Jiaduo Wu

The world’s top-ranked European, the Chinese-born Wu plays her table tennis for Germany. Wu was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in August 2010 and has been inside the top 20 since February 2011. She made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Games four years ago, losing as the No. 16 seed in singles to another Chinese-born European - Li Qiangbing of Austria - in the third round. Wu also competed in the team event as Germany lost all three matches. She has appeared at the last two world championships, falling in the third round to China’s Ding Ning in 2009 and in the fourth round two years later to China’s Guo Yue. The 2009 European singles champion, Wu figures to greatly benefit from new ITTF restrictions which limit two players from each country in the Olympic singles event. Only two Chinese players will be in the field after seven were quarterfinalists at last year’s worlds. Wu has a poor record against the Chinese but may not have to defeat anyone from her homeland to potentially walk up the podium.