This is the second documentary released by CCTV about the Chinese men’s table tennis team’s journey to defend its 12th consecutive World Team Championships title in London. Go behind the scenes as Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, Lin Shidong, Wang Hao, and Team China navigate pressure, setbacks, and the challenge of defending the sport’s most dominant legacy.
// For CCTV’s earlier documentary covering the team’s preparation and training camp before the tournament: Documentary: Chinese Men’s Team Heads to the World Championships | Transcripts //
VO: At 8:30 am on June 1, after a short break following the World Team Championships in London, the Chinese men’s national table tennis team regrouped at the training hall.
Wang Hao: Starting this week, we’re officially kicking off training for the second half of the year.
Overall, we performed really well at the World Team Championships. Everyone on the team pulled together, from the players and coaches to the support staff. It was a total team effort, and together we defended the title. Everyone contributed to that result.
Wang Chuqin went undefeated at this World Team Championships, winning all ten of his matches. Lin Shidong and Liang Jingkun both stepped up when it mattered most. That wasn’t easy.
After our team review, the players and coaches elected Wang Chuqin as the new captain of the men’s team. Following in Ma Long’s footsteps as captain is both an honor and a huge responsibility.
Wang Chuqin: Honestly, I don’t think I’m anywhere close to Captain Long. I never imagined I’d be the one taking on this role. It felt like a lot.
But when you’re backed into a corner, all you can do is turn that pressure into something positive.
I try to think about the qualities we all admired in Brother Long, the things that earned everyone’s respect. I learn from those qualities and try to make them part of who I am.
VO: One month earlier, the World Table Tennis Team Championships returned to its birthplace: London, England.
With a new-look roster, the Chinese men’s team set out to defend its title and chase a 12th consecutive World Team Championships crown.
Of the five players on the roster, only Wang Chuqin had previous knockout-stage experience. Liang Jingkun had been part of two previous team-event squads, but had only played in the group stage. For Lin Shidong, Zhou Qihao, and Xiang Peng, it was their first World Team Championships.
Many of China’s top rivals saw this tournament as their best chance to finally take down Team China.
Wang Hao: I told Coach Qin Zhijian before the tournament that I felt the men’s team would be facing more pressure than usual this time around.
I told him we’d need to pay special attention to the mental side this time. Later, he invited Ma Long and Xu Xin back to help with training. We were looking for every possible way to support the team.
VO: On May 2, the opening day of the group-stage seeding matches in London, China faced two team matches in a single day.
Their first opponent was the host nation, England.
China’s lineup featured Wang Chuqin in the No. 1 spot, Lin Shidong at No. 2, and Liang Jingkun at No. 3.
Lin Shidong: Once I stepped onto the court, I could feel the nerves.
VO: Everyone was trying to settle in and find their rhythm on the big stage.
Wang Chuqin: I gradually played my way into form during that first match. The seeding stage wasn’t about advancing, but every match was a chance to sharpen my game. I treated every match like it was win-or-go-home.
VO: Playing the third match of the tie, Liang Jingkun was pushed to a deciding game before coming through 3-2 to secure China’s opening victory.
Liang Jingkun: That first match wasn’t easy. I kept asking myself: Am I really ready? Is my game where it needs to be?
VO: Whether they had found their form or not, five hours later, China was back on court, this time against a tougher opponent: South Korea. China’s top player, Wang Chuqin, was left out of the lineup.
Wang Hao: We took Wang Chuqin’s workload into consideration, along with the matches still ahead of us. That’s why we decided to limit him to one match that day.
VO: With the revised lineup, Lin Shidong moved into the No. 1 spot. He opened the tie with a straight-games win over South Korea’s Kim Jangwon, giving China an early 1-0 lead.
South Korea also held something back. Instead of their top player, Jang Woojin, they fielded rising youngster Oh Junsung against Liang Jingkun in the second match.
Liang Jingkun: I got off to a good start and won the first game. Then, for whatever reason, I started rushing. The more I played, the more impatient I became.
Wang Hao: Liang Jingkun is the type of player who takes time to settle into a match. Sometimes he needs to feel real pressure before he can fully bring out his best.
VO: Liang Jingkun fell 3-1 to Oh Junsung. Up next for China was veteran Zhou Qihao, making his World Team Championships debut against South Korea’s An Jaehyun.
Zhou Qihao: I was up 9-7 in the first game and couldn’t close it out. Once I fell behind 0-1, the pressure kept building. I got more and more nervous.
VO: With China on the ropes, Zhou fought back to take the third game.
