Ito: I'm not sure I will play for another 4 years

[zeio]

Ito: I was right to skip it.

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Certainly a tough draw for Hirano (vs. Shi Xunyao) and Odo (vs. Kuai Man). And for Hayata, Yokoi at full strength is no joke. Yokoi has been playing really well.

 

[zeio]

Likewise, Harimoto held back even more. Compare the distance covered by the left leg of CIC and that of Harimoto in that cross step.

Something is not right with Miwa's left calf in XD SF of WTT SCT Doha 2025. Need to double check the other matches to tell.

p.s.
No doubt about it. She limped in WS R32.

LIVE! | T3 | Day 2 | WTT Star Contender Doha 2025 | Session 2
https://youtu.be/d7mBGzROI6c?t=7432

With Hirano, Harimoto and Joo Cheonhui (as sparring partner) playing below par and yet Nagasaki and Kihara playing on par, can Kinoshita peak their players right for Zennihon Takkyu 2025?

 

[zeio]

After Odo, Hayata reveals that [Asian] squat is her favorite part of training...

【印象深い試合は？】早田ひながファンの質問に答えてみた【対戦したい海外選手は？】
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrD62g9moXA

 

[zeio]

While it's normal for Hayata to expect an early exit at WTT SCT Doha 2025, but Miwa and Nagasaki?

1月11日(土)開催「九州アスティーダ vs トップおとめピンポンズ名古屋」、及び、1月12日(日)開催「九州アスティーダ vs 日本生命レッドエルフ」九州アスティーダ ベンチ入りメンバー変更
https://tleague.jp/news/detail.php?id=3969
1月12日(日)開催「九州アスティーダ vs 日本生命レッドエルフ」日本生命レッドエルフ ベンチ入りメンバー変更
https://tleague.jp/news/detail.php?id=3970
1月12日(日)開催「日本ペイントマレッツ vs 木下アビエル神奈川」木下アビエル神奈川 ベンチ入りメンバー変更
https://tleague.jp/news/detail.php?id=3971

 

[zeio]

陈熠赢了早田，真的好意外 (Chen Yi beat Hayata, what a surprise)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9403942954
说起来🍎手伤还能恢复过来嘛，该不会后面萎靡不振几年退役吧🥲 (Come to think of it, will Apple's hand injury ever recover? Will she retire after a few years of slump?)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9404615325
早田真的走下坡路了吗 (Is Hayata really going downhill?)
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9408402362

 

[zeio]

Getting this out of the way before Zennihon Takkyu 2025. It's becoming clear to Hayata that her hand is finished for real.

After 3-0 Yokoi at WTT SCT Doha 2025, she admitted she can no longer do what she was able to do after the injury and because she can't go back to her old self, she will have to live with the injury and do whatever she can. Because of the injury, the way she deals with herself has also started to change. Noting a new beginning, she's still thinking how she will face herself and improve from here on. After going through the match, she noted that she doesn't know when and where she may get injured again. Having achieved her goal here (1 win), it's just a matter of not straining herself but she can't practice the same way she used to. Under the backdrop that her training volume has gone down, it comes down to how much she can translate her thoughts and various things into quality.

On 2-3 CY, she said she was slow to adapt to CY and the table. Despite saying she is slowly finding her touch again, she will likely not be able to perform at 100% at Zennihon Takkyu 2025, but it is fine if she can perform at 100% of her current self. For 2025, she hopes to participate in international competitions like this and get back to her previous level but it can't be helped that she got injured. Because of her injury, she has noticed a lot of things that she didn't realize in 2024. She doesn't know if she will get results but she hopes it will be a year that she can feel satisfied.

【インタビュー】パリ五輪で負傷の早田ひな 復帰後初勝利に笑顔「こんなにすぐ勝てるとは思っていなかった」｜WTTスターコンテンダードーハ2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0MzNFGu-Q
パリ五輪で負傷の早田ひな 復帰後初勝利に笑顔「こんなにすぐ勝てるとは思っていなかった。びっくり」【卓球 WTTドーハ】
https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/tabletennis/news/2025/01/036542.html

【インタビュー】左腕故障の早田ひな 粘りを見せるも敗退「納得のいく負け。試合をやりながら感覚を取り戻せている」｜WTTスターコンテンダードーハ2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LyRZ2Lmo4U

 

[NextLevel]

Getting this out of the way before Zennihon Takkyu 2025. It's becoming clear to Hayata that her hand is finished for real.

