{{Short description|Ukrainian table tennis player}} {{family name hatnote|Kou|lang=Chinese}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox table tennis player | name = Kou Lei | image = Kou Lei 2017.jpg | imagesize = 250 | caption = Kou at the Top 16 Antibes, 2017 | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = {{UKR}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|11|20|df=yes}} | birth_place = Beijing, China | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{height|m=1.77|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|73|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} | website = | playingstyle = Right-handed, shakehand<ref name=tt-bio /> | equipment = | club = Nord | hrank = 20 (April 2017)<ref name=wr /> | crank = 54 (December 2020)<ref name=wr /> | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's table tennis }} {{MedalCountry | {{UKR}} }} {{MedalCompetition | European Games }} {{MedalBronze | 2015 Baku | Singles }} {{MedalCompetition | European Championships}} {{MedalBronze | 2010 Ostrava | Doubles}} }}
'''Kou Lei''' ({{langx|uk|Коу Лей}}; born 20 November 1987 in Beijing) is a Ukrainian table tennis player of Chinese origin.<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference |title=Kou Lei |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ku/lei-kuo-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923010116/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ku/lei-kuo-1.html |archive-date=23 September 2018 |access-date=25 February 2013}}</ref>
==Career== As of April 2017, Kou is ranked no. 20 in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).<ref name=wr>{{cite web |title=ITTF World Ranking – Kou Lei |url=https://ranking.ittf.com/#/players/profile/113165/stats |website=International Table Tennis Federation |access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref> Kou is also right-handed, and uses the offensive, shakehand grip.<ref name=tt-bio>{{cite web |title=ITTF World Player Profile – Kou Lei |url=http://www.ittf.com/biography/biography_web_details.asp?Player_ID=113165 |website=International Table Tennis Federation |access-date=25 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217083314/http://www.ittf.com/biography/biography_web_details.asp?Player_ID=113165 |archive-date=17 December 2014 }}</ref>
'''Major League Table Tennis '''
In 2023, Kou joined Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) as part of the league's inaugural season. He was signed to the Los Angeles Spinners, representing the team in the West Division.<ref name="MLTTRoster">{{cite web |title=Los Angeles Spinners |url=https://www.mltt.com/team-members/kou-lei |website=Major League Table Tennis |access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
During the 2025–26 season, Kou maintained a position as a primary singles player for the Spinners. In Week 5 of the season, he recorded two singles wins against Koki Niwa of the New York Slice.<ref name="Week5Recap">{{cite web |title=MLTT Week 5 Recap: An All-Time Match and the Start of a Revolution |url=https://www.mltt.com/news/mltt-week-5-recap-an-all-time-match-and-the-start-of-a-revolution |publisher=Major League Table Tennis |date=November 10, 2025 |access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref> In March 2026, he competed in Week 13 fixtures in Hollywood, Florida, including a match against Seungmin Cho.<ref name="Week13Stats">{{cite av media |title=MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Seungmin Cho vs Kou Lei {{!}} MLTT Week 13 (Hollywood, FL) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObSKA5mJWbk |publisher=Major League Table Tennis |via=YouTube |date=March 11, 2026 |access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
Throughout his tenure in the league, Kou has continued to compete in regional tournaments, winning the Men's Singles title at the 2026 USATT Pacific Regional Championships in February 2026.<ref name="USATT2026">{{cite web |title=Kou and Okamoto Claim Singles Titles at 2026 USATT Pacific Regional Championships |url=https://www.usatt.org/news/2026/february/27/kou-lei-and-yurina-okamoto-claim-singles-titles-at-2026-usatt-pacific-regional-championships |website=USA Table Tennis |date=February 27, 2026 |access-date=March 12, 2026}}</ref>
Kou represented his adopted nation Ukraine at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed in the men's singles. He lost the preliminary round match to Congo's Suraju Saka, with a set score of 1–4.<ref>{{cite web |title=Men's Singles Preliminary Round |url=http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/tabletennis/resultsandschedules/rsc=TTM001906/index.html |publisher=NBC Olympics |access-date=25 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821070124/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/tabletennis/resultsandschedules/rsc=TTM001906/index.html |archive-date=21 August 2012 }}</ref> He reached the last sixteen in 2016 Rio Olympics, and round of 64 in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{ITTF|113165}} * [https://tabletennis.guide/profile.php?name=lei-kou-113165 Kou Lei] at Table Tennis Guide * {{Olympics.com|lei-kou}} * {{Olympedia}} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823165017/http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=65447/bio/index.html |title=NBC 2008 Olympics profile |date=dmy}}
{{2020 Ukraine Summer Olympic team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kou, Lei}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:Olympic table tennis players for Ukraine Category:Ukrainian male table tennis players Category:Chinese male table tennis players Category:Table tennis players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Table tennis players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Table tennis players from Beijing Category:Naturalized citizens of Ukraine Category:Ukrainian people of Chinese descent Category:Table tennis players at the 2015 European Games Category:Medalists at the 2015 European Games Category:Table tennis players at the 2019 European Games Category:European Games medalists in table tennis Category:European Games bronze medalists for Ukraine Category:Naturalised table tennis players Category:Chinese emigrants to Ukraine Category:Table tennis players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
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