by Ian Marshall, Editor
Staged from Wednesday 24th July to Sunday 4th August, Li Chunli won the women’s singles title at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, at the time the biggest sporting event ever staged in Great Britain.
Also it was the first time when table tennis had been included in the Games.
Venerable veteran
In the campus of the Manchester City stadium, nowadays the home of Manchester City Football Club; 40 years old at the time, believed to be past her best, she ended the hopes of Singapore. At the quarter-final stage she beat Zhang Xue Ling (11-8, 11-5, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9), before overcoming Jing Jun Hong (11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8) and Li Jia Wei (11-6, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8) to seal the title.
Additionally, alongside young sister Karen Li, the duo secured women’s doubles silver, losing to Li Jia Wei and Jing Jun Hong in the final (11-3, 11-7, 10-12, 11-4); the successes coming after bronze had been secured in the women’s team and in the mixed doubles events. In the women’s team, Li Chunli lined up alongside Karen Li and Tracey McLauchlan; in the mixed doubles she joined forces with Peter Jackson, the duo experienced a semi-final defeat when Duan Yong Jun and Li Jia Wei, the champions elect.
Stands alone
A medal in each event, no other player from Oceania, man or women, has ever achieved the feat in the table tennis events at a Commonwealth Games. Also, other than Australia’s Melissa Tapper, who succeeded in the Para women’s singles class 6-10 event at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Li Chunli is the only player from the continent to strike gold.
Furthermore, Li Chunli is Oceania’s most successful ever at a World Cup tournament. She is the only player from the southern hemisphere to reach the quarter-final round, the only player to win a medal. No male player from Oceania has ever reached the last eight.
Bronze in Shanghai
She made four Women’s World Cup appearances, in 1997 in Shanghai, she finished in third place. At the semi-final stage she lost to the eventual winner, China’s Wang Nan before beating Canada’s Geng Lijuan to seal bronze.
One year later in Taipei City, she was beaten at the quarter-final stage by the host association’s Tong Feiming, before in Huangshi in 2012 finishing in 16th places and in 2013 in Kobe, one place lower.
National honour
Commencing in 1996 in Atlanta, she competed in three consecutive Olympic Games and in fact, after making a return to action, at 50 years of age, she qualified for London 2012 but her entry was not endorsed by the National Olympic Committee.
In the New Zealand 2017 New Year Honours, Li Chunli was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to table tennis.