Wang Chuqin (courtside): Let’s go! Trust yourself! Come on! Trust yourself! Trust yourself! Figure it out! Think through the point!
VO: The fourth game turned into a marathon. Tied at 11-11, the two battled all the way to 18-18. In the end, An Jaehyun won the final two points to take the match. South Korea took a 2-1 lead.
Zhou Qihao: Of course, I was disappointed. But in a team event, it doesn’t end with your match. Your teammates still have to go out there and compete, so your job is to stay engaged and support them.
VO: With China trailing 1-2, Lin Shidong returned to the table. Waiting for him was Oh Junsung, fresh off his win over Liang Jingkun. Lin had beaten him in all six of their previous meetings.
Lin Shidong: On paper, I was the favorite. But when everything’s on the line, I was really nervous. All kinds of thoughts were running through my head. What if I lose this point? What if I cost the team the match?
VO: The pressure showed immediately. Lin dropped the opening game 11-9. Although he leveled the match, he never fully settled in and eventually lost 3-1 to Oh Junsung. China fell 3-1.
Wang Hao: Honestly, it was hard to accept. First, I didn’t see it coming. Second, I wasn’t satisfied with how we performed.
VO: The loss wasn’t just China’s first defeat in London.
It also ended the Chinese men’s team’s 26-year unbeaten streak in World Team Championships competition, a run that dated back to Kuala Lumpur in 2000.
Wang Chuqin: Nobody expected it. I think Coach Wang was pretty upset that day. He asked me to sit down with the guys and talk through the match.
The truth is, none of us were prepared to lose. And if you’re not prepared to lose, you’re probably not prepared to fight the way a World Championships match demands.
Zhou Qihao: China lost? I couldn’t believe it. It felt like the whole team got punched in the gut. Suddenly, the sense of urgency was real. The atmosphere got heavy, and everyone was worried our confidence was slipping.
VO: The following morning at 10 a.m, China would face another powerhouse, Sweden, a team that had already won its first two seeding matches.
There wasn’t much time to process the loss.
Lin Shidong: When Brother Tou (Wang Chuqin) and I got back to the room that night, neither of us said much. We just sat there in silence. I kept telling myself to hang in there. We still had a chance.
VO: On May 3, China faced Sweden in its final seeding match. Sweden had already won its previous two matches.
To secure first place in the group, China needed a 3-0 win. After a brief reset, the Chinese team sent out its strongest lineup.
Wang Chuqin: I still wanted to play as many of the earlier matches as possible. Even if we didn’t win 3-0, finishing second in the group would still be okay. As long as we win, it would help us, especially with our confidence and momentum.
VO: Leading off for China, Wang Chuqin never gave Kallberg a chance, winning in straight games.
In the second match, Lin Shidong faced Elias Ranefur, ranked No. 70 in the world, an opponent he had never played before. After dropping the first two games, Lin stormed back to force a decider. But despite leading several times in the fifth, he was unable to close it out and fell 11-9.
That ended China’s hopes of finishing first in the group.
Commentator: That’s a tough one. Lin led 6-2 in the deciding game.
Lin Shidong: After losing the day before, I never fully reset mentally. I just couldn’t fully lock in.
VO: In the third match, Liang Jingkun faced world No. 2 Truls Moregard. Once again, it came down to a deciding game. Liang held game point at 10-9, but Moregard rattled off three straight points to steal the match.
Sweden moved ahead 2-1.
Liang Jingkun: I was rooming with Xiang Peng, and I remember telling him, “Let’s save our best for the knockout stage.” Maybe I was just trying to convince myself that everything would be okay.
After the loss, I was really down. I was afraid I might not have the confidence to face the matches still ahead.
Wang Hao: You could see it in Liang’s eyes. He was trying to snap himself out of it.
For Lin Shidong, though, this was the first time he’d been through something like this. After losing earlier, when he had to go back out for the deciding match, he said his mind just went blank.
VO: Wang Chuqin returned for the fourth match and once again delivered, leveling the score at 2-2 and sending the tie to a deciding match.
Lin Shidong returned to the table for China.
Lin Shidong: The deciding match was in my hands again. I kept asking myself: Can I pull this off?
Commentator: The points were slipping away so fast.
Lin Shidong: I felt completely lost out there. Whether it was my game or my mindset, I felt helpless. I was standing there on the court, but mentally, I wasn’t really there. I didn’t know what to do.
But once you’re out there, nobody can help you. Either you find a way through it, or you don’t.
VO: Having already experienced two deciding matches at previous World Team Championships, Wang Chuqin understood better than most just how brutal a team competition can be.
