Jan-Ove Waldner

{{Infobox table tennis player

| name = Jan-Ove Waldner

| image = Jan-Ove Waldner.JPG

| caption = Jan-Ove Waldner

| fullname = Jan-Ove Waldner

| nickname = J-O

老瓦 (Lǎo Wǎ, "Old Wa")

| nationality = Swedish

| playingstyle = Shakehand grip

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|10|3|df=y}}

| birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{SWE}} }}

}}

Jan-Ove Waldner{{efn|Officially spelled Valdner in the Swedish civil records.}} ({{IPA|sv|ˈjɑːn uːvɛ ˈvǎldnɛr|lang}}; born 3 October 1965),[http://www.svenskbordtennis.com/t2.asp?p=44931 Jan-Ove Waldner profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023112204/http://www.svenskbordtennis.com/t2.asp?p=44931 |date=2008-10-23 }}. Swedish Table Tennis Federation[http://www.ittf.com/World_Events/Biography1.asp?Player_ID=93 Biography of WALDNER Jan-Ove] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209112656/http://www.ittf.com/World_Events/Biography1.asp?Player_ID=93 |date=2009-02-09 }}. ITTF. in Sweden commonly J-O Waldner or simply mononymously as J-O ({{IPA|sv|ˈjîː.(j)uː|lang}}), is a Swedish former professional table tennis player. He is often referred to as "the Mozart of table tennis."Bishop, G. (August 23, 2008). [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/sports/olympics/24swede.html A Swedish face for China’s beloved sport.] The New York Times.Clarey, C. (August 23, 2004). [http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/08/23/olypong_ed3_.php For 'table tennis Mozart,' few high notes.] International Herald Tribune. A sporting legend in his native Sweden as well as in China, he is known in China as 老瓦 Lǎo Wǎ ("Old Wa") or 常青树 Cháng Qīng Shù ("Evergreen Tree"),[http://www.gametablesonline.com/blog/jan-ove-evergreen-waldner-table-tennis-legend/ Jan-Ove “Evergreen” Waldner – Table Tennis Legend]. Game Tables Online because of his extraordinary longevity and competitiveness.

Biography

Jan-Ove Waldner was born in Stockholm on 3 October 1965. His athletic potential was recognised at an early age and was displayed in 1982 when, as a 16-year-old, he reached the final of the European Championships, losing to distinguished left-handed teammate Mikael Appelgren, who was perceived then as the logical successor to the first Swedish World Champion, Stellan Bengtsson. While still developing his game, Waldner, along with several other Swedish players, traveled to a national-level training camp held in China, and was reportedly amazed by the dedication and solidarity of the Chinese players. He has claimed ever since that he learned much during his stay, and thereafter first began to regard his opportunity to succeed in table tennis as paramount.

Waldner won gold in the men's singles at 1992 Summer Olympics, becoming the first and to date only player not from China, Japan, or South Korea to win an Olympic table tennis title.{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210714-china-table-tennis-boss-says-olympic-covid-rules-extremely-difficult|title = China table tennis boss says Olympic Covid rules 'extremely difficult'|date = 14 July 2021}} Eight years later, he won silver in the same event at the 2000 Summer Olympics, narrowly losing to Kong Linghui.

In China, a country that adores table tennis, he is undisputedly the best-known Swedish person, and still one of the most well-known sports personalities. In the 1990s, he was more recognisable in China than then-President of the United States Bill Clinton.{{Cite web |title=一个人对抗国乒六代选手，我们热爱的"老瓦"回来了 |author= |newspaper=The Paper |date=2019-05-30 |access-date=20 February 2021 |url= https://m.thepaper.cn/yidian_promDetail.jsp?contid=3556092 |language=Chinese |quote=上世纪1990年代，瓦尔德内尔在中国的知名度甚至超过了美国总统克林顿。}} His venerable status and long career has led to his being nicknamed "the Evergreen Tree" (Changqing Shu 常青树) in Mandarin. He is considered by many to be the most technically complete player of all time, and is almost inarguably the most successful non-Chinese player of the sport.

In 2010 Waldner won his ninth Swedish championship, defeating Pär Gerell, who was born the same year Waldner became Swedish national champion for the first time.

He played for TTC Rhön-Sprudel Fulda-Maberzell in the German Bundesliga until May 2012. In May 2012 Stefan Frauenholz, Fulda-Maberzell's President, confirmed that Jan-Ove Waldner had finished his contract with the club. Timo Boll: "Was yesterday's match against us the last one for Jan-Ove Waldner?", referring to the Bundesliga semifinal between Borussia Düsseldorf and Fulda-Maberzell. This ended his career at the international elite level, at the age of 46 years.{{Cite web |url=http://tabletennista.com/2012/5/jan-ove-waldner-leaves-fulda-maberzell/ |title=Table Tennista Europe |access-date=2012-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822114829/http://tabletennista.com/2012/5/jan-ove-waldner-leaves-fulda-maberzell/ |archive-date=2019-08-22 |url-status=dead }}[http://www.ttc-maberzell.de/ Fulda-Maberzell web site, retrieved 19 July, 2012]

In 2012 he began playing for Spårvägens BTK.{{cite web |url=http://www8.idrottonline.se/SparvagensBTK-Bordtennis/Lagen/SparvagensBTK-Pingisligan/ |title=Spårvägens BTK men's team in the 2012/13 season |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202130434/http://www8.idrottonline.se/SparvagensBTK-Bordtennis/Lagen/SparvagensBTK-Pingisligan/ |archive-date=February 2, 2014}}

