2002 USA Table Tennis Players of the Year

Gao Jun and Han Xiao, both of Gaithersburg, MD,  were named by the USOC as the 2002 Female and Male Players of the Year.

Gao, 34, who is currently training and competing in China, won women's singles and doubles at the USA Nationals for the seventh straight year, won women's singles at the North American Championships, and finished first at the USA Team Trials. (She also started off 2003 with a bang, winning gold medals for women's singles & doubles at the Pan Am Games, finishing first at the USA Team Trials, and making the Quarterfinals of women's singles at the World Championships.) She ended the year rated 2632, #1 among women in the U.S.

Han, 16, won men's doubles (with his coach, Cheng Yinghua) at the USA Nationals (at age 15), made the quarterfinals in singles, and won or made the final of a number of junior and under 22 events in various tournaments. He was also the youngest player, at 15, to make the final draw in men's singles at the U.S. Open ITTF Pro Tour event, and the youngest USA player ever to do so. His highest rating during the year was 2553.