After 3-0 Yokoi at WTT SCT Doha 2025, she admited she can no longer do what she was able to do after the injury and because she can't go back to her old self, she will have to live with the injury and do whatever she can. Because of the injury, the way she deals with herself has also started to change. Noting a new beginning, she's still thinking how she will face herself and improve from here on. After going through the match, she noted that she doesn't know when and where she may get injured again. Having achieved her goal here (1 win), it's just a matter of not straining herself but she can't practice the same way she used to. Under the backdrop that her training volume has gone down, it comes down to how much she can translate her thoughts and various things into quality.

On 2-3 CY, she said she was slow to adapt to CY and the table. Despite saying she is slowly finding her touch again, she will likely not be able to perform at 100% at Zennihon Takkyu 2025, but it is fine if she can perform at 100% of her current self. For 2025, she hopes to participate in international competitions like this and get back to her previous level but it can't be helped that she got injured. Because of her injury, she has noticed a lot of things that she didn't realize in 2024. She doesn't know if she will get results but she hopes it will be a year that she can feel satisfied.

【インタビュー】パリ五輪で負傷の早田ひな 復帰後初勝利に笑顔「こんなにすぐ勝てるとは思っていなかった」｜WTTスターコンテンダードーハ2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0MzNFGu-Q
パリ五輪で負傷の早田ひな 復帰後初勝利に笑顔「こんなにすぐ勝てるとは思っていなかった。びっくり」【卓球 WTTドーハ】
https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/tabletennis/news/2025/01/036542.html

【インタビュー】左腕故障の早田ひな 粘りを見せるも敗退「納得のいく負け。試合をやりながら感覚を取り戻せている」｜WTTスターコンテンダードーハ2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LyRZ2Lmo4U

Antispin? Anyone?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Yokoi's goal for this year is top 15:

(Turn on subtitles and auto-translate to your language)

 

[zeio]

Catching up with this article on Hirano from the end of last year that I somehow missed.

She was going to take it easy at WTT SCT Doha 2025 and CT Muscat 2025 ahead of Zennihon Takkyu 2025, having taken zero days off after Paris 2024 before heading right into the T.League 2024-2025, driven solely by her love of table tennis.

平野美宇、卓球愛を再確認「休むとやりたい」「なんだかんだで好き」年末年始オフは３日間、８年ぶり日本一に照準
https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2024/12/29/0018495134.shtml

　「卓球・Ｔリーグ女子、神奈川３－１九州」（２９日、代々木第二体育館）

　神奈川の平野美宇（２４）＝木下グループ＝は第２試合で、今枝愛美（１９）を３－０で破って勝利に貢献した。これが今年最後の試合。１月の全日本選手権、２月の世界選手権団体戦、団体銀メダルを獲得した今夏のパリ五輪など、めまぐるしかった２０２４年を締めくくり、「今年最後の試合で勝つことができてよかった。いい締めくくりができた」と納得の表情。来年に向けては、「五輪が終わった次の年はいろんなことに挑戦できる。結果はもちろんだが、自分の実力を上げたり、もっと（ライバルと）差をつけられるように頑張りたい」と語った。

　Ｔリーグでは個人で今季無敗の１２連勝とした。パリ五輪直後の８月の開幕時は気持ち的に苦しかったといい、「全然休みがなかったので。（観客や関係者に）失礼だが、（当時は）すごく嫌だなと思いながら試合をした」と述懐。ただ、休みを挟んだことで卓球愛を再確認したといい、「卓球を１回休むと、またやりたいなって思うので、なんだかんだで卓球が結構好きだなと。今までは五輪という夢があるから、やらなきゃいけないと思い込んでいたが、そういう状況じゃなくても意外と（卓球を）やりたいなと気づいて、結構面白い」と明かした。

　年末年始のオフは３０日～１月１日の３日間。１月２日から練習初めで４日にはＴリーグ、５日からは国際大会出場のためにカタールに出発する慌ただしいスケジュールとなるといい、「休みながら（試合へ）準備しないといけない」と苦笑いした。

　また、８年ぶりの頂点を狙う全日本選手権（１月２１日開幕、東京体育館）に向けても「コンディションが一番大事。どの選手も強いので、しっかり準備する」と強調。今回は代表争いは懸かっていないものの、「（気持ち的に）楽だが、（代表が）懸かっているからこそ頑張れるところもあるので、メリットもデメリットもある。今回はシンプルに勝ちたいって気持ちを持って臨めるかな」と心境を明かした。

