Jan ove waldner biography channel
Jan-Ove Waldner: Swedish Table Tennis Legend with a Passion for Golf
Born in Stockholm in 1965, Jan-Ove Waldner is a legend in his native Sweden as well as in China, where he is popularly known as “Elder Waldner” (“Lǎo Wǎ) or “Evergreen Tree” (“Cháng Qīng Shù”) due to his exceptional longevity and competitiveness as a global table tennis star. When he retired he had been playing at an elite international level for more than 30 years. He is the only person from a non-Asian country to win an Olympic table tennis gold medal (singles event in 1992), and he has also won World Championship and World Cup gold medals. Now a keen amateur golfer, he visits friends and plays regularly on the Costa del Sol.
What is your relationship with Spain and when did you first come here?
I have known Stefan (Tjellander – co-publisher of Andalucía Golf/España Golf) for many years and I also have some other friends who live in Marbella. I travel here two or three times a year to play golf.
Which courses?
We play mostly at Las Brisas and Los Naranjos, and sometimes at Valderrama and Sotogrande.
When did you begin playing golf?
I started quite late – I was over 30 – and it was because all the other guys in the national table tennis team were playing. On the days when we were practising, we’d play golf in the afternoon.
Does playing table tennis help you to play golf?
I think those of us in table tennis tend to be good from 100 metres to the green – at least that’s my best shot. Also bunker shots and the short game, but I’m a little stiff in my back so I’m not a long hitter.
Are there any similarities between playing golf and table tennis?
The ball is the same size (laughs). Table tennis is such a fast sport and in golf you have to wait a lot, but I think concentration is important in both. Also, I enjoy playing matches, because I’m used to that as a team player.
You have more time to think…
Yes, that is a problem in golf!
What is your cur Born in 1965, Jan-Ove Waldner was quickly spotted as a potential star of the table tennis and at the age of 17, he already was a part of the Swedish national team at the 1982 European Table Tennis Championships in Hungary. Waldner succeeded in a period when there was an incredibly high amount of talents born in Europe. There were stars, like Jörgen Persson, Jean-Michel Saive,Zoran Primorac and Andrzej Grubba standing on the way to the medals and titles, but the Swede was the one to impress the most and have a lasting legacy. Waldner also became an example of a great longevity and he played through the different eras of table tennis. In the beginning of his career, the legendary Swede competed against the stars of the 70’s, like the legendary Hungarian Tibor Klampar. Towards the end of it, Waldner played against the modern-day table tennis stars, like Ma Long, Mattias Falck and others. His professional career lasted for more than 30 years. Just keep that number in mind. Below you can see our latest video about the career of Jan-Ove Waldner and some of the numbers about his accolades. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and leave your thoughts in the comment section. If you want to see more videos like this about table tennis legends, leave a comment as well with a name of the player you would like to see next. To see more of TTM content, subscribe to our YouTube & follow us on Instagram. Swedish table tennis player Jan-Ove Waldner (Swedish:[ˈjɑːnuːvɛˈvǎldnɛr]; born 3 October 1965), in Sweden commonly J-O Waldner or simply mononymously as J-O (Swedish:[ˈjîː.(j)uː]), is a Swedish former professional table tennis player. He is often referred to as "the Mozart of table tennis." 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"), because of his extraordinary longevity and competitiveness. 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. 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. .Jan-Ove Waldner
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