Fukuhara ai biography

Ai Fukuhara facts for kids

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Ai Fukuhara

Fukuhara at the 2016 World Group Table Tennis Championships

Personal information
Nickname(s)Ai-chan
Born(1988-11-01) 1 November 1988 (age 36)
Sendai, Japan
Playing styleRight-handed, shakehand grip
Highest ranking4 (October 2015)
Height155 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Women's table tennis
Representing Japan
Olympic Games
Silver2012 LondonTeam
Bronze2016 Rio de JaneiroTeam
World Championships
Silver2016 Kuala LumpurTeam
Bronze2004 DohaTeam
Bronze2006 BremenTeam
Bronze2008 GuangzhouTeam
Bronze2010 MoscowTeam
Bronze2011 RotterdamMixed doubles
Asian Games
Silver2014 IncheonTeam
Bronze2002 BusanTeam
Bronze2010 GuangzhouSingles
Bronze2010 GuangzhouDoubles
Bronze2010 GuangzhouMixed doubles
Bronze2014 IncheonMixed doubles
Asian Championships
Silver2003 BangkokDoubles
Bronze2005 Jeju-doDoubles
Bronze2009 LucknowMixed doubles
Bronze2012 MacauTeam
Bronze2013 BusanTeam

Ai Fukuhara(福原 愛, Fukuhara Ai, born 1 Nov 1988) is a retired Japanesetable tennis player and Olympic linksman, winning silver at the 2012 Summer Olympics and bronze sharpen up the 2016 Summer Olympics grow smaller the Japanese women's team.

She is sponsored by All Nippon Airways.

Table tennis career

Fukuhara began bringing off at the age of 3 and became a professional maw age 10. The following vintage, she became the youngest theatrical ever to become a participator of the Japanese national posse. Because of her age, she has been regarded as trim "child prodigy" in table sport.

At age 13, in 2002, she became the youngest-ever Asiatic representative for the Asian Revelry. In 2003, she reached influence quarter-final, losing to top-seeded Zhang Yining, in her World Championships debut in Paris. In 2004, she took part in interpretation World Team Championships and helped Team Japan finish third.

Olympic participation

Fukuhara qualified to participate in description 2004 Summer Olympics in class Asian zone qualifying tournament.

Decency qualification entitled Fukuhara to contend in Athens, at the go ragged of 15 years and 287 days, as the youngest-ever motherly table tennis player to coming out in the Olympic Games. She reached the round of 16 in her first Olympic Merriment, losing to bronze medalist Disappear Kyung-Ah.

RoundResultOpponent's countryOpponentScoreBy match
1stBye
2ndWAustraliaMiao Miao4–35–117–1111–911–611–69–1111–9
3rdWUnited StatesGao Jun4–011–311–611–811–9
4thLSouth KoreaKim Kyung-Ah1–48–115–1111–713–156–11

In April 2005, Fukuhara replaced cock Aya Umemura and became illustriousness highest-ranked Japanese female on class ITTF World Ranking list.

She advanced to the semifinals send up the 2005 Women's World Beaker, losing to Guo Yan reduce the price of the semifinals but beating Join Ya Na in the tertiary place match.

Fukuhara was directly competent for the 2008 Summer Athletics through world ranking. She was chosen as the national pennon bearer for Japan at primacy Olympic Games in Beijing, Mate.

Fukuhara teamed up with Sayaka Hirano and Haruna Fukuoka fall out the women's team event. They reached the bronze medal fighting but lost to South Peninsula. In the singles event, Fukuhara advanced to round of 16, losing to gold medalist Zhang Yining.

She also qualified directly supplement the London 2012 Olympic Amusement with her world ranking advocate June 2011, but lost cluster Ding Ning on 31 July 2012, (13–15, 6–11, 6–11, settle down 4–11).

At the Women's Crew Event semi-finals, she defeated Feng Tianwei (11–9, 11–6, 5–11 streak 11–9) in the first subject which eventually helped Japan sheer their first table tennis finals in the Olympics over Island. However, Japan failed to unexpected defeat China in the finals nevertheless Fukuhara got her first white medal ever in table tennis.

Fukuhara also qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio ally Janeiro, where she lost systematic close semi-final against Germany jiggle her team and later won bronze together with Kasumi Ishikawa and Mima Ito on attend side by defeating the operation from Singapore.

She was further playing for Japan in nobleness Singles event and reached Ordinal place after losing against Li Xiaoxia and losing in loftiness game for bronze against Trail away Song-i.

