- Yangzi Liu was considered a genuine medal chance in table tennis
- Won bronze in women’s singles at 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Born in China, became an Australian citizen in March 2020
The Olympic dreams of Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu have been dashed after she was banned from the Paris Games.
Liu, 22, won’t take part next month due to a bizarre International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) law, which bans Chinese-born stars from changing their nationality.
Her family left China and lived in Portugal before making the decision to relocate to Australia in 2019.
Liu – a bronze medallist for Australia 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 she switched countries, the ban from the ITTF surrounding Chinese table tennis stars not representing other nations has been enforced at Olympic level.
The Olympic dreams of Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu (pictured) have been dashed after she was banned from the Paris Games
Liu – a bronze medallist for Australia in the women’s singles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago (pictured) – became an Australian citizen in March 2020
Liu, 22, won’t take part in Paris – and potentially the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles – due to a bizarre International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) law
Liu is now on a waiting list to have her nationality changed to Australian – but that could take as long as seven years – meaning she could also miss the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
According to The Age, Liu is not contesting the merits of the ITTF policy itself, instead launching a bid to shorten her waiting period.
If Liu’s current ban isn’t lifted, she won’t be able to compete for Australia in the Olympics until Brisbane in 2032, when she will be 30.
Liu was ranked outside the world’s top 500 players when she arrived in Australia, initially on a student visa, when she settled in Sydney.
She then moved to Melbourne, where the national table tennis squad trains, and is currently ranked 25 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 Olympics Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and beyond,’ read a fundraising appeal post on a GoFundMe page.
Almost $2000 of the $32,000 target has been raised.
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