"Table Tennis - T-League Women's, Kanagawa 3-1 Kyushu" (29th, Yoyogi Second Gymnasium)

Kanagawa's Hirano Miu (24) from Kinoshita Group contributed to the victory by defeating Imaeda Manami (19) 3-0 in the second match. This is the last match of the year. She concluded a hectic 2024, including the All-Japan Championships in January, the World Team Championships in February, and the Paris Olympics this summer, where she won a team silver medal, saying with a satisfied expression, "I'm glad I was able to win the last match of the year. I was able to end it on a good note." Looking ahead to next year, she said, "In the year following the end of the Olympics, I can try out various things. Needless to say, I want to do my best to get results, but I also want to improve my strengths and work hard to put myself further apart (from my rivals)."

In the T-League, she has won 12 consecutive matches without a loss this season. She said that she was mentally struggling when the tournament started in August right after the Paris Olympics, and recalled, "I had no time off at all. It's rude (to the spectators and people involved), but (at the time) I played the matches while really hating it." However, she said that the break helped her to reaffirm her love for table tennis. "Whenever I take a break from table tennis, I want to play again, so all things considered, I guess I really like table tennis. Until now, I thought I had to play because I had the Olympic dream, but I've realized that I actually want to play even when I'm not in that situation, and it's pretty fun."

She will have a 3-day break from the New Year holidays, from the 30th to January 1st. She will have a hectic schedule, starting her training on the 2nd, playing in the T-League on the 4th, and departing for Qatar on the 5th to compete in an international tournament. She said with a wry smile, "I have to prepare (for the matches) while taking a break."

Aiming to reach the top for the first time in 8 years at the Zennihon Senshuken (opening on January 21st at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium), she also emphasized that "condition is the most important thing. All the players are strong, so I'll prepare well." Although the competition for the national team is not at stake this time, she revealed her feelings, saying, "It's (mentally) easier, but if (the national team) depended on it, I can work harder in some areas, so there are both advantages and disadvantages. I wonder if I can approach it this time with a simple desire to win."

And the comments at Yahoo Japan News.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/94f0d811ec6228618b4085da02479c110f6743de
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/94f0d811ec6228618b4085da02479c110f6743de/comments
rob********
2024/12/29(日) 16:26
今年はオリンピック・イヤーだったので、世界選手権・パリ五輪・アジア選手権とフル出場して活躍し、日本に貢献した平野美宇と張本美和の二人は、選手たちの中でも特に休めていない状況がある。
そんな中にあっても、この二人はメンタル的にもフィジカル的にも、本当に良くやっていると言って良い。
平野選手はちょっとしたファン交流のイベントなどを挟んで気分転換を図りつつ、左ひざに抱えた痛みもサポーターをしながらさほど大事無く乗り切った。
張本選手は言うまでもなく学業との両立を見事にこなしつつ、着実に右肩上がりの成長を続けている。
この二人こそ、どこかでもう少し休ませてやりたい今年の日本卓球女子の功労者である。
(This year was an Olympic year, so Hirano Miu and Harimoto Miwa, who contributed to Japan by playing without a break at the WTTC, the Paris Olympics, and the ATTC, were in a situation where they had not been able to rest among the players.
Even in such a situation, it is safe to say that these two were doing really well, both mentally and physically.
Hirano took part in a few fan events to change her mood, and she overcame the pain in her left knee without too much trouble with the help of a brace.
Needless to say, Harimoto is doing a great job of balancing her studies and continuing to make steady, upward progress.
These two are the contributors to Japan's women's table tennis this year, and I would like them to get a little more rest somewhere.)
123 concur, 15 ic, 4 hmm

quc********
2024/12/29(日) 16:47
全日本チャンピオンを期待してます。
やはり、時代を築いた名選手というのは、複数回日本一にならないとね。同世代の伊藤も早田も3回優勝してるいる。負けないで！
(I'm looking forward to you becoming the Zennihon Champion.
After all, a great athlete who has defined an era has to be number one in Japan multiple times. Ito and Hayata, who are from the same generation, have also won 3 times. Don't lose!)
53 concur, 3 ic, 5 hmm

qda********
2024/12/29(日) 16:05
無敗とは素晴らしい。ヤラカシ癖が治った。全日本獲って欲しい。
(Being undefeated is great. She's gotten over her habit of making silly mistakes. I want her to win the Zennihon.)
66 concur, 1 ic, 8 hmm

 

[zeio]

Posting this excerpt from TAKAGI Mina's 3-part interview with Mizutani back in 7/2023 that I never really quoted (even in the original post at MyTT, 07/27/2023 at 12:33pm).

