Even Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu were clones FOR ATTC/WTTC in 2017 when they already broke out , but Mr I spoke to Chinese coaches say it's only 2/3 serving the one third. I'm sure Ma Long and FZD were clones too in their early years when they weren't the biggest of names, it's apparent that this was a passage of rites thing.
The fact that two or three players can be called to mimic a player means it's more likely they had a similar style to the foreign threat and they were told to help mimic that in training conditions.
I think the contention here is the term 模仿/imitation, which is more traditionally known as 陪練/sparring partners, and the moral issues that come with it, which is way overblown. The role of sparring partner has been a grand tradition of the CNT since ancient times.
Below are two articles from a month ahead of Rio 2016 on the sparring partners that helped the team prepare.
【人物】女乒陪练:模仿国乒对手的无名英雄们(1) / [Figures] Women's Team Sparring Partners: The Unsung Heroes who Imitate Opponents of the National Team (1)
https://sports.sina.cn/others/pingpang/2016-07-16/detail-ifxuapvs8584502.d.html
...
他告诉笔者，2013年年底自己通过国家一二队交流赛后升入一队，获得的较好战绩包括去年青运会的男单铜牌，在半决赛时输给了最后的冠军王楚钦。此番来到成都，展开备战里约奥运的最后一次封闭训练，这对任浩来说并不陌生。“第五次了！我从2014年开始一直跟女队一起封闭训练，算是陪练里的元老级人物。”他笑着说。
但聊起刚接到陪练任务时的心情，任浩坦言一度很受挫：“因为当时刚打上一队，一开始感觉挺打击的，后来每次封闭集训都过来，慢慢的适应了。从小接受队里教育，平时也会学习一些英雄人物。当然每个人都会有一些个人英雄主义，但是在我们这个国家还是无名英雄更多。”
“既然国家赋予了这样的任务，我还是很心甘情愿地去承担。不能说是英雄吧，是默默付出的这种角色。陪练没有工资的，我跟女孩们的待遇一样，而这50天里我就是女队队员。”任浩的话语朴素真诚。
回京后，他说就要开始属于自己的封闭训练：“会回到男队，跟男队一起训练，跟他们一起竞争。”未来则将会代表河南队，参加全国锦标赛、全运会等较量。
还会继续陪练的身份吗？“如果队伍需要我的话，就会一直坚持下去。”任浩义不容辞地作答。
...
而近期的训练里，严升的任务就是给金花们制造困难：“刚开始是模仿单晓娜，我的打法比较怪，可以锻炼到她们，给她们一点压力；到了后期就让我随便打，制造一些变扭的、没见过的球，可以对她们有帮助。”
这位曾在2015年全国青年锦标赛获得第六名的小伙子，很感谢陪练这一新角色：“我刚进国家二队，才两三个月左右的时间。现在的模仿也是一种学习，可以教会我经验等很多东西。”
不过，问起以后队里是否还会要求他做陪练时，心里有着鸿鹄之志的严升，霸气回应说：“有可能，因为我的正手本来就是特殊打法。但我肯定不愿意，所以自己要更加加油，才能不只是当陪练。”
He told the author that at the end of 2013, he was promoted to the first team after passing the national first and second team exchange competition (promotion/demotion). His good results include the men's singles bronze medal at last year's National Youth Games, where he lost to the eventual champion Wang Chuqin in the semifinal. Coming to Chengdu this time to start the last closed training in preparation for the Rio Olympics is not unfamiliar to Ren Hao. "This is the fifth time! I have been training with the women's team in closed training since 2014, and I am considered a veteran as sparring partners." He said with a smile.
But when talking about his mood when he first received the task, Ren Hao admitted that he was very frustrated: "Because I had just joined the first team at that time, it felt quite shocking at first. Later, I came to every closed training camp and slowly adapted. I have accepted it since I was a child through education in the team, where we usually learn about some heroes. Of course, everyone has some personal heroism, but in our country there are still more unsung heroes."
"Since the country has given me such a task, I am still willing to take it on. I can't say that I am a hero, but I am a role that gives silently. Sparring partners do not get paid, and I am treated the same as the girls. And in these 50 days, I am a member of the women's team." Ren Hao's words were simple and sincere.
After returning to Beijing, he said that he would start his own closed training: "I will return to the men's team, train with the men's team, and compete with them." In the future, he will represent the Henan team to participate in national championships, National Games, etc.
Will you continue to be a sparring partner? "If the team needs me, I will stick to it." Ren Hao answered obligingly.
