Liu Guoliang

Liu Guoliang was born on January 10, 1976, in Fengqiu County, Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China, into a family with a strong sporting background. His father, Liu Zhansheng, was once the table tennis champion of Henan Province’s secondary vocational schools, winning both the team and singles titles in 1964. In 1972 his father was transferred to the Xinxiang Sports Commission to serve as a table tennis coach. His mother’s name is Wen Yuxiang. Liu Zhansheng loved table tennis from an early age and had won championships within Henan Province.

As a child, Liu Guoliang practiced table tennis together with his older brother Liu Guodong. In 1982, at only six years old, he began systematic training under his father at the Shichahai Sports School in Beijing, training alongside his brother. His father set the goal of becoming a world champion for his children. In 1986, at the age of ten, Liu was taken to Beijing by his father and trained with his brother at Shichahai, a school that had produced multiple world champions. While competing in Beijing—including matches at Xiannongtan—he performed very well in a number of contests. After his strong performances in Beijing, the Bayi men’s table tennis team issued him a notice to enlist.

Liu Guoliang’s professional career started early. He was selected for the national youth team in 1989 and was subsequently promoted to the senior national team ahead of schedule, becoming the youngest male national player at the time. His style was a right-handed penhold fast-attack; he was noted for his quick mind, rapid reactions, varied strokes, and fierce technique, qualities well suited to the penhold style. Beginning in 1990, under his coaches’ guidance he trained the penhold grip together with the reverse-side (backhand) technique to make up for weaknesses on the backhand. In 1992, at the China Open he rapidly defeated several top Asian opponents, including Sweden’s legendary Jan-Ove Waldner, showing strong competitiveness. That same year he also won titles in the men’s team and mixed doubles at the Table Tennis Asian Cup and the Asian Championships.

In 1994, Liu and his teammates won the men’s team title at the 3rd Men’s World Cup, his first world championship in his career. In the 1995 World Table Tennis Championships team final he asked to participate and helped China regain the Swaythling Cup after a six-year absence. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games he achieved excellent results in men’s singles and men’s doubles, winning gold medals in both events and becoming a two-gold Olympic champion that year. Thereafter he continued to achieve strong results in international competition, repeatedly winning World Championship and World Cup titles and becoming a major figure in men’s table tennis.

In 1998 Liu Guoliang completed the table tennis “Grand Slam,” having won the Olympic Games, the World Championships, and the World Cup in singles, underscoring his status in international table tennis. In 2000, amid rule changes and adjustments in competitive form, he remained competitive and won a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics. He announced his retirement in 2002, ending his career as a player.

After retiring, Liu Guoliang transitioned into coaching. From 2003 he served as head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, leading the team to numerous international championships. From the 2004 Athens Olympics to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and on to the 2016 Rio Olympics, he repeatedly coached the national team and achieved excellent results. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he led the team to the men’s team gold and became a widely recognized leader.

In 2009 he received a “Best Coach” award for his outstanding coaching achievements. In 2013 he was appointed chief coach (head coach) of the Chinese national table tennis team and continued to lead Chinese table tennis to brilliant results. In 2018 he formally announced his withdrawal from frontline coaching positions and gradually moved into management roles. Since 2018 he has served as chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association and has actively promoted the development of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the World Table Tennis (WTT) organization. In 2021 he served as the table tennis team leader at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022 he became a member of the WTT board, promoting the continued development of the professional league.

Beyond his sports career, Liu Guoliang has served as an ambassador for multiple social and public welfare causes, including wildlife protection and the construction of sports and leisure towns. In his personal life, he married Wang Jin in 2006 and they have twin daughters. He also studied for a master’s degree in Human Resource Management at the School of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and received his master’s degree in 2014.

Liu Guoliang has received numerous sports and social honors and awards and holds a high reputation in the sports world. His career has spanned multiple roles from athlete to coach to administrator.