早田ひなと張本智和が中国トップ３に勝つには...水谷隼が分析するポイントは「サービスと戦術」
https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/otherballgame/other/2023/07/21/post_2/

【選考ポイント独走の早田の強さ】

――世界選手権の全５種目でメダル獲得に挑んだ日本は、張本智和・早田ひなペアが混合ダブルスで銀メダル、女子シングルスで早田選手が銅メダル、女子ダブルスで木原美悠・長﨑美柚ペアが銅メダルと計３個のメダルを獲得しました。この結果をどうご覧になりましたか？

水谷　少し厳しい言い方かもしれないですけど、最低限かなと思います。早田選手が女子シングルス準々決勝で、世界ランキング３位（当時／現）で実質中国４番手の王芸迪（ワン・イーディ）選手に勝ったことによって「最低限に達した」という感じでしたね。

[Hayata's strength who is in the lead in selection points]

--Japan challenged for medals in all 5 events at the WTTC, getting a total of 3 medals: a silver medal in XD for Harimoto Tomokazu and a bronze medal in WS for Hayata, and a bronze medal in the WD for Kihara Miyuu and Nagasaki Miyu. What do you think of these results?

Mizutani: This may be a bit harsh, but I think it's the bare minimum. Hayata's victory in the WS QF against WYD, who was ranked 3rd in the world (then/now) and is essentially China's 4th-ranked player, gave the impression that she had "reached the bare minimum."

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Posting this excerpt from TAKAGI Mina's 3-part interview with Mizutani back in 7/2023 that I never really quoted (even in the original post at MyTT, 07/27/2023 at 12:33pm).

For Hayata Hina and Harimoto Tomokazu to beat the top three from China... Mizutani Jun analyzes the key points to "service and tactics"
https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/otherballgame/other/2023/07/21/post_2/

[Hayata's strength who is in the lead in selection points]

--Japan challenged for medals in all 5 events at the WTTC, getting a total of 3 medals: a silver medal in XD for Harimoto Tomokazu and a bronze medal in WS for Hayata, and a bronze medal in the WD for Kihara Miyuu and Nagasaki Miyu. What do you think of these results?

Mizutani: This may be a bit harsh, but I think it's the bare minimum. Hayata's victory in the WS QF against WYD, who was ranked 3rd in the world (then/now) and is essentially China's 4th-ranked player, gave the impression that she had "reached the bare minimum."

Yes, zeio. We know ... we know. The gig is up though. We know you like to quote just the part that fits your narrative and not the rest of the context which paints a very different picture. Maybe you're relying on forum goers not actually clicking on your link and reading the rest of what Mizutani said (which I posted in the 2025 Muscat thread).

 

[zeio]

Yes, zeio. We know ... we know. The gig is up though. We know you like to quote just the part that fits your narrative and not the rest of the context which paints a very different picture. Maybe you're relying on forum goers not actually clicking on your link and reading the rest of what Mizutani said (which I posted in the 2025 Muscat thread).

Come up with a better argument than misquoting and misrepresenting what was actually said. You are better than this.

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I'm rather in zeio camp.

He's the one making efforts to gather info from Chinese / Japanese source and translate it in english for the international public.

agree or not with his conclusions, one should at least respect his efforts to present us the raw facts.
this forum would feel much more empty without his contributions. No one else is putting as much effort.
---

Regarding Hayata, as a JNT fan, ofc i've been rooting for her all along and i did believe for a while she would be Japanese best chance against China and get sometime a gold medal against China.

Well it didn't happen in OG Tokyo 2021 where she wasn't even in the lineup. she got "only" singles bronze in WTTC2023 and OG Paris2024. She didn't play the historical Asian Champ team final this year.

Its a fact she injured badly her wrist during the OG QF- as Zeio reported quite early, and its unfortunately likely her best performances are over, she might even quit TT sooner rather than later. I'm afraid she'll be knocked out early at Zennihon.

Fortunately, even if there is no Ito or Hayata, there's plenty of talented young ladies in Japan who will have their go.

 

[Brs]

Fortunately, even if there is no Ito or Hayata, there's plenty of talented young ladies in Japan who will have their go.

Yes! Those talented young Japan ladies play very entertaining matches. Yo quiero Taco League!

