Interview with Cheng Yinghua

By Wei Xiao

At the age of 46, you became the oldest player ever to win the USA Nationals. How are you able to compete at this age? Did you do anything special to prepare for this tournament?
I did not really do very much to prepare for the tournament, except for maybe 40 push-ups each night before bed. This is because I am always concerned about getting injured the way I did during the 2000 Olympic trials, after which I had to receive treatment eight times. Also, I didn’t have any pressure mentally, which allowed me to perform well.

Was there extra motivation to win this year and make the national team since the world championships will be in China?
 Of course I tried harder than usual to make the team since the worlds are in China. However, I wasn’t really certain before the tournament whether I still had the ability to compete and make the team, so another motivating factor for me was seeing whether I was still competitive.

Will you continue to compete in future Nationals or other tournaments?
I will continue to play the Nationals as long as I am able to, but I don’t really play in any other tournaments.

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