Wang Chuqin: I understand what he was feeling. A team event is nothing like singles. In singles, win or lose, the emotional weight just isn’t the same.
But a team event hits you on a whole different level. It can leave your mind completely blank. It can push you to the point where you lose control and no longer feel like yourself.
Lin Shidong: After everything the team has invested in me, I couldn’t come through when we needed that point the most. I felt guilty. I blamed myself.
VO: After Lin Shidong lost the deciding match, China finished third in the group with a 1-2 record and advanced to the knockout stage. Back-to-back losses had left the team’s confidence at its lowest point.
Wang Chuqin: At that point, a lot of people probably thought we were done. Maybe it wasn’t even about the title anymore. No one knew how far we could go.
Liang Jingkun: I had confidence, but at the same time, I didn’t. One minute, I thought we could win the title. Next, I was wondering whether we’d even make the quarterfinals.
Wang Hao: Deep down, I never lost faith, even though the pressure was enormous.
I held a separate meeting with all the practice partners and support staff. I told them: Don’t let the players see disappointment. Let’s make sure they feel like we’re still the team to beat.
VO: The tournament was far from over. On May 4, the knockout stage got underway.
Team China had the day off, giving the players a rare chance to breathe, reset, and process the losses in their own ways.
Liang Jingkun: I listen to music. Every day before heading out, I’d play I Love You, China a few times. That was my way of getting mentally ready.
Lin Shidong: Every day when I showered, I played Sunshine Always Comes After the Storm. I just kept telling myself to hang in there.
VO: After a day to reset, China opened the knockout stage on May 5 against Australia.
Xiang Peng: After the group stage, I went to Coach Wang and asked for a chance to play. I knew I wasn’t quite there yet. Even so, I wanted a chance to prove myself.
VO: After weighing all their options, the coaching staff stuck with the same lineup for the first two knockout rounds. Wang Chuqin at No. 1. Liang Jingkun at No. 2. Lin Shidong moved to the No. 3 spot.
Wang Hao: With the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final still ahead, the priority was getting the core players to find their form as quickly as possible.
VO: Each player picked up one point as China swept Australia 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16.
In the next round against Romania, Liang Jingkun opened the tie against Eduard Ionescu, a player he had never faced before. He spent the entire match on the back foot and lost in straight games.
Liang Jingkun: Out there, I felt like I had no answers. I didn’t know how to compete with him. Everything he hit felt too good.
VO: China suddenly found itself trailing 1-0. Next up was Wang Chuqin against Iulian Chirita.
Wang Chuqin: It was uncomfortable. I’d never really played a team match where we started down 1-0. Usually, I’m the one helping put us ahead.
That was the first time I really felt the pressure of trailing in a team event. But honestly, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It forced me to lock in and focus even more.
VO: Wang Chuqin leveled the tie for China. Then came Lin Shidong against Ovidiu Ionescu.
Lin Shidong: After my previous loss, I stopped paying attention to who was winning or losing. I just focused on my own match and my own point. Little by little, I felt my confidence coming back.
Commentator: The fist pump is back.
VO: After Lin Shidong won the third match for China, Wang Chuqin returned to the table and took the fourth, sending China through to the quarterfinals.
Despite the team victory, Liang Jingkun, the only Chinese player to drop a match that day, found himself battling even more self-doubt.
Liang Jingkun: Honestly, I even thought about telling the coaches I didn’t want to play anymore.
Wang Hao: After the match, I asked Ma Long to go check in with Liang Jingkun and give him a little push.
Different players need different approaches. You have to find the right way to wake each one up.
VO: Liang never told anyone what he was thinking, but after talking with Ma Long and Xu Xin, he decided to switch back to his old racket.
Liang Jingkun: Before the closed training camp, I’d switched to a new racket. But it never really felt right.
I asked around whether I should switch back to my old one. They thought it was a good idea. So against Korea, I went back to my old racket.
VO: Awaiting China in the quarterfinals was an old rival, South Korea, the team responsible for their most painful defeat of the tournament.
This time, both sides fielded their strongest possible lineup.
As the designated home team, China had the lineup advantage, and Wang Chuqin led things off against Oh Junsung.
Commentator: What a shot. That’s world-class.
VO: The match was dead even through four games. Everything came down to the fifth. It was also Wang Chuqin’s first deciding game in London.
Wang Chuqin: Once it got to the fifth game, it felt like we were back at the same starting line.
At that moment, I felt confident. I needed to believe in something.
