Zhang Xueling

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Zhang Xueling (born 7 May 1983, Beijing, People's Republic of China) is a Singaporean table tennis player.

Zhang started playing table tennis at the age of 6 and made her first international appearance in 1999. She won four gold medals at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, helping Singapore to sweep the women events as well as the mixed doubles.

Zhang has defeated her higher-ranked fellow Singaporean, Li Jiawei, 3 times to date: once at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in the women singles finals; another at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the mixed doubles finals partnered by Cai Xiaoli against Li and her teammate, Yang Zi; and in the women singles finals in the same Games, winning four out of five gold medals for the country.

In the Athens Olympics 2004, she went to the Games with no other target than to perform at her best. Zhang Xueling played her game and surprised the nation when she defeated 14th seed, Korea’s Lee Eun Sil and Japan’s table tennis prodigy Ai Fujinuma, to secure a position in the quarter-finals, before losing to the vastly experienced Korea's Kim Hyang Mi.

However, Zhang has resigned in February, and has returned to Shanghai to join her husband, Zheng Qi. Zheng Qi was the Ex-Assistant Table Tennis Coach for the Singapore's Men's Team. Zhang's departure was due to Wang Yue Gu, another Chinese-born Table Tennis Player, who has just received her Singaporean citizenship in February 2007.

[edit] Profile

Name: Zhang Xueling
Date of Birth: 07 MAY 1983
Place of Birth: China
City of Birth: Beijing
Weight: 55kg
Height: 163cm
Hobbies: Listening to music, chatting, shopping and reading
Current World Ranking: 67 (as of 7th August 2007)

[edit] Achievements

1998
- Golden Racket (VIE)
  - Gold - Women's Doubles

2001
- 21st SEA Games
  - Gold - Women's Team

2002
- 17th Commonwealth Games
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Bronze - Women's Doubles
- South East Asian Championships 2002
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Gold Women's Singles
  - Silver - Mixed Doubles
- 14th Asian Games
  - Bronze - Women's Team

2003
- Southeast Asian Games
  - Silver - Women's Doubles (partner: Tan Paey Fern)
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Silver - Women's Singles
- Asian Championships
  - Bronze - Women's Team

2004
- Olympic Games
  - Top 8 - Women's Singles
- South East Asian Championships
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Silver - Women's Doubles (partner: Tan Paey Fern)

2005
- ITTF Pro Tour Korea Open
  - Gold - Women's Doubles (partner: Tan Paey Fern)
- ITTF Pro Tour China Open
  - Silver - Women's Doubles (partner: Tan Paey Fern)
- Singapore Sports Meritorious Senior Award
- SEA Games
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Gold - Women's Singles
  - Gold - Women's Doubles (partner: Li Jia Wei)
  - Gold - Mixed Doubles (partner: Yang Zi)

2006
- 18th Commonwealth Games
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Gold - Women's Singles
  - Gold - Women's Doubles (partner: Li Jia Wei)
  - Gold - Mixed Doubles (partner: Yang Zi)
- South East Asian Championships 2006
  - Gold - Women's Team
  - Gold - Women's Singles
  - Gold - Women's Doubles (partner: Tan Paey Fern)
  - Gold - Mixed Doubles (partner: Yang Zi)
- 15th Asian Games
  - Silver - Women's Team