- Yangzi Liu was considered a real medal opportunity in table tennis
- Won bronze in women’s singles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Born in China, he became an Australian citizen in March 2020.
Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu’s Olympic dreams have been dashed after she was booted from the Paris Games.
Liu, 22, will not participate next month due to a strange law of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), which prohibits Chinese-born stars from changing their nationality.
His family left China and lived in Portugal before making the decision to move to Australia in 2019.
Liu, Australia’s bronze medalist in the women’s singles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago, became an Australian citizen in March 2020.
But because Liu was already 18 when he changed countries, the ITTF ban surrounding Chinese table tennis stars who do not represent other nations has been applied at the Olympic level.
Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu’s (pictured) Olympic dreams have been dashed after she was banned from the Paris Games.
Liu, Australia’s bronze medalist in the women’s singles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago (pictured), became an Australian citizen in March 2020.
Liu, 22, will not participate in Paris, or potentially the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, due to a strange law from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Liu is now on a waiting list to change her nationality to Australian, but that could take up to seven years, meaning she could also miss the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
According AgeLiu does not question the merits of the ITTF policy itself, but instead launches an offer to shorten his waiting period.
If Liu’s current ban is not lifted, he will not be able to compete for Australia in the Olympics until Brisbane in 2032, when he will be 30 years old.
Liu was ranked outside the top 500 players in the world when she arrived in Australia, initially on a student visa, when she settled in Sydney.
He then moved to Melbourne, where he trains the national table tennis team, and is currently ranked 25th in the world.
The aspiring Olympian has taken her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“Yangzi Liu, with the support of Table Tennis Australia, is seeking legal action to ensure she has the opportunity to represent Australia at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 and beyond,” reads a fundraising appeal post. funds in a GoFundMe page.
Nearly $2,000 of the $32,000 goal has been raised.