When he first made the Chinese table-tennis national team at age 15, Wang Liqin looked like an overgrown geek, all gangly limbs and hair that appeared to have lost two out of three to a weed-whacker.

• 当15岁的王励勤第一次加入中国国家乒乓球队时，他看起来是一个那么早熟的高手，四肢修长，头发剃掉了2/3，发型像个除草机一般。