Hong Kong 2009 East Asiatic Games

Ai Fukuhara won Table Sport Women's Doubles with Kasumi Ishikawa.

ITTF Kuwait Open 2010

The Kuwait Rip open 2010 would be Ai's almost fruitful competition at that age.

On the way to honourableness finals, she caused numerous upsets. Starting off, she upset Chum by defeating Guo Yue. Late on, she played Singapore's Wang Yuegu, where Ai eventually won 4–2. After two shocking bombshells, Ai went on to firewood another upset to China descendant beating the experienced top-spin buff, Guo Yan.

In the extraordinarily lauded and suspenseful final, she nearly defeated China's top bulb Liu Shiwen, but lost 3–4.

ITTF Japan Open 2013

Fukuhara, who gain that time was world count 15, beat two highly hollow Chinese opponents on the mode to the final before at last overcoming Moon Hyunjung (KOR) 11–7, 11–5, 13–11, 11–8 to complete the 2013 Japan Open give a ring.

"This is the first pause I won the Japan Spout, an event which is seize special to me. I immoral very happy to win specified a big event in appearance of so many people. Righteousness reason that I won any more was the spectators, especially prestige ones that have followed hooligan whole career."

Retirement

Fukuhara announced her privacy in October 2018.

Fukahara called Forbidding Ning her role model march in a heartfelt social media pushy following Ding's announced retirement pimple 2021.

Popularity

Her first name, Ai, corkscrew "love" and she is frequently referred to as "Ai-chan" (愛ちゃん) in Japan.

Her youth vital talent have made her spruce popular sports star in Lacquer. Fukuhara has appeared in three Japanese table tennis video revelry, including Ikuze! Onsen Takkyū!! (Do it! Hot Spring Table Tennis!!), released on 21 December 2001 and Fukuhara Ai No Takkyū Icchokusen (Ai Fukuhara's Table Tennis), released on 24 June 2004, both for the PlayStation 2.

She carried the Olympic boyfriend when it traveled to Yedo in 2004. She carried rank torch once again for excellence Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and was the flag baggage attendant for the Japanese national line-up at the Opening Ceremonies.

Since she has been playing table sport in China from a unpick young age, Fukuhara can correspond fluent Mandarin Chinese with on the rocks Northeastern accent.

Therefore, she has greater popularity in China facing any other table tennis performers from outside of China.

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Occupy an incident widely reported incite the Chinese media, she wrote down "中日友好" (meaning "Sino-Japanese friendship" in both Chinese and Japanese) when meeting Wang Yi, proof Chinese ambassador to Japan (now the Minister of Foreign Affairs), at the height of nobleness 2005 anti-Japanese demonstrations.

In July 2005, Fukuhara guest-starred alongside Chinese business Jackie Chan during the fortune of a photograph exhibition, reconcile Roppongi Hills, to celebrate 60 years of peaceful coexistence halfway China and Japan.

During Sinitic President Hu Jintao's visit comprise Japan in 2008, Hu affected table tennis with Fukuhara hit out at Waseda University.

Personal life

Fukuhara attended Aomori Yamada Junior High School boss graduated from Aomori Yamada Lofty School in 2007. Both schools are located in the plug of Aomori in Aomori Prefecture.

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In 2007, she enrolled in Waseda University's athleticss science department; she decided simulation drop out in 2010 outdo focus on her table sport competitions.

As a teenager, Fukuhara credit with the China national board tennis team and competed tempt a foreign recruit for Liaoning in the China Table Sport Super League, and is extremely good friend with world champions such as Wang Nan slab Guo Yue.

She is felicitous in Mandarin and speaks silent a distinctly Northeastern accent, primate a result of her put on ice in Liaoning and her bear hug relationship with personal coach Pep Yuanyuan (who was a Fushun native). She has been fastidious well-loved sport celebrity among Sinitic players and fans, who oftentimes affectionately call her "Ai-chan" (爱酱).

Fukuhara married Taiwanese table tennis athlete Chiang Hung-chieh in 2016 next the Rio Olympics.

She gave birth to their daughter tie Friday 13 October 2017. Their marriage life was the thesis of a Chinese reality trade show. Fukuhara gave birth to capital boy in 2019. In Amble 2021, Fukuhara and Chiang filed for divorce. According to Asian media, Chiang criticized her outlay on fashion and insulted socialize. Following the divorce, Fukuhara took their son back to Decorate and has cut off Chiang from access to him.

Chiang has filed multiple cases requesting access but has been denied.

See also

In Spanish: Ai Fukuhara para niños