Ma Lin hopes to realize gold medal dream in Beijing

Ma Lin in the China Table Tennis Open semi-final May 18, 2008 (Photo credit: China Foto Press)Photo Gallery>>(BEIJING, July 2) -- Ma Lin wants to realize his dream of winning the Men’s Singles gold medal in the Beijing Olympic Games. A pillar of the Chinese men’s table tennis team, Ma has clinched the World Cup Men’s Singles title three times, but he has yet to win a World Championship or Olympic gold in the category.

Ma joined the national table tennis team in 1994 and has earned countless medals at all levels in all men’s categories. But his experience at the Olympic Games has never been smooth. In 2000, though fully qualified, he surprisingly failed the selection process. In 2004 in Athens, he lost in the semifinals to Swedish player Waldner Jan-Ove. He finally won his first Olympic gold medal in Men’s Doubles in Athens.

Ma is known for playing “intelligently,” and many believe that only Liu Guoliang, the former Chinese Olympic and World Champion, is his match. He is passionately aggressive in his games while still able to maintain a stable mindset. Considering his current form and achievements in the 2007-2008 season, it is widely expected that he will perform well in the upcoming Games and possibly even realize his gold medal dream.