On 11 February 2016, Waldner played his last game in the Swedish first league for Ängby/Spårvägen and officially announced his retirement as a player.{{cite news | url=http://tabletennista.com/2016/2/jan-ove-waldner-officially-retired/ | title=Waldner Officially retired | access-date=2016-12-25 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822114831/http://tabletennista.com/2016/2/jan-ove-waldner-officially-retired/ | archive-date=2019-08-22 | url-status=dead }}

When he retired, Waldner had been playing international elite level table tennis for more than thirty years, which is somewhat unusual in the table tennis world given that hand–eye coordination and quick reactions are essential. Some young Chinese players whom he has recently played against were trained by those he played against in the 1990s, who were in turn trained by others he played in the 1980s.

He is one of the seven table tennis players who competed at the first five Olympic Games table tennis tournaments since the sport's introduction at the Games in 1988. The others are Swede Jörgen Persson, Croatian Zoran Primorac, Belgian Jean-Michel Saive, Hungarian Csilla Bátorfi, Serbian-American Ilija Lupulesku, and German Jörg Roßkopf.

He was also the first of only six male players in the history of table tennis to achieve a career grand slam (World Champion, World Cup and Olympic gold medal winner in singles) (in 1992). The others are: Liu Guoliang, China (in 1999), Kong Linghui, China (in 2000), Zhang Jike, China (in 2012), Ma Long, China (in 2016), and Fan Zhendong, China (in 2024).{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/02/london-2012-table-tennis-zhang-jike?newsfeed=true |title=Sport Olympics 2012: table tennis |access-date=3 August 2012 |location=London |work=The Guardian |date=2 August 2012}}{{cite web | url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3273168/paris-olympics-fan-zhendong-praised-chinese-social-after-gold-seals-career-grand-slam | title=Fan Zhendong praised on Chinese social as Olympic gold seals career grand slam | date=4 August 2024 }}

Olympic Games

1988 Final 8 in single, final 8 in double
1992 Gold medal in single, first round in double
1996 Final 16 in single, final 8 in double
2000 Silver medal in single, final 16 in double
2004 Fourth in single, final 8 in double

World championships

1983 Silver medal in team competition
1985 Silver medal in team competition
1987 Silver medal in single, silver medal in team competition
1989 Gold medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1991 Silver medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1993 Bronze medal in single, gold medal in team competition
1995 Silver medal in team competition
1997 Gold medal in single (21-0 in games), silver medal in double
1999 Bronze medal in single
2000 Gold medal in team competition
2001 Bronze medal in team competition

European Championships

1982 Silver medal in single
1984 Silver medal in double, bronze medal in team competition
1986 Gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1988 Gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1990 Gold medal in team competition
1992 Silver medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1994 Silver medal in single, silver medal in team competition
1996 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double, gold medal in team competition
1998 Bronze medal in double, bronze medal in team competition
2000 Bronze medal in single, gold medal in team competition
2002 Gold medal in team competition

Swedish Championships

1981 Gold medal in double
1982 Gold medal in double
1983 Gold medal in single
1984 Gold medal in single
1986 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double
1987 Silver medal in double
1989 Gold medal in single, silver medal in double
1991 Gold medal in single, gold medal in double
1992 Gold medal in double
1993 Silver medal in double
1994 Silver medal in single, gold medal in double
1996 Gold medal in single
1997 Gold medal in single, silver medal in double
1999 Gold medal in double
2006 Gold medal in single
2010 Gold medal in single
2011 Gold in inter branch tournament

Notes

References

Svenskar i världen (Swedes in the World), Spring edition 2005, Swedish magazine.

External links

{{ITTF|109931}}
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111090146/http://www.old.ittf.com/biography/biography_web_details.asp?Player_ID=109931 |date=January 11, 2017 |title=Jan-Ove Waldner at old.ittf.com}}
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514071135/http://www.ittfranking.com/cgi-bin/ttplayer.cgi?number=109931&lang=0&format=summary |date=May 14, 2008 |title=Jan-Ove Waldner at ittfranking.com}}
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015063016/http://ittf.com/ittf_stats/All_events3.asp?ID=7593&From=1926&To=&s_EVENTS=OG&s_Evnt=S&s_Gender=Male&s_gender2=& |date=October 15, 2007 |title=International championship statistics}}
{{Olympics.com profile|jan-ove-waldner|org_archive=20210423195758}}
{{Olympedia}}
[http://www.svenskbordtennis.com/ Swedish championship statistics]
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211145410/http://www.outpost81.com/usopen90/1990_US_Open_Table_Tennis_Waldner_Appelgren.htm |date=February 11, 2010 |title=Jan-Ove Waldner vs. Mikael Appelgren – 1990 U.S. Open Table Tennis Championships Video}}
[https://tabletennis.media/players/jan-ove-waldner/ Jan-Ove Waldner at Table Tennis Media]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsspSxb8FOg Chinese TV interview mixed with video clips of his career]
[http://www.lao-wa.com/ Jan-Ove Waldners website for Chinese fans]
[http://www.jo-waldner.com/ Jan-Ove Waldners website for English speaking fans]
[http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/bordtennis/article22248403.ab Waldner retires]