...
In the recent training, Yan Sheng's task is to create difficulties for the Golden Flowers: "At the beginning, I imitated Shan Xiaona. My playing style is quite strange, which can train them and put a little pressure on them; in the later stage, I can just do whatever I want, creating some tricky, unfamiliar balls can help them.”
The young man who finished sixth in the 2015 National Youth Championship is very grateful for his new role as a sparring partner: "I have just joined the second national team for about two or three months. Imitation is also a kind of learning. It taught me a lot of things such as experience.”
However, when asked if the team would ask him to be a sparring partner in the future, Yan Sheng, who has great ambitions in his heart, responded domineeringly: "It's possible, because my forehand is a special style of play. But I definitely don't want to, so I have to work harder so that I can be more than just a sparring partner.”
【人物】女乒陪练:模仿国乒对手的无名英雄们(2)
https://sports.sina.cn/others/pingpang/2016-07-17/detail-ifxuapvs8635891.d.html
何卓佳：模仿福原爱1年4个月
...
“我的打法风格跟长胶相似，教练和队里应该也是经过很多很多的考虑，我才很荣幸的被选中了。但当时我有点犹豫，爸爸跟我说要听从队里的安排，祖国需要你。他很开明的，也是想让我多尝试下新东西，现在看来真是很有远见。”在家人的鼓励下，去年女队备战苏州世乒赛前一个月，何卓佳迎来全新挑战。
如何才能模拟好福原爱？何卓佳的方法是：多看、多问、多研究。
为此她没少麻烦跟福原爱交过手的主力队员，拷贝他们录制的比赛录像，跟教练队友一起交流琢磨。“得先去了解福原爱，了解她的打法风格。这个球如果是福原爱的话，她会怎么打？这个主力跟我说一点，那个主力跟我说一点……时间长了，出手、包括一些球的感觉慢慢地从生胶变成长胶。”
起初，何卓佳很感兴趣，但新鲜劲一过却摸不到门道的她开始变得烦躁。好在小小年纪，已经懂得如何调节心态：“不光是练颗粒才会这样啊，每个打法都会有的。”
同时，昔日的福原爱模仿者、已退役的哈尔滨选手王璇，也成了何卓佳请教的对象：“璇姐是我师父！她是很资深的前辈，她的长胶打得太好了。刚改的时候，一遇到困难，我的第一反应就是去找她，通过打电话、微信，只要见到就跟她聊，能多问一点是一点。”考虑到福原爱使用的特制胶皮独一无二，她还尝试过四款不同的海绵，“然后去问主力哪个更像一点。”
不仅如此，她还会不自觉地去留意生活里的福原爱：“要越相似越好，这样才能更像她，才能给主力创造更大的困难。”
点点滴滴的积累，让何卓佳终于在奔赴成都封闭集训前如愿找到了感觉：“在思维方式上，我毕竟我打了快十年的生胶。改了一年的时候还有点陌生，到了一年两个月的时候开始觉得不一样了。现在更多的是心理，慢慢地与长胶融为一体。比如天气变潮，颗粒会打滑，那就弧线多一点。”
只是，对于在2012年世界少年锦标赛上，勇夺团体、单打、双打三枚金牌的何卓佳而言，为了“成就”他人，冒险改变自己，会觉得这是在牺牲吗？笔者抛出了一个稍显敏感的问题。
17岁何卓佳的回答，让人改变成见：“看你怎么去想，任何事情都有两面性。一直往负面情绪去想的话，到最后还是要打这个。多往好处想想，这样才会更积极。”
不光是阿Q的精神胜利法，至少在她身上，此番“里约大冒险”是成功的。“虽然是模仿，但是给了我很多机会呀，我可以跟一队的主力一起训练。像我这种位置带着我的话，拽着拽着（水平）就上去了，练生胶的话这些是不敢想的。换长胶后，我接触到了很多很多以前从来没有接触过的东西，像是对旋转、对颗粒的理解……对我来说是一种突破，是一种进步，不是牺牲的感觉。”何卓佳说。
...
