My Take
Ma Lin is quietly one of the most accomplished table tennis players in history, and I feel like he doesn't get nearly enough recognition outside the sport's hardcore fanbase. Born in Shenyang in 1980, he started playing at age five and clawed his way through China's impossibly competitive national system — which, let's be honest, is like making the varsity squad at a school where every single student is a prodigy. What he pulled off at the Olympics is genuinely mind-bending: he's the only male player ever to win gold in singles, doubles, AND team events. That's not a stat you stumble into — that's a career defined by relentless, adaptive brilliance. The 2010 ITTF Hall of Fame induction felt almost understated for someone of his caliber. And now he's coaching the Chinese Women's Team, which tells you everything about how the sport's insiders rate him.
Overview
Ma Lin (Chinese: 马琳; pinyin: Mǎ Lín; born February 19, 1980) is a retired Chinese table tennis player, Olympic champion, and the current Chinese Women's Team Head Coach. Ma learned to play table tennis at age five and became a member of the provincial team in 1990. In 1994, he joined the Chinese national team. Ma is the only male player ever to win Olympic gold in Singles, Doubles and Team.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ma Lin
- Name (Japanese)
- 馬琳
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- February 19, 1980 (age 46)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Monkey
- Origin
- Shenyang, People's Republic of China
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 173 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- table tennis player
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2010 ITTF Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A6%AC%E7%90%B3
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.