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BEIJING, Aug 21, 2008 (AFP) - Wang Chen made history Thursday when, at the age of 34, she became the first paddler to ever reach the quarter-finals of the Olympic table tennis tournament for the United States.
Wang, who played for China before moving to America eight years ago, dropped to her knees after defeating South Korea's Kim Kyung Ah in a marathon match 4-3 and cried into her hands.
"I just thought 'keep fighting, keep fighting, don't be nervous, just smash, don't be weak, play more aggressively'," Wang said, adding that she would retire after these Games.
"I've been preparing for this for two years. I'm 34 years old, I'm not a young player, my back hurts always and I always feel very tired," said Wang, who is ranked 23 in the world.
"Sometimes I just want to give up, but I keep fighting because I wanted to play in the Olympics."
Wang later lost in her quarter-final showdown with Singapore's champion Li Jia Wei, seeded four at these Games, 4-1.
Wang said although she was disappointed with the loss, she would now focus on running her table tennis club in New York and hoped to study sports management at Columbia University where her husband is also a student.
Wang, who hails from Beijing, said her sisters were watching her play from the stands, but her father stayed away fearing he would be bad luck.
"I feel that all the Chinese are cheering for me, this is my home town, I'm very lucky because so many people want me to win," she said of the vocal crowds at the table tennis, considered the national game in China.
"My father got so nervous that he didn't want to come."
"I was famous 10 years ago, I was on the (China) national team, but I think after 10 years, not so many people, some people, remember me, and cheer for me," said Wang, who has three three Pro Tour titles.
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