孔令辉：不会强制 当陪练不一定是坏事
女队主教练接受新浪体育专访时，介绍起了备战里约的整体规模。除参赛的四位主力选手李晓霞、丁宁、刘诗雯和朱雨玲之外，后期为了针对海外兵团里倪夏莲的长胶打法以及帮助姑娘们加强对削球旋转的判断，又多加了两位陪练：“在成都差不多有32个运动员。”
如何选拔队员成为陪练，或者确定他们的模拟对象？孔令辉教练分享道：“是教练组讨论决定的，主要是看谁更接近。让他们看看需要模拟对手的技术录像，主要是从技战术、线路上（来模拟）。”
发挥集体的优势，为有需要的尖子选手甘当绿叶，孔令辉教练说这也是国乒强盛的优良传统之一：“几十年下来的传统，有些运动员也做出了一些牺牲，但是有的时候他们换一种胶皮和打法也并不一定就是坏事，对他们来讲也是学习的过程。”
以模拟福原爱的何卓佳为例，在孔令辉教练看来，不论是对队伍还是个人都算得上是成功案例：“以前有个王璇，她退役后，由何卓佳来适应一下这个位置，属于生胶改半长胶。两种胶皮的性能有差距，但并不是反胶改成长胶那样，那就没法练了。生胶最起码有这种感觉，练一练很快就能适应。而且到目前为止，何卓佳的球反倒长了！大家都认为她比以前球更稳，无谓失误更少了。”
另一位日本强敌伊藤美诚的模仿者——木子和张瑞，则有针对性地进行了不同程度的改变：“没有让木子刻意去模仿，她的胶皮也没有换；二队的张瑞，让她去换了胶皮。海绵厚了点，质量反倒更高了。虽然不是说进步非常大，但杀伤力方面明显有提高。”
至于里约奥运会后，这些女乒陪练将何去何从，孔令辉教练表示同样要因人而异：“像何卓佳应该不会中断，因为她的进步很明显，何必再换回去呢？但张瑞因为她的胶皮国家队很少，生胶总是坏，可能她是需要调回去的。”
“让他们去调试，去更换，教练不会强制去要求他们，也是有一个适应的过程。适应得了，就换；适应不了，就不要强求。以前也有队员不适应又换回来的。对他们自己、对他们的省市队，我们也要负责任的呀。”他不由笑了起来。
聆听这几则女乒陪练们的故事后，会发现比起“一将功成万骨枯”、比起“牺牲”，用“大胆尝试”、“共同进步”这样的形容词，放在“陪练”这个身份前会更加恰当。
从男队调配过来的男陪练，同样适用国乒人性化的选拔和训练机制。
“陈玘就在女队当过陪练，最后也打成了世界冠军、奥运冠军；包括更早的郭跃华，更不用说了，蝉联世锦赛男单冠军。并不是说到女队是（牺牲），有的在女队练完回去后反倒进步了。”孔令辉教练如是总结道。
He Zhuojia: Imitating Fukuhara Ai for 1 year and 4 months
...
"My playing style is similar to longpips. The coach and the team must have considered it a lot before I was honored to be selected. But I was a little hesitant at the time. My father told me to follow the team's arrangements. The motherland needs you. He is very open-minded and wants me to try new things. Now it seems that he is really far-sighted." With the encouragement of her family, He Zhuojia faced a new challenge one month before the women's team prepared for the WTTC Suzhou last year.
How to simulate Fukuhara Ai well? He Zhuojia’s method is: look more, ask more, and research more.
For this reason, she bothered the main players who had played against Fukuhara Ai, copied their game videos, and discussed them with the coaches and teammates. "You have to first get to know Fukuhara Ai and her playing style. If this ball were played by Fukuhara Ai, how would she hit it? This main player told me a little bit, and that main player told me a little bit... As time goes by, the shots, including the feeling of some of the balls slowly changed from raw pips to long pips.”
At first, He Zhuojia was very interested, but when the freshness wore off and she couldn't figure out the way, she began to become irritable. Fortunately, at a young age, I already knew how to adjust my mentality: "It's not just about practicing pips, it happens in every play style."
At the same time, Wang Xuan, the former Fukuhara Ai imitator and retired Harbin player, has also become the target of He Zhuojia: "Sister Xuan is my master! She is a tried-and-true senior, and she plays long pips well. At first when I made the switch, when I encountered difficulties, my first reaction was to go to her, to call her, WeChat, to chat with her whenever I saw her, and to ask more questions." Considering that the custom rubber used by Fukuhara Ai is unique, she also tried four different sponges, “and then asked the main player which one was more similar.”
Not only that, she would unconsciously pay attention to Fukuhara Ai in life: "The more similar I am, the better, so that I can be more like her and create greater difficulties for the main players."
