Science of Success: Table-Tennis Star Ni Xia Lian’s Olympic Longevity
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Perhaps you're a casual runner or a pick ball star. Or maybe you just love your time in the gym. How old were you when you were at your athletic peak? The age of peak athletic performance for most sports is between twenty and thirty years old.

The average age of olympic athletes is around twenty seven. That's on the Young side, but maybe your best is yet to come. Just asked knee shot in the chinese born lucks in borg's table tennis player just competed at the olympics at the age of sixty one.

From the wall street journal, this is the science of success. A look at how today's success is could lead to tomorrow's innovations. I'm been coin I D A call umb for the journal about how people, ideas and teams work and when they thrive.

Today, we're looking at longevity in sports and speaking to one of the oldest active olympus nan. This summer there were other sexy ans at the paris games. But the only athletes older than knee competed in a questioning, which means he was the older olympian there who wasn't riding a horse.

When SHE made her international debut in one thousand nine hundred and seventy nine. Almost nobody in this summer's olympic field was born me on her first world championship in one nine hundred and eighty three. Her first round opponent in paris was born in one thousand and ninety three, which makes her Younger than knees children. Now, one of the most beloved athletes in her adoptive nation of luxury, ard me has collected almost every honor the tiny nation can offer from sports woman of the year, twice more than twenty years apart to Carrying the flag in this summer's opening ceremony when SHE LED lucky borg delegation .

down the river. Then so she's well known people in axon berg when he is walking the streets, everybody turning around asking for auto grounds.

That's Tommy Danielson knees, coach and husband. They've been together for almost twenty five years. I met both of them this summer when I got to see ne compete. For me, IT was like seeing a rocky star. But for Danielson.

when I saw the spectators and innovation, you get tears. You get tears. Your eyes. No, it's so nice. You then you're very, very proud to be coach husband, whatever you know is absolutely wonderful lio.

The olympics was the cultivation of a long career for knee, how IT all again, and what he credits for her longevity in the sport after the break.

Nihon has been playing table tennis for over fifty years.

I stopped to play table tennis when I was seven. When I win, the first shanghai champion was, I was twelve, fifteen, sixteen. I become number two in china, and then I, when I was nineteen, I become watch champion with chinese team.

Some call her the grandma of table tennis. She's been in the game for generations.

Most of her plays around her. They have been playing to have retired, and even some even passed away. So I would say four, five generations. Sorry, Tommy dano son.

Again, he in need disagreed on exactly how many generations, but let's put IT this way. She's retired and unretire twice. The first time was before he left china, and the second was after he moved to luxeuil, where danel son became her coach.

The first I say, uh seven, eight years I was only caution's husband but then the the last twenty twenty five years i've been her husband.

Yeah he's good coach, he's good friend is yeah he always take care me and after time and time and you very attached him and now I cannot without team.

So sorry.

The two had a daughter together. A knee planned to retire for good after her daughter was born, but the luxan bore team encouraged to come back.

They say, the after baby will play button. They always give me so much confident. Yeah, they give me so much confidence. They give me so much how you say you feeling you are respected. And then I see the team really needs me, and I also know I can do something for them.

SHE says that feeling that he was respected and needed, that he had something to contribute to her teammates, was one of the things that brought her back to the game. What else push her then and pushes her still incredible determination?

In twenty seventeen, I played one of the longest matches in table tennis history when he was fifty four. The match was over ninety minutes.

I had no time to thinking about tired. Yeah, if I don't have this concentration, I will lose .

the game he want.

I still can improve a lot.

Danel son says that spirit has kept interested in competitive table tennis for nearly a half century. It's an attitude that has helped her game evolve over the years.

He says, I am like a computer. You have to upgrade the computer, the program has to be upgraded. And she's doing that all the time, but most people think she's not able to do this. But you just said every time I came out with even something even Better.

But age is age.

Age is age. Me is sixty one when .

I was in china, training so hard and the program is so tough, but you use to this life for me, just like a daily life is no problem. And but of course, follow the age you have to realize, uh, recover is a slower and you can easily get injury. And so you have to take care.

Knees always had healthy habits. SHE doesn't drink. SHE eats in moderation, a little meat, a little fish, a little vegetables, a little nuts, very little sugar.

But he simply can't train the way that he used to. SHE tends to train every other day instead of every day. Instead of running, SHE uses the elliptical machine or SHE jumps rope.

I'm too far away from my Younger time, because before I can do friends now I only can do twenty one. Not happy.

Both Daniel in the knee admit that age can be an advantage, double the age, double the experience, they like to say. But physically, she's had to scale back a little, even when he was Younger than he is. Now.

I remember when I was forty one, forty two, I was in england open final, and I forgot my age. I training too much. I was too tired all the night. I couldn't sleep. I lose fine.

Ultimately, they say baLance, particularly mental baLance, has been essential. Tommy.

he, he teach me very good mentality and learn a love from him. I was not like this when I was in china. I always very focus, very serious, very nervous. You need IT, but sometimes if you are too much, it's not good. So where is the baLance?

Nee credit Danielson for some of her longevity in the sport.

In this moment, I have very, very important person that god sends me. Good person coming to my life is Tommy. So give me good advice, relax and enjoy life is important. And that saves me, really saves me.

Sixty one year old ne charleen has competed in six olympics. The last Angels, twenty twenty eight, be her seventh.

So many people want me play. I appreciate very much. I also like to enjoy with everybody just for fun. And that's the beautiful thing. Doesn't meet women are loose.

And that's the science of success. This episode was produced by Charlotte te garten burg with reporting help from josh robson, Michael level and Jessica fenton wrote our theme music. I'm then coin.

Be sure to check out my column on W S. J dot com. And if you like the show, tell your friends and leave us a five star review on your favorite platform. Thanks for listen.