GOAT Index

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Wang Liqin: the case for the GOAT

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    Wang Liqin: the case for the GOAT

    China · Born 18 June 1978, Shanghai, China · Career 1993–2013

    Tall Chinese shakehand player with one of the most powerful forehands ever, who dominated the early and mid-2000s.

    Career highlights

    Why Wang Liqin could be the GOAT

    Wang Liqin won three world singles titles across six years, a feat matched this century only by Ma Long. His forehand was considered the most powerful of its time. He held No. 1 for 25 straight months, though an Olympic singles gold always eluded him.

    What fans say

    Wang Liqin is #3 of 18 in the fan ranking, with a 5–1 head-to-head record from 56 Men's table tennis votes. See the full Men's table tennis GOAT ranking

    Wang Liqin head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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    Photo credits

      Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses listed. Each links to its source page.