TBest Game

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

I'm rather in zeio camp.

He's the one making efforts to gather info from Chinese / Japanese source and translate it in english for the international public.

agree or not with his conclusions, one should at least respect his efforts to present us the raw facts.
this forum would feel much more empty without his contributions. No one else is putting as much effort.
---

Regarding Hayata, as a JNT fan, ofc i've been rooting for her all along and i did believe for a while she would be Japanese best chance against China and get sometime a gold medal against China.

Well it didn't happen in OG Tokyo 2021 where she wasn't even in the lineup. she got "only" singles bronze in WTTC2023 and OG Paris2024. She didn't play the historical Asian Champ team final this year.

Its a fact she injured badly her wrist during the OG QF- as Zeio reported quite early, and its unfortunately likely her best performances are over, she might even quit TT sooner rather than later. I'm afraid she'll be knocked out early at Zennihon.

Fortunately, even if there is no Ito or Hayata, there's plenty of talented young ladies in Japan who will have their go.

Sure I'm thankful for zeio's contributions to the forum, but that doesn't mean I cannot disagree with what I believe to be a narrative on Hayata's accomplishments that's so divorced from reality. She dominated the headlines when it came to Japan women's TT during the Paris cycle. You'd be hard pressed to find any of her peers both domestic and international that didn't hold her in very high regards. Sure, there's always going to be online haters most notably on Chinese TT forums that zeio likes to quote, but the majority of TT netizens can see Hayata's successes in the Race To Paris, WTT titles, Asian Games, Asian Championships, WTTC, WTTTC, and of course the Olympics. If the knock on her is that she didn't t beat SYS in Paris, then please let me know which non-CNT player beat SYS in the Olympics. If she's forced into retirement because of her injury, then she will still have had a great career worthy of praise. But right Now I'm hopeful that she has more to wonderful matches to show us.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I'm rather in zeio camp.

He's the one making efforts to gather info from Chinese / Japanese source and translate it in english for the international public.

agree or not with his conclusions, one should at least respect his efforts to present us the raw facts.
this forum would feel much more empty without his contributions. No one else is putting as much effort.
---

Regarding Hayata, as a JNT fan, ofc i've been rooting for her all along and i did believe for a while she would be Japanese best chance against China and get sometime a gold medal against China.

Well it didn't happen in OG Tokyo 2021 where she wasn't even in the lineup. she got "only" singles bronze in WTTC2023 and OG Paris2024. She didn't play the historical Asian Champ team final this year.

Its a fact she injured badly her wrist during the OG QF- as Zeio reported quite early, and its unfortunately likely her best performances are over, she might even quit TT sooner rather than later. I'm afraid she'll be knocked out early at Zennihon.

Fortunately, even if there is no Ito or Hayata, there's plenty of talented young ladies in Japan who will have their go.

zeio is so anti hayata
he had to find a new player since ishikawa retired.

hayata can win olympic gold, and he will still continue with anti hayata

if the narrative was more neutral, I am sure more people will respect his view points, but he has his agenda and that agenda has been belittling Japanese players.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Sure I'm thankful for zeio's contributions to the forum, but that doesn't mean I cannot disagree with what I believe to be a narrative on Hayata's accomplishments that's so divorced from reality. She dominated the headlines when it came to Japan women's TT during the Paris cycle. You'd be hard pressed to find any of her peers both domestic and international that didn't hold her in very high regards. Sure, there's always going to be online haters most notably on Chinese TT forums that zeio likes to quote, but the majority of TT netizens can see Hayata's successes in the Race To Paris, WTT titles, Asian Games, Asian Championships, WTTC, WTTTC, and of course the Olympics. If the knock on her is that she didn't beat SYS in Paris, then please let me know which non-CNT player beat SYS in the Olympics. If she's forced into retirement because of her injury, then she will still have had a great career worthy of praise. But right now I'm hopeful that she has more to wonderful matches to show us.

Hayata is a warrior.
you check all these CNT players that need holidays and rests, because of one small niggle?
or someone's bat broken and struggling to cope?
Hayata is actually very strong and complete table tennis player.

injuries happens, but what to make use of your time and how to handle the consequences, is all based on the fate and journey she choose and I can only applaud her to be so strong and successful. Great career indeed.

zeio has the word chinese on his chin.
he isn't even involved with chinese table tennis success, so is all those tieba users. But because they feel they are a higher and mighty ethnic group in the human race due to CNT's success, they can wipe out all other performances from international pros and that is sickening.

and you are right, it is only minority that act like this.
most do applaud when it is deserved.
but the lovers don't feel the need to go and flood international forums with love, it is only the haters that need to flood the forums, including english forums like TTD, to degrade these players.

going back to Paris and choosing to play or not play.
As I said, Hayata had a difficult choice. Regardless of her decision, there is no guarantee she would have another olymipcs.

