Guo Yuehua

Guo Yuehua

Guo Yuehua, born in 1956 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, is a former Chinese male table tennis player.

Straight grip racket, fast break combined with loop play. He has fast speed, flexible ball path, strong serve rotation and many changes.

Sports career

Guo Yuehua was born in 1956 in Xiamen City, Fujian Province. He is 1.67 meters tall and began to learn table tennis at the age of 8. Xiamen is a coastal city in southern China, a bit like the Dalmatian islands in Croatia. As a result of often playing in the seaside, Guo Yuehua grew up with a strong body and strong leg muscles.

No matter in the amateur sports school or in Fujian team, Guo Yuehua likes to train with the players who are older than him and whose level is higher than him. Facts have proved that this has played a great role in his success. Before he officially entered the national team, he had been instructed by Xu Yinsheng to change the positive glue to the reverse glue. On the basis of fast speed, he increased the rotation change, which soon showed his advantage. He has been selected for large-scale training of the national youth team many times. In 1973, he was officially selected for the national team.

In the mid-1970s, the rapid rise of Guo Yuehua filled the vacancy of Zhuang Zedong's departure. In 1977, at the age of 21, Guo Yuehua participated in the 34th World Table Tennis Championships, making great contributions to the Chinese men's team's winning the championship again. Guo Yuehua entered the final after winning Hungary's talented player klanpal and China's backhand chopper Huang Liang, and finally lost to Japanese rubber fast break player Kono man, who was 34 years old at that time. In 1979, Guo Yuehua, who has become the number one in the world, took part in the 35th World Table Tennis Championships. Unexpectedly, the Chinese team lost 5-1 to Hungary in the group stage. From the competition, we can see that the singles competition was triumphant all the way to the final. Unfortunately, it was defeated by Japanese rookie Seiji Ono and came second for two consecutive times.

Guo Yuehua won the first World Cup Singles Championship in 1980. In the 36th World Table Tennis Championships in 1981, Guo Yuehua even defeated his old rivals klanpal and host name schulbeck. He defeated his teammate Cai Zhenhua in the final and won the men's singles World Table Tennis Championship for the first time. At the 37th World Table Tennis Championships in 1983, Guo Yuehua, who had already decided to retire before the competition, cut Chen Xinhua, Jiang Jialiang and Cai Zhenhua all the way and won the singles championship. He paired with Ni xialian in the mixed doubles competition and won three pairs of teammates in a row, making a great achievement. Guo Yuehua became the most stable player in that period, which can be said to be the best in that era.

Career data

He has participated in the world table tennis championships and various intercontinental competitions for many times, with outstanding achievements: in 1976, he won the second place of men's singles in the third Asian Table Tennis Championships. At the 34th World Table Tennis Championships in 1977, he won the second place in men's singles and was one of the main players of the Chinese team who won the men's team championship. In 1978, he won the silver medal in men's singles, the gold medal in men's doubles and mixed doubles in the table tennis competition of the 8th Asian Games. He is one of the main players of the Chinese team who won the gold medal in men's team. In the same year, he won the men's singles championship in the Asian Table Tennis Championship. In 1979, he won the third place in men's singles and men's doubles at the 35th World Table Tennis Championships (cooperated with Liang Geliang), and was one of the main players of the Chinese team who won the men's team second place. He won the men's singles championship in the first World Cup in 1980. In 1981, he won the champion of men's singles and the runner up of men's doubles in the 36th World Table Tennis Championship (cooperating with Xie Saike), and was one of the main players of the Chinese team who won the men's team championship; in the same year, he won the third place in men's singles in the Second World Cup. He won the men's singles championship in the Third World Cup in 1982. In 1983, he won the men's singles and mixed doubles (in cooperation with Ni xialian) in the 37th World Table Tennis Championship. He is one of the main players of the Chinese team who won the men's team championship. He won the title of master athlete in 1980. In 1978, 1981, 1983 and 1984, he was awarded four sports medals by the State Sports Commission. From 1980 to 1983, he was rated as one of the top ten athletes in China for four consecutive times. It was also rated as the "top ten" national honors from 1979 to 1988. He was elected deputy to the National People's Congress in 1983. In 1984, he served as deputy director of Fujian Provincial Sports Commission and was also rated as one of the outstanding athletes in the 35 years since the founding of the people's Republic of China. In 1989, he was rated as an outstanding athlete in the 40 years since the founding of the people's Republic of China.

