Chen Meng (Chinese: 陈梦; born 15 January 1994) is a Chinese professional table tennis player. She joined the provincial team when she was 9 and joined the national team when she was only 13 in 2007. She is the women's singles champion of the ITTF Women's World Cup in 2020, the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and also at the inaugural WTT Singapore Smash. She is also the silver medalist of women's singles in the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships and a double gold medalist in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Chen Meng
Chen Meng at the 2017 Asian Table Tennis Championships
Personal information
Native name陈梦
Born (1994-01-15) 15 January 1994 (age 30)
Qingdao, China[1]
Height1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Weight59 kg (130 lb)[2]
Table tennis career
Playing styleRight-handed, shakehand grip
Equipment(s)Butterfly Viscaria, Forehand rubber DHS Hurricane 3, Backhand rubber DHS Hurricane 8[3]
Highest ranking1 (January 2018)[4]
Current ranking3 (20 February 2024)[5]
Medal record
Women's table tennis
Representing  China
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 0
World Championships 6 3 4
World Cup / Cup Finals 2 1 1
Total 10 4 5
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Singles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Tokyo Team
Gold medal – first place 2016 Kuala Lumpur Team
Gold medal – first place 2018 Halmstad Team
Gold medal – first place 2022 Chengdu Team
Gold medal – first place 2023 Durban Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2024 Busan Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Düsseldorf Doubles
Silver medal – second place 2019 Budapest Singles
Silver medal – second place 2023 Durban Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Paris Doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Budapest Doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Houston Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Houston Doubles
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2020 Weihai Singles
Gold medal – first place 2023 Chengdu Mixed team
WTT Cup Finals
Silver medal – second place 2022 Xinxiang Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Singapore Singles
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon Team
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta Palembang Team
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou Team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Jakarta Palembang Singles
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Busan Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2013 Busan Team
Gold medal – first place 2017 Wuxi Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2023 Pyeongchang Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2023 Pyeongchang Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Wuxi Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Busan Singles
East Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2013 Tianjin Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2013 Tianjin Singles
Gold medal – first place 2013 Tianjin Team
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Madrid Team
Gold medal – first place 2009 Cartagena Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2009 Cartagena Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 Manama Mixed doubles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Manama Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Manama Singles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Manama Team
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Cartagena Singles
Asian Youth Games
Gold medal – first place 2009 Singapore Singles
Gold medal – first place 2009 Singapore Mixed Team
Silver medal – second place 2009 Singapore Mixed Doubles
Asian Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Jaipur Singles
Gold medal – first place 2009 Jaipur Team

Career edit

2020 edit

After competitive table tennis resumed following the pandemic, Chen swept the world cup, ITTF pro tour finals, and 2020 All China National Championships.[6]

2021 edit

In May, Chen was selected to represent China in the women's singles and team event at the Tokyo Olympics. Chen won the first leg of the Chinese Olympic Scrimmage but lost to Wang Manyu in the finals of the second leg.[6] Chen again lost to Wang in a closed-door scrimmage in June.[7]

In an interview in July, Chen revealed that she had been in close contact with Ma Lin and Li Xiaoxia regarding mental preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.[8]

Chen competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for the women's singles. Chen won her semi-final match against Yu Mengyu of Singapore 4–0 and her quarter-match against Doo Hoi Kem of Hong Kong 4–2 after trailing 2–0.[9] She then won gold in the finals match against her compatriot Sun Yingsha, defeating her 4–2.[10] After the match, Chen noted that both she and Sun were both very nervous but played okay, and that Chen's extra experience helped push her over the top.[11] Chen along with Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, competed in the women's teams final match on 5 August 2021 and scored a 3–0 victory over Japan to win the gold medal, continuing China's undefeated streak in the event.[12][13]

In August, Chen remarked that the level of play at the China National Games was harder than the Olympics.[14] Chen won fourth place at the China National Games in September, but her bronze-medal-match opponent Liu Shiwen remarked that Chen was injured and playing far below her normal level.[15]

Titles (senior level) edit

Singles edit

Doubles edit

Personal life edit

Chen Meng and actor Huang Xiaoming are second cousins, with their paternal grandmothers are sisters. He congratulated her on Weibo right after she won the women's singles title.[16]

References edit

  1. ^ "Culture and sports thrive in Qingdao". China Daily. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Athlete's Profile". 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Chen Meng equipment". pingsunday.com. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Chen Meng ascends to top of order". ITTF. January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  5. ^ "ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking". ittf.com. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Fan Zhendong and Wang Manyu Win Second Leg of China Olympic Scrimmage". edgesandnets.com. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Liu Guoliang Downplays Expectations and Reiterates Need For Mental Strength Heading into Tokyo". edgesandnets.com. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Chen Meng Interview on Her Mentors and Olympic Preparations". edgesandnets.com. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "The Olympic Table Tennis Singles Quarterfinals in Memes". edgesandnets.com. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "Table Tennis-Chen keeps China's perfect record intact with gold". 29 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Chen Meng Defeats Sun Yingsha 4–2 to Clinch Olympic Gold". edgesandnets.com. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ hermesauto (5 August 2021). "Olympics: China beat Japan to win table tennis women's team gold". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Japan comes up short in women's table tennis team final as China's dominance continues". The Japan Times. 5 August 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Chen Meng: China National Games Are Harder than the Olympics". edgesandnets.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Injured Wang Manyu Sweeps Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha to Win China National Games – Edges and Nets". edgesandnets.com. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  16. ^ Li Wenwu (18 May 2013). "黄晓明表妹止步世乒赛16强 佟大为主动请求合影". Chongqing Times (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.

External links edit