I saw Ma Long, Xu Xin, and President Wang Liqin sitting courtside. Maybe it’s because I’ve played so many team events, I instinctively feel like Brother Long is there. No matter where he is, I always glance over. And he always knows I’m looking. He’ll give me a nod, tell me I’m doing fine, or remind me of something I need to pay attention to.
That always helps settle me down.
VO: Wang Chuqin won the final two points and took the deciding game 11-7. China led 1-0.
In the second match, Lin Shidong faced South Korea’s top player, Jang Woojin.
Lin Shidong: This time, I went in ready to fight and believing I could win.
Commentator: Right now, Lin Shidong’s belief couldn’t be stronger.
Lin Shidong: I once had a conversation with President Wang about what I tell myself during matches. I told him things like: Don’t rush. It’s okay. Focus on the next point.
He told me that wasn’t enough. Those things alone wouldn’t keep me emotionally steady under pressure. Then he shared something simple with me: You can do this. That stuck with me. Whether I was trailing, leading, or getting caught, I kept repeating it to myself: You can do this. You’ve got this.
Winning that match gave me a huge boost going into the semifinal and final.
VO: China carried that momentum straight into the third match. With his old racket back in hand, Liang Jingkun finally looked like himself again. He swept his opponent in straight games to seal the victory.
Liang Jingkun: Once I switched back, the quality of my shots immediately felt better. And with that came confidence.
VO: China swept South Korea 3-0, avenging its group-stage loss in emphatic fashion.
Liang Jingkun: The bond within this team is incredibly strong. That’s where our fighting spirit comes from.
Wang Hao: That win gave us a huge lift. The whole team’s confidence came roaring back.
As long as there’s even a glimmer of hope, we’re going after the title.
Wang Chuqin: After the Korea match, the only thing on my mind was moving on as quickly as possible. I knew even tougher matches were waiting ahead.
VO: That tougher challenge arrived the very next night.
In the semifinals, China faced France, the strong team they had faced in the previous World Team Championships final in Busan.
Leading off for China was Wang Chuqin again, against 18-year-old French rising star Flavien Coton, a player he had never met before.
Wang Hao: Since they’d never played before, there were a lot of unknowns. That uncertainty definitely weighed on him.
VO: Wang Chuqin edged the opening game 15-13. Coton responded by taking the second 13-11.
Then, in the third game, a lucky touch ball went Coton’s way. From that point on, Wang found himself chasing the match and dropped another game. He fought back to level the score in the fourth, sending the match to a deciding game.
Commentator: A lucky ball. The luck has certainly been on Coton’s side today.
Wang Chuqin: That lucky ball hurt my momentum. We’d been battling point for point the whole match, even when he was up 2-1. But when it got to that moment in the fifth game, I felt myself starting to drift emotionally.
Wang Hao: I think everyone felt like the breaks were suddenly going the opponent’s way. But from what I saw, Wang Chuqin stayed remarkably composed.
Wang Chuqin: Compared to a few years ago, I’m much calmer in situations like that. Much more confident. Much more certain of myself.
Commentator: What a defense from Wang Chuqin! A long shot! After tying it at eight-all, Wang Chuqin takes the next three points in a row!
VO: In the second match, Lin Shidong faced France’s top player, Felix Lebrun. Against an opponent who had the edge in the matchup, Lin struggled in the serve-and-receive game and fell in straight games.
Lin Shidong: Of course, it hurt. But it didn’t shake my confidence. I kept telling myself there was still a chance. I still had two veteran teammates out there fighting for us.
VO: The crucial third match belonged to Liang Jingkun and Alexis Lebrun. Liang never found his rhythm in the first two games, losing 11-3 and 11-1.
Commentator: He’s completely out of sorts right now.
Wang Hao: Whether it was frustration or helplessness, I don’t know. We can lose, but we can’t lose like this.
I sat him down and said: Liang, this is tough to watch right now. If you keep playing like this, we’re done.
Liang Jingkun: Coach Wang kept encouraging me. He said: Just go for it. You’re already in this position anyway.
Wang Hao: Just play. You’re still out there. Make it count. Just having the chance to compete is something you should value.
Liang Jingkun: I kept thinking about all the training, all the work, all the sacrifices. How could I quit now? The team was already in a tough spot. At 1-1 overall, I had to find a way to win that point for the team. No matter what.
Wang Hao (courtside): Believe in yourself. You’ve got this.
Liang Jingkun: I wasn’t thinking about losing. I only wanted to win. I told myself I had to find a way to grind it out. Once I took one game back, I started believing again. I felt like I had a chance.
Commentator: What a point! That’s the Liang Jingkun we know! He claws one game back, and the door is open again. After saving match points, he’s earned himself a game point.
