record: runner-up (2009, 11,12,13).
  • Asian Championships: winner (2009).
  • Asian Cup: Winner (2014); 2nd (2010); 3rd (2009).
  • World Junior Championships: winner (2005).
  • Olympics : Silver Medal (2012), Gold Medal (2016)
Women's Doubles
  • World Championships: winner (2017), runner-up (2009, 2011,2013,2015).
  • Pro Tour Winner (18): Danish, China (Tianjin) Open (2009); Qatar Open (2010); Austrian Open (2011); Hungarian, Slovenian, KRA Korea Open (2012); Austrian, Kuwait, Qatar, Russian Open (2013); China Open (2014); Kuwait, Polish Open (2015); Kuwait, Qatar, Japan, Korean Open (2016); China Open (2017)
    Runner-up (8): China (Nanjing) Open 2007; Qatar Open (2009); Kuwait, German, China Open (2010); English, Qatar, Harmony China <Suzhou> Open (2011); China Open (2012,16)
  • Pro Tour Grand Finals appearances: 3. Record: winner (2009,2013,2015).
  • Asian Games: runner-up (2010).
  • Asian Championships: winner (2009).
  • China National Games: winner (2017).[9]
Mixed Doubles
  • World Championships: round of 16 (2007).
  • Asian Games: quarterfinal (2010)
  • Asian Championships: runner-up (2009).
  • China National Games: Winner (2013)
Team
  • World Championships: 1st (2012,2014,2016, 2018) ; 2nd (2010).
  • World Team Cup: 1st (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018).
  • Asian Games: 1st (2010,2014).
  • Asian Championships: 1st (2009, 2012, 2013,2015).
Olympic 2012
Olympic 2016

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ding Ning: On the upswing down under". ittf.com. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b "ITTF players' profiles". International Table Tennis Federation. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Athlete's Profile". 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  4. ^ "Ding Ning Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Table Tennis Stars React to Ding Ning's Retirement". pingsunday.com. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  6. ^ "London 2012 Table Tennis final ends in tears as umpire 'ruins Olympic dream'". National Post. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  7. ^ "London 2012 Olympics: China's Li claims gold as Ding sobs". Taipei Times. 3 August 2012.
  8. ^ "ITTF Statistics". International Table Tennis Federation. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  9. ^ "Ding Ning defeats long time rival for title". ITTF. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ding Ning.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  China
at the Olympics closing ceremony
Rio de Janeiro 2016 		Succeeded by