China-born star cleared to play for Australia at Los Angeles Olympics

An Australian medal hopeful has successfully challenged a ruling that had made her ineligible for the next Olympic Games because she changed nationality from China, clearing the way for her to wear the green and gold in Los Angeles in 2028.

Yangzi Liu, 23, is Australia’s top-ranked table tennis player and pushed China’s women’s world No.1 to a decisive fifth set when they went head-to-head in July.

Despite moving to Australia in 2019 and being granted citizenship three years later, she faced having to sit out until 2029 before representing her adopted country under the sport’s regulations regarding players who switch allegiances.

But the suspension imposed on her by the International Table Tennis Federation has been reduced by four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, meaning Liu is now available to play for Australia.

The decision is a welcome end to a lengthy legal battle for the Melbourne-based world No.30 during which she missed out on representing Australia at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“We had this going on for almost two years, and we were not in a positive position,” said Liu, who was supported by Table Tennis Australia.

‘It’s a dream to represent your country at an Olympics.’

Australian table tennis player Yangzi Liu

“The ITTF really strongly disagreed with me representing Australia for the international tournaments. I just couldn’t believe we won in the end.”

Liu has played for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, which do not fall under table tennis’ rules on naturalised athletes, winning a history-making bronze medal in singles as well as bronze in the women’s team event in Birmingham in 2022.

But she has been unable to compete for Australia at the Olympics and world championships – the pinnacle of table tennis.

The sport introduced the protectionist policy in 2018 in response to a trend of players migrating to other countries to chase increased international opportunities.

Most, like Liu, hail from China, table tennis’ undisputed powerhouse. That nation won all five Olympic gold medals in Paris last year.

Olympic ineligibility varies depending on a player’s age when they are registered by their new country’s federation, starting at one year for those under 15, then rising to five years for those between 15 and 18, seven years for players over 18, and nine years after they turn 21.

Liu’s wait time was backdated and shortened by the international sports court after making the case that it should have begun in 2020, not 2022, when she was under 18.

Having left home in the Chinese province of Henan when she was seven years old to study and train at Shanghai’s famed Cao Yanhua Table Tennis Club, Liu relocated first to Portugal, then to Australia at the age of 17, initially living with her cousin in Sydney.

“There are many great players in China and only two get picked [for the Olympics],” said Liu, whose father is a table tennis coach.

“In the beginning … I think he just wanted me to go and have a look at the world outside of China. Of course, when I came to Australia, I just really liked it here, the environment and the culture. And there are more opportunities to play my table tennis on the world stage.”

Australia has never won an Olympic medal in table tennis, which was introduced to the Games in Seoul in 1988.

But Liu, who reached a career-high world ranking of 25 last year, showed her potential by taking two sets off world champion Sun Yingsha in a best-of-five sets World Table Tennis match in Las Vegas three months ago.

She had hoped to play for Australia in a home Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 2026 before the state’s Labor government cancelled it amid concerns over a cost blowout.

Liu will now have her sights set on the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.

“At the Commonwealth Games [in Birmingham] there was one girl from Wales, and she had all her family members there and everyone had her name on their shirts,” she said. “I was going to do that at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. But I think the plan will be [to do that] in Brisbane.

“It’s a dream to represent your country at an Olympics.”