Ai Fukuhara

Ai Fukuhara
File:Ai Fukuhara at Table Tennis Pro Tour Grand Finals 2011.jpg Ai Fukuhara at Table Tennis Pro Tour Grand Finals 2011
Personal information
Full name	FUKUHARA Ai
Nationality	Japan
Born	(1988-11-01) 1 November 1988 Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Playing style	Right-handed, Shakehand grip
Highest ranking	4 (November 2015)
Current ranking	4 (December 2015)
Height	155 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight	48 kg (106 lb)
Medal record Women's table tennis Representing Japan Olympic Games 2012 London Team World Championships 2011 Rotterdam Mixed Doubles 2010 Moscow Team 2008 Guangzhou Team 2006 Bremen Team 2004 Doha Team World Cup 2010 Dubai Team 2009 Linz Team 2005 Guangzhou Singles Asian Games 2014 Incheon Team 2014 Incheon Mixed Doubles 2010 Guangzhou Singles 2010 Guangzhou Doubles 2010 Guangzhou Mixed Doubles 2002 Busan Team Asian Championships 2013 Busan Team 2012 Macau Team 2009 Lucknow Mixed Doubles 2005 Jeju-do Doubles 2003 Bangkok Doubles

Ai Fukuhara (福原 愛, Fukuhara Ai) (born 1 November 1988 in Sendai, Miyagi) is a Japanese table tennis player and Olympic medallist, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways.

Table tennis career

Fukuhara began playing at the age of 3 and became a professional at age 10. The following year, she became the youngest player ever to become a member of the Japanese national team. Because of her age, she has been regarded as a "child prodigy" in table tennis. At age 13, in 2002, she became the youngest-ever Japanese representative for the Asian Games. In 2003, she reached the quarter-final, losing to top-seeded Zhang Yining, in her World Championships debut in Paris. In 2004, she took part in the World Team Championships and helped Team Japan finish third.

Olympic participation

Fukuhara qualified to participate in the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Asian zone qualifying tournament. The qualification entitled Fukuhara to compete in Athens, at the age of 15 years and 287 days, as the youngest-ever female table tennis player in the Olympic Games. She reached the round of 16 in her first Olympic Games, losing to bronze medalist Kim Kyung-Ah.

Round	Result	Opponent's Country	Opponent	Score	By Match
1st	Bye
2nd	W	Australia	Miao Miao	4–3	5–11	7–11	11–9	11–6	11–6	9–11	11–9
3rd	W	United States	Gao Jun	4–0	11–3	11–6	11–8	11–9
4th	L	South Korea	Kim Kyung-Ah	1–4	8–11	5–11	11–7	13–15	6–11

In April 2005, Fukuhara replaced compatriot Aya Umemura and became the highest-ranked Japanese female on the ITTF World Ranking list. She advanced to the semifinals at the 2005 Women's World Cup, losing to Guo Yan in the semifinals but beating Tie Ya Na in the third place match.

Fukuhara was directly qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics through world ranking. She was chosen as the national flag bearer for Japan at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Fukuhara teamed up with Sayaka Hirano and Haruna Fukuoka at the women's team event. They reached the bronze medal contest but lost to South Korea. In the singles event, Fukuhara advanced to round of 16, losing to gold medalist Zhang Yining.

She also qualified directly for the London 2012 Olympic Games with her world ranking in June 2011, but lost to Ding Ning on 31 July 2012, (13–15, 6–11, 6–11, and 4–11). At the Women's Team Event semi-finals, she defeated Feng Tianwei (11–9, 11–6, 5–11 and 11–9) in the first match which eventually helped Japan reached their first table tennis finals in the Olympics over Singapore. However, Japan failed to defeat China in the finals but got her first silver medal ever in table tennis.

Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games

Ai Fukuhara won Table Tennis Women's Doubles with Kasumi Ishikawa.

ITTF Kuwait Open 2010

The Kuwait Open 2010 would be Ai's most fruitful competition at that time. On the way to the finals, she caused numerous upsets. Starting off, she upset China by defeating Guo Yue. Later on, she played Singapore's Wang Yuegu, where Ai eventually won 4–2. After two shocking wins, Ai went on to cause another upset to China by beating the experienced top-spin specialist, Guo Yan. In the highly lauded and suspenseful final, she nearly defeated China's top seed Liu Shiwen, but lost 3–4.

Popularity

Her first name, Ai, means "love" and she is often referred to as "Ai-chan" (愛ちゃん) in Japan. Her youth and talent has made her a popular sports star in Japan. Ai Fukuhara has appeared in two Japanese table tennis video games, including Ikuze! Onsen Takkyū!! (Do it! Hot Spring Table Tennis!!), released on 21 December 2001 and Fukuhara Ai No Takkyū Icchokusen (Ai Fukuhara's Table Tennis), released on 24 June 2004, both for the PlayStation 2. She carried the Olympic flame when it traveled to Tokyo in 2004. She carried the torch once again for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and was the flag bearer for the Japanese national team at the Opening Ceremonies.

Since she has been playing table tennis in China from a very young age, Fukuhara can speak fluent Mandarin Chinese with a Northeastern accent. Therefore, she has greater popularity in China than most other table tennis players from outside of China. In an incident widely reported by the Chinese media, she wrote down "中日友好" (meaning "Sino-Japanese friendship" in both Chinese and Japanese) when meeting Wang Yi, then Chinese ambassador to Japan, at the height of the 2005 anti-Japanese demonstrations.

In July 2005, Fukuhara guest-starred alongside Chinese actor Jackie Chan during the opening of a photograph exhibition, in Roppongi Hills, to celebrate 60 years of peaceful coexistence between China and Japan. During Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan in 2008, Hu played table tennis with Fukuhara at Waseda University.

Personal life

Fukuhara attended Aomori Yamada Junior High School and graduated from Aomori Yamada High School in 2007. Both schools are located in the city of Aomori in Aomori Prefecture. In 2007, she enrolled in Waseda University's sports science department; she decided to drop out in 2010 to focus on her table tennis competitions.

External links

• Official Web Site (Japanese)
• Flickr

Olympic Games
Preceded by Kyoko Hamaguchi	Flagbearer for Japan Beijing 2008	Succeeded by Saori Yoshida