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The Chinese-born legend wins bronze in women's doubles for Luxembourg 38 years after clinching her first world championship medal

Luxembourg

Table Tennis

Xia Lian Ni: Table tennis legend wins fifth world championship medal at 58

Age is just a number? You bet it is.

Enter [table tennis](https://olympics.com/en/sports/table-tennis/) legend **[Xia Lian](https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/xia-lian-ni/)** **[Ni](https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/xia-lian-ni/)** who just picked up a **fifth world championships medal.** At the age of 58!

Competing for Luxembourg at the world championships in Houston, the Chinese-born player and her doubles partner **Sarah De Nutte** lost in the semis on Sunday evening 3-0 to the Chinese pair Manyu Wang/Yingsha Sun.

Losing semifinalists win bronze automatically.

"At the beginning, we just wanted to fight as much as we could and really focused on our games," said Ni. "Now we have made Luxembourgish sport history which is an immense honour for us. It is such a great feeling, and we are really happy."

It was Ni's 22nd world championship appearance, and she secured her first world championship medal since claiming women's doubles silver for China in 1985. She had also won team and mixed doubles gold as well as women's doubles bronze for China at the worlds in 1983.

It's been quite a journey for Ni, who was **Luxembourg's flag-bearer** at [Rio 2016](https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/events/detail/rio-2016/).

You want to find out more about her amazing longevity and how it all started? [Read our exclusive interview with her](https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/ni-xialian-1983-world-champion-fifth-olympics-tokyo-2020) ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

"My heart is very young" the table tennis pioneer told Olympic Channel, as she looks ahead to another major tournament appearance. Before moving to Luxembourg in the 1980s, Ni won two doubles world titles with China in Tokyo. She'll return to the Japanese capital in 2021, having qualified for her fifth Olympics representing the European nation. Ni turns 58 in July, making her the oldest table tennis player in Olympic history, and she could be the oldest athlete at the Games in any sport. The veteran table tennis player relishes her many nicknames: Mummy, sister, auntie, teacher, coach, and shares what she's most looking forward to during this next career landmark.

Xia Lian NI

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Meet Ni Xialian, preparing to make Olympic history aged 58

58-year-old Xia Lian Ni picks up historic fifth world championship medal 

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58-year-old Xia Lian Ni picks up historic fifth world championship medal

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