Women’s Table Tennis Final Round for the Paris Olympics: “The Best Members in History” Ito, Hirano, Hayata, Zhangmoto……Who is the Strongest?

The selection process is no longer keeping pace with the growth of the players,” said a member of a prestigious table tennis club.

The selection process for the Paris Olympics for women, which began in the spring of 2010, is now in its final phase.

The selection process for the Paris Olympics for women is now in its final stage. “Starting this year, the two representatives for the men’s and women’s singles teams will be selected not by world rankings, but by giving them points based on their performances in the domestic competitions, mainly in Japan. I think the purpose of this is to boost the domestic competitions, as the players are expected to consistently achieve high rankings,” said Yumiko Yanai, a sports writer.

In this year’s selection process, the favorites are those who have competed in a total of 15 tournaments over a period of 23 months in addition to international competitions. In each competition, there is almost no difference in the points added between first place and the rest, and one cannot be distracted by a single victory. Even if a competitor misses one or two tournaments due to injury or adjustment, he or she can quickly outscore his or her rivals, and this long-term competition has been criticized for its heavy burden on the athletes.

In fact, the selection rankings this time around do not reflect the true strength of the field. Hina Hayata (23), currently ranked No. 1, and Miu Hirano (23), currently ranked No. 2, have competed in all the competitions for which they were selected, and they have certainly earned points. Mima Ito, 23, who once ranked second in the world rankings, the highest Japanese player, dropped to third place after missing one tournament, but her points are even with Hirano’s.” (Source: a member of a prestigious table tennis club)

The selection process, like an endurance race, will be decided at the “Emperor’s and Empress’s Cup 2024 All-Japan Table Tennis Championships” in late January next year. For Hirano and Ito, who cannot miss out on a spot as medalists, this is a crucial moment. The other players, who will be in the one representative slot for the team competition and who hope to at least compete in doubles, will be in top condition for the final selection, so spectators will have an opportunity to see the true strength of the players.

While all eyes will be on the head-to-head matchup between Hirano and Ito, the dark horse is considered to be the 15-year-old Miwa Zhang.

She defeated Hirano in May of this year and Hayata at the end of November. The Chinese media already sees Zhang as a new threat, saying, ‘At this point, there are no players in the same age group in both China and Japan who can compete with her.

The rapidly growing Zhang is now in the midst of a tailwind. Table tennis columnist Jota Ito analyzed the situation as follows.

He is growing rapidly and has no weaknesses in his game. In terms of experience, he is inferior to Hayata, Ito, and Hirano, who are older than him, but he can win because of his strong drive and ironclad defense, which he trained with his older brother, Tomokazu Zhang, 20. Also, Zhangmoto now has the advantage of being in the position of a chaser. He has nothing to fear and should be fighting with almost no pressure.”

Hayata is currently the top-ranked player, but she was a reserve player at the Tokyo Olympics. Like Zhang, she has the advantage of the chasing pack.

Hayata is an all-rounder who has power and can also play the game. At the Tokyo Olympics, she was a reserve player and a training partner for the competing players. It seems that she was awakened by watching the backs of Ito and Hirano, who are the same age as her. This season, he lost to Zhang once, but in fact, he is trying to change his playing style further. He is probably in the process of preparing his special weapon. She is almost certain to play in the singles, but she will do everything she can to win in order to master her new style,” said a source from a prestigious table tennis club.

The underperforming champion awakens.

Medalists being chased by the best always come under pressure to win the next medal. Ito, the gold medalist, is in the midst of this tension. Mr. Yauchi, the aforementioned medalist, says, “The Tokyo Olympics in 2009 will be the first Olympics in Japan.

It seems that she had a hard time regaining her motivation. In addition, fatigue from the overcrowded selection schedule caused her to miss the start of the race due to inflammation of her hip and hip bones in the early spring. This year, Hayata was in great shape, but Ito is no slouch when it comes to stamina, experience, and determination. I am sure that he will show his true potential at the All-Japan Championships as a prestigious gold medalist.

Ito’s style of play is to attack at an extremely high tempo with high-risk moves that are difficult for both the player hitting and the player returning the ball. It is a game that requires not only technical ability, stamina, and concentration, but also a strong heart.

Ito’s rival, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Hirano, is naturally a favorite to win the All-Japan Championships.

Hirano, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, is also a natural candidate to win the All-Japan Championships. “Hirano used to have an unusually fast backhand, hitting the ball back as soon as it bounced, and he won the Asian Championships in 2005, defeating three top Chinese players in a row. After that weapon was counteracted, he raised his overall ability and, like Hayata, began to hit the forehand with a powerful ball, while maintaining the strengths of his backhand,” said Ito.

Mihisa Kihara (19), who came in fourth in the race for selection, is another promising player to keep an eye on.

Kihara, 19, who finished fourth in the race for selection, is also a promising prospect to watch. Her style of playing clever table tennis is different from the other four players. Furthermore, Kihara played against Hayata in the final of this year’s All-Japan, leading in the first half in a one-sided game. Hayata could not keep up with the speed of Kihara, who launched strong counters near the table. In the end, Hayata gradually regained the lead and turned the tables in the end, but the difference was paper-thin, and it was a match that Kihara could have won.

At the moment, Hayata, who is running well in a field of strong competitors, and the resurgent “Daimao” Ito are near the top of the standings. The winner of the All-Japan Championships will be the true leader of Japan.

From the December 22, 2023 issue of FRIDAY