Accumulating bit by bit, He Zhuojia finally found the feeling she wanted before going to Chengdu for a closed training camp: "In terms of the way of thinking, after all, I have been playing raw pips for almost ten years. It was still a bit unfamiliar after a year. Two months into the second year, I started to feel different. Now it’s more about psychology, slowly integrating with the long pips. For example, if the weather becomes damp and the pips would slip, then there would be more curve.”
However, for He Zhuojia, who won three gold medals in team, singles and doubles at the WJTTC 2012, does it feel like a sacrifice to take risks and change oneself in order to "achieve" for others? The author raised a slightly sensitive question.
The answer of 17-year-old He Zhuojia changes people's stereotypes: "It depends on how you think about it. Everything has two sides. If you keep thinking about negative emotions, you will still have to deal with it in the end. Think more about the good things, so that you will be more positive.”
Not only was
the spirit of Ah Q, but at least for her, this "Rio Adventure" was a success. "Although it is an imitation, it has given me a lot of opportunities. I can train with the main players of the first team. If they take me in a position like mine, they can drag me up (level). If I practiced raw pips, these are things I would not have dared to think. After switching to long pips, I came into contact with many things that I had never been exposed to before, such as the understanding of rotation and pips... It is a breakthrough for me, a kind of progress, not a sacrifice." said He Zhuojia.
Kong Linghui: Not Mandatory, sparring partner is not necessarily a bad thing
In an exclusive interview with Sina Sports, the head coach of the women's team introduced the overall scale of preparations for Rio. In addition to the four main players Li Xiaoxia, Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling, two more sparring partners were added later in order to target Ni Xialian’s long pips in the overseas legion and to help the girls strengthen their judgment on the spin of the ball: "There are almost 32 athletes in Chengdu."
How to select team members to become sparring partners, or determine their target of imitation? Coach Kong Linghui shared: "The coaching staff discuss and decide, mainly to see who is closer. Let them see the technical videos of opponents that need to be imitated, mainly (to imitate) the technique, tactics and shot paths."
Giving full play to the collective advantages and being a green leaf for top players in need, coach Kong Linghui said that this is also one of the fine traditions of the national table tennis team: "In the tradition of decades, some athletes have also made some sacrifices, but sometimes it’s not necessarily a bad thing if they change their rubber and playing style, it’s also a learning process for them.”
Take He Zhuojia, who imitated Fukuhara Ai, as an example. According to coach Kong Linghui, it is a success story both for the team and for the individual: "There was player named Wang Xuan. After she retired, He Zhuojia had to adapt to this position. She played raw pips and swtiched to medium pips. There is a difference in performance between the two rubbers, but it is not like changing from inverted to long pips, then you will not be able to practice. Raw pips at least has this feeling, and you will get used to it quickly after practicing. And So far, He Zhuojia’s game has actually improved! Everyone thinks that she is more stable than before and she makes fewer unforced errors.”
Muzi and Zhang Rui, another two imitators of Japan’s strong enemy Ito Mima, made targeted changes to varying degrees: “Muzi was not asked to deliberately imitate, and her rubber was not changed; we asked Zhang Rui from the second team to change the rubber. The sponge is thicker, but the quality is actually higher. Although it is not a huge improvement, the lethality has obviously improved."
As for where these female table tennis sparring partners will go after the Rio Olympics, coach Kong Linghui said that it also depends on the individuals: "For someone like He Zhuojia, there should be no interruption, because her progress is obvious, why bother to send her back? But for Zhang Rui, because her rubber is rare and the national team does not stock, and the rubber always goes bad, so maybe she needs to be transferred back."
"Let them adjust and change. The coach will not force them. There is also a process of adaptation. If you can adapt to it, change it; if you can't adapt, don't force it. In the past, there were players who didn't adapt and changed back. We must also be responsible for them and their provincial and municipal teams." He couldn't help but laugh.
After listening to these stories of female table tennis sparring partners, you will find that instead of "one general succeeds and ten thousand bones dry up" and "sacrifice", adjectives such as "bold attempt" and "common progress" are more appropriate in front of the term "sparring partners".
Male sparring partners assigned from the men’s team are also subject to the humanized selection and training mechanism of the national table tennis team.
"Chen Qi served as a sparring partner for the women's team and eventually became a World Champion and Olympic Champion; including Guo Yuehua from further back, not to mention he won the men's singles at the WTTC. It's not that going to the women's team is (sacrifice), some actually improved after returning from the women's team." Coach Kong Linghui concluded.