Wang Hao: There was sweat on the table, and Liang looked like he wanted to run out there and wipe it down himself.
Liang Jingkun: I could feel my opponent getting nervous. That’s when I knew I had a chance.
VO: From 8-8 all the way to 13-13, neither player gave an inch. After saving two game points, Liang captured the game 15-13 and forced a deciding game.
Wang Hao: At this point, either he takes control of the match, or you do! Believe in yourself. You’ve got this! Come on!
Commentator: He’s done it! Liang Jingkun completes an incredible comeback from two games down, beating Alexis Lebrun 3-2! China takes a 2-1 lead!
Liang Jingkun: It’s been a long time since I’ve come back from 0-2 down. Winning that point for the team and moving one step closer to the title meant everything.
Wang Hao: In the end, it came down to belief. Sometimes when you’re behind, you have to remind yourself: we train harder, we sacrifice more, and we handle more pressure. If we don’t win, then who will?
VO: With China now leading 2-1, the arena was still buzzing from Liang Jingkun’s comeback.
But Wang Chuqin, preparing for the fourth match, remained unusually calm.
Wang Chuqin: Whether I was going to close it out or send it to a fifth match, my job was the same.
I just had to focus on what I needed to do. I couldn’t fill my head with things like destiny, responsibility, or all those emotional storylines.
At the end of the day, it was still just a match. And I wanted to win it.
VO: Standing across from him was Felix Lebrun, who had just beaten Lin Shidong.
Once again, Wang Chuqin turned in another steady performance, defeating Felix 3-1 and sending China into the final.
Wang Chuqin: The job still wasn’t finished.
As soon as the tournament was over, I had to bring myself back down again, because the tougher challenge was still to come.
Liang Jingkun: Just go for it. Every round brings a new challenge, and you just keep finding a way through.
VO: Only one challenge remained between China and another world title. Japan awaited in the final.
VO: Liang Jingkun took the table first. He quickly found himself down two games, but once again, he fought his way back.
In the deciding game, he reeled off eight straight points to complete another remarkable comeback and give China an early lead.
Commentator: What an unbelievable comeback!
VO: Next up was Wang Chuqin against Sora Matsushima.
After dropping the opening game, Wang responded with three straight game wins to turn the match around and extend China’s lead to 2-0.
VO: In the third match, Lin Shidong stepped to the table with confidence from the very first point. He celebrated nearly every point with a raised fist. He defeated Shunsuke Togami 3-1.
Lin Shidong: Once we got to the final, losing never crossed my mind. The only thing on my mind was winning.
Commentator: Lin Shidong takes the next two points! Championship point for China!
Liang Jingkun: When it got to 11-9, I was pretending to grab my racket while listening to the crowd. Then I heard it. We’d won.
Commentator: Short game first… now the long push… beautifully done! And that’s it! China closes out the final in perfect fashion, winning 3-0!
Lin Shidong: Winning when people weren’t expecting much from us gave the whole team a huge boost. We’re still the Chinese national team.
Zhou Qihao: This was a true team effort. We proved to everyone that we could do it.
Liang Jingkun: So happy. We held on to the title.
Wang Chuqin: After it was over, Liang Jingkun and I were screaming in the training hall. His eyes were red.
It had been such a long road. And finally, it was over.
Commentator: Before the tournament, this team was questioned. People doubted them. People underestimated them.
But through one do-or-die match after another, they showed everyone they could keep moving forward, even in the toughest moments. And in the end, they found their way back into the light.
Wang Hao: Winning this title when so many people doubted us proved that every bit of hard work was worth it. None of the sacrifices were in vain.
You guys were incredible. Thank you all.
Wang Hao: We’ve always said the same thing. The moment you step down from the podium, everything starts over. There are still a lot of competitions ahead.
Whether it’s Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, Lin Shidong, or the players who didn’t compete here, we’re evaluating everyone as we build toward the LA Olympics.
Wang Hao: Maybe my heart’s gotten a little stronger. The team actually carried heart medication for me every day. In the end, I didn’t need it. Maybe they did. Just kidding, of course.
But experiences like this force you to grow and give you a chance to start again.
Liang Jingkun: To be honest, the Olympics has always been my dream. As long as I still have the ability to compete at that level, I’ll keep chasing it.
Lin Shidong: This tournament taught me how to overcome myself.
Wang Chuqin: I’m grateful for all the setbacks I’ve been through.
They helped shape who I am today. They’ve made me more mature. More composed. More at peace with myself.
I’m still not the best version of Wang Chuqin. But I know I’m heading in the right direction.
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