See the bizarre reason one of Australia’s best medal hopes has been BANNED from the Paris Olympics
- Yangzi Liu was considered a real medal contender in table tennis
- Won bronze in women’s singles at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Born in China, became an Australian citizen in March 2020
Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu’s Olympic dreams have been shattered after she was excluded from the Paris Games.
Liu, 22, will not compete next month due to a bizarre International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) law banning Chinese-born stars from changing their nationality.
Her family left China and lived in Portugal before making the decision to move to Australia in 2019.
Liu – bronze medalist 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 ITTF’s ban on Chinese table tennis stars who do not represent other countries has been enforced at the Olympic level.
Australian table tennis star Yangzi Liu (pictured) has her Olympic dreams dashed after she was banned from the Paris Games
Liu – a bronze medalist for Australia in the women’s singles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago (pictured) – became an Australian citizen in March 2020
22-year-old Liu will not compete in Paris – and possibly the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – due to a bizarre law from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Liu is now on a waiting list to have her nationality changed to Australian – but that could take up to seven years – meaning she could also miss the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
According to The ageLiu does not dispute the benefits of the ITTF policy itself, but instead launches an effort to shorten her wait time.
If Liu’s current ban is not lifted, she will not be able to compete for Australia in the Olympic Games until Brisbane in 2032, when she turns 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 team trains 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,” read a fundraising appeal on a GoFundMe page.
Nearly $2,000 of the $32,000 goal has been raised.