Olympic-Qualification
Allez Jean-Mi! Go to Bejing!

Five andro stars were successful a the Olympic-Single-Qualification, including Jean-Michel Saive.

After a long lasting battle and almost endless weeks and months between hope and fear it was a happy end: At the World-Qualification for the Olympic Games, Jean -Michel Saive assured his starting place with an impressive effort. Therewith, andro star Jean-Mi wrote a chapter of table tennis history because he is one of only three athletes having been qualified for all six Olympic table tennis events organized since its introduction 1988 in Seoul. „At this stage, it is an excellent feeling“, Jean-Mi commented, „and it makes more fun to achieve such a target in competition and not at court“.
During the past months, a controversy and a juristic dispute with ITTF happened; the world federation denied the direct qualification for Saive although the Belgian has been noted in the relevant world ranking list at position 20 – albeit together with Swedish player Jörgen Persson, who was issued the last direct qualification place by ITTF. Jean-Mi was imposed to play qualifications.
The 38-year old Saive cancelled the European qualification event in April because of an injury; at the World qualification event at Budapest on the second weekend of May, andro star Jean-Mi took his last chance: Being under heavy pressure he succeeded against Alfredo Carneros from Spain (4:1) and Trinko Keen from Netherlands (4:0). His defeat against later time winner Cheung Yuk from Hongkong (2:4) didn't come into recognition because at that time it was clear that both players have managed the qualification.
„I have payed well“, Jean-Mi explained. „Of course, I was a little bit lucky because my first round opponent, Carneros, was luck of the draw.
Having now achieved this great target, Jean-Mi does not intend to continue the juristic dispute with ITTF. „I am qualified and ITTF meanwhile decided to change the relevant rules in the future. There is no sense to continue with the controversy.“
Therefore, the andro team consists of five players in the individual event of the Olympics . Following the direct qualification of international players Wu Jiaduo and Elke Schall, also Christian Süß and Polish Champion Xu Jie gained a place for the most important table tennis event. Süß and Xu Jie achieved their goal at the European qualification event in Nantes,France, each time on the penultimate day of the event and avoided possible „nail-biters“ at the final day.
After his deciding 4:1 win in the final of the second qualification round against Czech player Petr Korbel, Christian Süß was, of course, happy but also relieved: „For me, a dream comes true“ he said. „By all means I was focussed to be entitled in Bejing not only as a team player but also for the single event. Until the happy ending, Christian went through an emotional roller-coaster. Even his qualification for the 32 starting places available for Nantes,France – where 11 Olympic tickets were guaranteed, was not according to plan. After the non-expected defeat against the Portugese Tiago Apolonia, Süß stands with his back to the wall, but demonstrated coolness by winning against Belarus player Evgueni Chtchetinine (4:2) and outsider Aleksandr Smirnov.
Happy end in the preliminary round was followed in the first knockout-round by a disillusion. Even a 2:0, 3:1 set lead and a 9:6 lead in the seventh set was not enough to win and he finally lost the match again Austrian player Robert Gardos.
But just in this critical situation, Süß proved those specialized skills that are decisive for such big events.
At the beginning of the next knockout-round against Slovakia player Lubomir Pistej, Christian overcame a 1:2 fall behind and a 3:3 equalisation, showed steady nerves at 2:5 in the final set, took a time-out and succeeded at last.
Ispired by this victory he won against against Chinese player Wang Zeng Yi, playing for Poland, as well against his team mate Petr Korbel – and his dream of participating in single events in Bejing came true. „Against Apolonia and Gardos I had some good chances to win“ he explained later. „The defeats could have been avoided, although I had to overcome several balls misdirected by net or edge in the match against Gardos. Looking back at the second knockout-round, I played better, had a shrewd head and was able to verify my tactics.“
Now, he's only looking forward: „It is sure, Bejing will definitely be one of the absolute highlights of my career. I am really happy to be qualified because temporary situation in regard to my participation didn't look well.
Like Süß, also Xu Jie had to make a „detention“. Even though the Chinese born player was without defeat in the preliminary round and after a 4:1 win against Gavna Gaponova from Ukraine, she got a proper ticking-off against Li Jie (1:4) from Netherlands
But the andro player took her second chance: After wins against Georgina Pota (4:1) from Hungaria and Mie Skov (4:3) from Denmark, Xu Jie obtained her Olympic ticket by a 4:1 win against her Greece opponent Fili.
„Since several years, Olympic Games have been my great target and now I'm happy that I can participate“, Xu said not without emotion.
The battle for Olympic qualification did not went well for all andro players. Slobodan Grujic was one of the unlucky fellows. The Serbian found himself only as a spectator after defeats against local hero Christophe Legout and talented Paul Drinkall from Great Britain. And afterwards, at the world-qualification in Budapest he got an unlucky draw: Against Chinese born Kou Lei, playing for Ukraine, he lost clearly (1:4) and thereby missed the ticket for Bejing.

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