The 2004 USA Olympic Table Tennis Team

Athens, Greece · Aug. 14-23, 2004

The 2004 USA Olympic Team Poster

Email from Tawny Banh after winning her first-round match

Results: ITTF or Official Olympic Page

USA Olympic Men's Team

Ilija Lupulesku - Men's Singles & Doubles

• Men's Doubles Partner: Mark Hazinski

• Born: Yugoslavia

• Residence: Chicago, IL

• Handedness: Left

• Grip: Shakehand

• Style of Play: two-winged shakehand steady looper

Personal profile: Lupulesku was born in Yugoslavia and is making the jump to join the U.S. Association.  A member of the 2003 U.S. Pan Am Team, Lupulesku could not make the trip to Santo Domingo due to injury.  As the #1 eligible male table tennis athlete in the U.S. Lupulesku has his site on making his first U.S. Olympic Team.  He was a Silver Medalist in doubles at the 1988 Olympics, with Zoran Primorac.

Athlete Highlights:

• 2004 USA Olympic Team Member

• 2002 & 2003 U.S. National Men’s Singles Champion  

• 2003 U.S. National Mixed Doubles Champion; Doubles Champion

• 2002 U.S Open Elite Singles and Over 30 Champion

• 2001 North American Teams Champion

• 1990 European Men’s Doubles Champion, 3-time runner-up

• 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist, Men’s Doubles

• 1987 World Championships Men’s Doubles Finalist

• Two time European Mixed Doubles Champion, 2-time Runner-up

• Four-time Yugoslavian Men’s Singles Champion; 10-time men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles Champion

Khoa Nguyen - Men's Singles

Rating: 2595

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Age: 36 (10-9-66)

Playing Style: Agressive shakehand 2-winged looper

• 2000 North American Men's Singles Champion

• 1995 U.S. Men’s Doubles Champion

• 1995 Men’s Singles and Mixed Doubles Finalist

• Gold Medalist, 1987 Pan Am Games, Mixed Doubles; Silver Medalist, Men's Teams

• Member, 2000 USA Olympic Team

• Many-time U.S. Team member since 1987

Mark Hazinski - Men's Doubles

• Men's Doubles Partner: Ilija Lupulesku

• Height: 6’4”

• Weight: 195

• Born: Mishawaka, IN

• Residence: Mishawaka, IN

• Handedness: Right

• Grip: Shakehand

• Style of Play: Power Looper

Goals: To make the 2004 Olympic Team and make a living out of table tennis.

Personal Profile: A U.S. National Team Member in 2001 & 2003, Mark first made the Men’s team at 15.  Mark was introduced to the sport in elementary school at 9, but is now home schooled.  Mark has two younger sisters.  Mark grew up in Indiana close to his mentor & Men’s National Team Coach, Dan Seemiller.  Mark is a very humble individual and wishes that every country spoke the same language.

Athlete Highlights:

• Member of 2003 U.S. National Men’s, Pan Am, and World Teams

• 2003 U.S. National Championships Finalist almost defeating the reigning Champion

• 2003 U.S. National Championships Men’s Doubles Semifinalist

• 2003 U.S. Open U-22 Men’s Semifinalist

• 2003 Canadian Junior Open Bronze Team Medalist

• 1998-2001 Junior Olympic Gold Medalist in Singles & Doubles

• 2000-2002 U.S. National Championships U-22 Champion in Singles

• 2001-2002 U.S. National Championships U-18 Champion

USA Olympic Women's Team

Gao Jun - Women's Singles & Doubles

(Gao prequalified for the Olympics based on her world ranking, and so did not have to play in the North American Olympic Trials)

• Women's Doubles Partner: Tawny Banh

• Height: 5’5”

• Weight: 154

• Born: Heibei, China

• Residence: Gaithersburg, MD

• Handedness: Right

• Grip: Penhold

• Style of Play: Offensive

• World Ranking: 14

Goal: To win an Olympic medal for the U.S.

Personal Profile: A member of the U.S. National Team since 1997, Gao Jun is currently studying Economic Trade at the east China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China while she trains with her Chinese club.  She likes love songs, 007 and Batman movies, and likes to reminisce about her father taking her to table tennis school as a child in China.  Her father introduced her to the sport at the age of five.