Technical features

Guo Yuehua is a right-hand direct shot reverse, arc circle combined with fast break play, has been using Shanghai Hongshuangxi PF4 rubber. Compared with other arc circle players, he stands a little closer to the platform and has a fast attack speed. When the forehand pulls the arc circle in the middle and far platform, his body has a strong balance ability, and the strong push of the backhand is enough to make the opponent tremble. In addition, serving is also his specialty, especially his changeable high throw service, which often makes him win the initiative at the beginning of the game.

Award winning record

In 1980, he won the men's singles championship in the first World Cup.

In 1981, he won the third place in men's singles in the Second World Cup.

In 1982, he won the men's singles championship in the Third World Cup.

In 1983, in the 37th World Table Tennis Championship, he was one of the main players of the men's team champion China team, and won the men's singles champion and mixed doubles champion (cooperating with Ni xialian).

In 1976, he won the third singles runner up.

In 1978, he won the 4th singles championship, the second place in doubles and mixed doubles.

In 1980, he won the 5th doubles championship and the runner up of mixed doubles.

In 1982, he won the sixth doubles championship and the second place of mixed doubles.

He won the second place in doubles and singles in the table tennis competition of the 8th Asian Games, and was a member of the Chinese team who won the men's team championship. He was awarded four sports medals by the State Sports Commission.

From 1980 to 1983, he was rated as one of the top ten athletes in China for four consecutive times.

It was awarded the national honor "top ten" from 1979 to 1988.

In 1984, he was rated as one of the outstanding athletes in the 35 years since the founding of the people's Republic of China.

In 1989, he was rated as an outstanding athlete in the 40 years since the founding of the people's Republic of China.

He was elected deputy to the National People's Congress in 1983.

In 1984, he was deputy director of Fujian Provincial Sports Commission.

In 2001, he was selected into the International Table Tennis Federation Hall of fame.

In 2015, he served as the president of Xiamen Table Tennis Association.

Relevant evaluation

1. Technical excellence

He absorbed the technique of Japanese players' direct racquet loop, combined with Chinese traditional fast attack near Taiwan, and developed a fast and lively way of playing. He has the advantages of both Chinese fast attack near Taiwan and European loop.

2. Dare to fight

In one training, because he jumped too high and tried too hard, he broke the three inch thick floor. When the coach and teammates pulled out his leg, it was already bloody. However, without waiting for the team doctor to wrap up, he limped into training again. It is with this "kick off the floor" momentum, Guo Yuehua into the door of the national team.

3. One of the most world champions in the history of Chinese table tennis

From 1977 to 1983, he won the 34th, 36th and 37th World Championship Men's team championship, the 35th men's team runner up, and won the 34th and 35th World Championship Men's singles runner up, the 36th men's singles champion, men's doubles runner up, and the 37th men's singles and mixed doubles champion. At the same time, he is also the champion of men's singles in the 1st and 3rd World Cup, and the winner of men's singles and mixed doubles in the 37th World Championships.

4. Respect your opponent

With this spirit, Guo Yuehua won the proud achievements and the respect of his opponents. During the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, a reporter once asked Waldner, the No.1 seed of the world table tennis world and a famous Swedish player at that time, who was the most respected table tennis player in his heart? Waldner did not hesitate to reply: "Guo Yuehua.".

5. Double happiness of virtue and technology

Guo Yuehua not only has good technology, but also has better moral character, which is highly praised by people inside and outside the circle.

Other related

Quit table tennis

In 1983, Guo Yuehua left the national team. After returning to Fuzhou from Beijing, I wanted to finish my table tennis career earlier, but I didn't expect that the organization also asked me to stand on the last post. After representing Fujian Province to participate in the Fifth National Games in 1983, Guo Yuehua officially said goodbye to the table tennis for more than 20 years.

In 1984, at the age of 28, Guo Yuehua was appointed deputy director of the Provincial Sports Commission by the Fujian provincial government. This also caused a sensation at that time. You think it is very rare to be a deputy department cadre at the age of 28.

college life

In September 1984, Guo Yuehua entered Fujian Normal University to study. "At that time, he really wanted to study, unlike athletes who only want to get a diploma when they go to university now." Guo Yuehua still remembers his first college examination result: Sports Anatomy, 97 points. Guo Yuehua said: "when we started playing in primary school, we didn't study well at all. After we retired, we found that both cultural quality and social experience needed to be improved. At that time, everyone was very conscious of reading. No matter you are a world champion or a nobody, you are not willing to fall behind in study. "

Retired life

1. Six years of "foreign team jumping" life

When he was still in college, Guo Yuehua had already started to go abroad to make money. At the invitation of a Japanese table tennis equipment company, Guo Yuehua went to Japan three times to give lectures and play, with rich remuneration and relaxed working environment

Chinese PinYin : Guo Yue Hua