Dang QIU who rose to the top of the world like a comet two years ago and claimed his first individual gold at the European Championships in Munich is all too aware of the rocky road ahead as he prepares for the next individual championships in Linz from October 15th to 20th.
“With Felix LEBRUN Truls MÖREGARDH Dima OVTCHAROV Patrick FRANZISKA Darko JORGIC and many other strong players competing there are an incredible number of top athletes fighting for the title ” said Dang QIU.
Dang QIU reached the Round of 32 at the Paris 2024 Olympics and became the first European to reach the final of a WTT Champions tournament in Macau in September. However he had to withdraw from the China Smash a few weeks later due to back problems. When asked about his condition and form ahead of the LIEBHERR European Championships he commented:
“I was able to use the time off after canceling the China Smash to recover and I am currently doing well again. I hope that I can now prepare properly for the European Championships. My form in training is good even though the packed schedule with lots of travel always leaves me somewhat fatigued. But apart from that my form is okay.”
At the European Championships in Munich QIU became European champion in his first individual appearance. Defending the title he admits will be an even greater challenge.
“Defending a title is always more difficult than winning it the first time. With Felix Lebrun Truls MÖREGARDH Dima OVTCHAROV Patrick FRANZISKA Darko JORGIC and all the other competitors behind me there are so many excellent players in the field. Two Europeans even won individual medals at the recent Olympics. The competition in Linz is wide open and this could be one of the strongest European Championships ever. I just hope my preparation goes well.”
The table tennis schedule is relentless and QIU explained how this impacts preparation for such important events.
“The already full schedule has gotten even fuller in recent years. For example we have two TTBL matches in the week before the European Championships. Of course that’s not ideal for us players. We end up playing almost every tournament without any specific preparation which is actually quite problematic. The constant competitions leave little room for recovery or proper training phases. This isn’t healthy nor does it help us improve our game. We’ve adapted as best we can but it’s not a good trend. Personally I wish we had more time for training.”
Jörg ROSSKOPF Men’s National Coach answered on the question regarding the team.
German players are usually among the favorites for medals especially at European Championships. What are the goals for the men in Linz?
“The European Championships are happening relatively soon after the Olympics with little time for focused preparation. However it remains the most prestigious tournament in Europe and the motivation of all athletes not just my boys is very high. Our goal is always to win. Germany has traditionally dominated this event but the balance of power in Europe has shifted and the pool of contenders is larger. With Dang QIU as the defending champion alongside Patrick FRANZISKA Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Benedikt DUDA we have four world-class players who can beat anyone and compete for the title. As for our younger players Fanbo MENG and Andre BERTELSMEIER we are excited to see how they perform on the international stage against Europe’s best.”