Athlete Highlights:

• 2003 Pan Am Games Women’s Singles & Team Gold Medal

• 1999 Pan Am Games Women’s Singles Gold Medal

• 1992 Olympic Women’s Doubles Silver Medal

• 2003 World Championships Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 1993 World Championships Women’s Team Champion

• 1993 World Championships Women’s Singles & Doubles Semifinalist

• 1991 World Championships Women’s Doubles Champion

• 1999, 2001 & 2002 North American Women’s Singles Champion

• 1999, 2000 & 2001 North American Women’s Doubles Champion

• Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist at 2004 Korea & Singapore ITTF Pro Tour Events

• 2003 Korean ITTF Pro Tour Women’s Doubles Finalist

• 1994 U.S. Open Women’s Singles Champion

• 1992 Asian Cup Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 1990 Asian Games Women’s Singles Runner-up

• 1990 & 1991 World Cup Women’s Team Champion

• 7-time USA National Women’s Singles & Doubles Champion, 6-time Mixed Doubles Champion (undefeated at USA Nationals; did not play mixed doubles one year)

Jasna Reed - Women's Singles & Doubles

• Women's Doubles Partner: Whitney Ping

• Height: 5’7”

• Weight: 117

• Born: Foca, Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Residence: Chicago, IL

• Handedness: Right

• Grip: Shakehand

• Style of Play: All Around

Goals: To win another Olympic medal, have  fun, a family, and  a steady job.

Personal Profile: Jasna has a degree in Political Science from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.  She says that her degree, Olympic medal, and many friends that she can rely on are her greatest accomplishments.  Jasna claims to be a movie “freak” and likes to play other sports.  Jasna also claims to have no ability to control her emotions

Athlete Highlights:

• 2004 USA Olympic Team Member

• 2003 U.S. National Championships Women’s Singles Champion

• 2001-2003 U.S. National Championships Women’s Doubles Champion

• 2003 U.S. National Championships Mixed Doubles Champion

• 2003 Pan Am Game Gold Medalist in Women’s Doubles

• Made round of 16’s at 2003 Danish Open– Pro Tour Event

• 1988 Olympic Bronze Medal-Women's Doubles

• 1988 European Gold-Mixed Doubles

• 1992 European Gold-Women’s Doubles

• 15 time Yugoslavian Champion in Singles, Teams, Mixed Doubles & Women’s Doubles

• U.S. National Women’s Team member since 2000

Tawny Banh - Women's Singles & Doubles

• Women's Doubles Partner: Gao Jun

• Height: 5’3”

• Weight: 118

• Born: Bac Lieu, Vietnam

• Residence: San Gabriel, CA

• Handedness: Right

• Grip: Shakehand

• Style of Play: Aggressive Forehand Loop w/ Backhand hit

Goals: To qualify for the 2004 Olympics and become U.S. National Champion.  Also to have a successful business of my own.

Personal Profile: A National Team member since 1994, Tawny started her career at 13 when her oldest brother introduced her to the sport.  She enjoys time with her 5 siblings and says her mom always does the nicest things for her.  Tawny’s greatest accomplishment was qualifying for the 2000 Olympic Team with an injured arm. Tawny is very caring and compassionate.

Athlete Highlights:

• 2004 USA Olympic Team Member

• 2003 Pan Am Game Silver Medalist in Doubles; Bronze Medalist in Singles

• 2003 U.S. National Championships 1st in Doubles; 2nd in Singles

• 2003 North American Championships 2nd in Singles & Doubles

• 2002 North American Championships 2nd in Singles & Doubles

• 1999 Pan Am Game Team Gold Medalist

• 1995 Pan Am Game Silver Medalist in Teams; Bronze Medalist in Singles

Whitney Ping - Women's Doubles

• Women's Doubles Partner: Jasna Reed

• Height:  5’4”

• Weight: 115

• Born: Portland, OR

• Residence: Beaverton, OR

• Handedness: Right

• Grip: Shakehand

• Style of Play: Two-winged mid-distance looper

Goals: To make the U.S. National Team and the Olympic Team and to be a top ranked player in the world.

Personal Profile: Whitney loves the complexity of the game and how the more she comes to understand it, the more she starts to love it.  Whitney also likes the traveling associated with the sport and the opportunities to meet lots of new people.  In High School Whitney was a 4.0 GPA student, member of the National Honor Society, and the “Who’s Who Among American High School Students”.

Athlete Highlights:

• Member of 1999-2004 U.S. Junior National Team

• 2002 U.S. Junior National Champion U-18 Girls

• 2002 U.S National Championships U-22 Women’s Champion

• 2002 U.S. National Women’s Singles Quarterfinalist

• 2002 North American Junior Girls’ Finalist

• 2001 Canadian International Junior Open Cadet Girls’ Champion