I have seen players with sprain ankle trying to play, with the same decision - maybe it is the last opportunity.
the pain involved for playing table tennis is beyond what tieba users can understand, because they have never suffered or endure such hardship before. The training of decades to face so little opportunity - especially that of Japanese women's table tennis, where each player is on there own, compared to that of CNT where political backed untouchable core players (and forcing teammate to make the core players stronger) just cannot be compared.

JNT is the best of the rest and CNT doesn't compete fairly when compares to player vs player. Remove the perks CNT gives the players, the dominoes will fall too. So are Chinese players really that good? or is it sacafraicing careers of dozens of pros to make 1 shine?

 

[driversbeat]

Posting this excerpt from TAKAGI Mina's 3-part interview with Mizutani back in 7/2023 that I never really quoted (even in the original post at MyTT, 07/27/2023 at 12:33pm).

早田ひなと張本智和が中国トップ３に勝つには...水谷隼が分析するポイントは「サービスと戦術」
https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/otherballgame/other/2023/07/21/post_2/

[Hayata's strength who is in the lead in selection points]

--Japan challenged for medals in all 5 events at the WTTC, getting a total of 3 medals: a silver medal in XD for Harimoto Tomokazu and a bronze medal in WS for Hayata, and a bronze medal in the WD for Kihara Miyuu and Nagasaki Miyu. What do you think of these results?

Mizutani: This may be a bit harsh, but I think it's the bare minimum. Hayata's victory in the WS QF against WYD, who was ranked 3rd in the world (then/now) and is essentially China's 4th-ranked player, gave the impression that she had "reached the bare minimum."

If getting 3rd in majors and beating WYD is bare minimum (which is understandable given Japan's goals and overall level), then only Miwa and Hayata have done it in the Paris cycle. By comparison, Ito and Hirano have "failed miserably"

 

[zeio]

If getting 3rd in majors and beating WYD is bare minimum (which is understandable given Japan's goals and overall level), then only Miwa and Hayata have done it in the Paris cycle. By comparison, Ito and Hirano have "failed miserably"

Don't make me repeat myself. You folks are now arguing with the former and current coaches and players.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/attc-2024-astana-10-7-13.34886/post-485128

Yup, her best result was that victory against Chen Meng (something that Hirano, Ito, and Miwa haven't done). I also bashed her for that horrible performance in the Olympic finals that cost Japan the match. I mean, you could also say that Hirano *only* beat WYD and CXT in both team finals. The stats can tell you whatever story you want as long as you beat it hard enough.

Has Hayata beaten CM in WS or CXT in WT? Why place WS above WT and vice versa when the same argument is not put forth for Hirano? I'm saying this for the 3rd time now. Both Hayata and Hirano have faults but folks keep choosing to forget the ones for Hayata.

At the end of the day, WT gets the team 6 medals (1 for mascot White Hair) whereas WS gets the player 1 medal. LGL has also said that beating CNT in WT was the 2nd hardest.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...-be-revamped-for-paris-2024.24977/post-478408

Yes but Hirano and Ito only have either WTTC or Olympic bronze, not both. You could argue that Hirano is the greatest of all time with her big ATTC win, but in terms of current strength it's hard to say that Hirano with her struggling forehand against SYB is better than Hayata hammering away at the tougher Pyon.

As I noted, this Olympics are more difficult, but the general public never sees it that way. Their focus now is whether Hayata can at least equal Ito's results at Tokyo 2020 - gold in XD, bronze in WS and silver in WT. Hayata has already failed.

Hayata has not demonstrated the ability to get past multiple CNT players (let alone the top 3), which Hirano and Ito have, albeit in lower tiers of competitions. She needs to achieve something that is unique/exclusive to her. Getting past WYD ONLY, albeit twice, is sadly not enough as Mizutani and Harimoto pointed out. No matter how many silver or bronze medals she gets, if she doesn't get past one, two or all of the top 3 CNT players on her way, she will be labeled as the one who is always catching up, just like how TV Tokyo depicts her in the promos to this day.