Olympic champion Ding appointed principal of Beijing sports school

BEIJING - China's Olympic champion Ding Ning has been appointed principal of Beijing's Xiannongtan Sports School, four years after her retirement from competitive table tennis.

Ding, 35, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, including her triumph in the singles event at the 2016 Rio Olympics that made her the fifth Chinese female paddler to achieve a career Grand Slam - winning at the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup, after Deng Yaping, Wang Nan, Zhang Yining and Li Xiaoxia.

After retiring in 2021, Ding pursued a master's degree at Peking University and upon graduating in 2023, became a lecturer in the university's Department of PE.

In 2024, she was elected Chair of the Olympic Council of Asia Athletes' Committee.

Founded in 1956, the Xiannongtan Sports School is affiliated to the Beijing Sports Bureau and tasked with talent pool selection for table tennis, gymnastics, athletics, tennis, weightlifting, women's football and rugby.

Data shows that the school has produced 10,000 athletes for sports delegations at national and municipal levels, including established figures in table tennis like Ding, Ma Long and Zhang.

China's men's table tennis team coach Wang Hao and men's singles world No. 1 Wang Chuqin have joined the school through recruitment exams in the past two years.