{{short description|Chinese-born Luxembourgish table tennis player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{family name hatnote|Ni|lang=Chinese}} {{Infobox table tennis player | name=Xia Lian Ni | image=Ni Xialian-001.JPG | caption=Ni in 2010 | nationality=Luxembourgish | birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|7|4}} | birth_place=Shanghai, China | playingstyle=Left-handed, penhold | hrank=6 (25 May 1985)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ConsolidatedRankings.pdf|title=History of World Rankings |author=André Damman |website=ittf.com |access-date= 6 March 2020}}</ref> | height=1.57 m | weight=58 kg | medaltemplates= {{MedalSport | Women's table tennis }} {{MedalCountry | {{LUX}} }} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalBronze|2021 Houston|Doubles}} {{MedalCompetition|European Games}} {{MedalBronze|2019 Minsk|Singles}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalGold|1998 Eindhoven|Singles}} {{MedalGold|2002 Zagreb|Singles}} {{MedalGold|2002 Zagreb|Mixed doubles}} {{MedalSilver|2000 Bremen|Doubles}} {{MedalSilver|2007 Belgrade|Singles}} {{MedalBronze|2018 Alicante|Doubles}} {{MedalBronze|2022 Munich |Doubles}} {{MedalCompetition|Games of the Small States of Europe}} {{MedalGold|2009 Cyprus|Singles}} {{MedalGold|2009 Cyprus|Doubles}} {{MedalGold|2009 Cyprus|Team}} {{MedalGold|2011 Liechtenstein|Singles}} {{MedalGold|2011 Liechtenstein|Doubles}} {{MedalGold|2011 Liechtenstein|Team}} {{MedalGold|2013 Luxembourg|Doubles}} {{MedalGold|2013 Luxembourg|Team}} {{MedalGold|2015 Iceland|Team}} {{MedalCountry|{{CHN}}}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalGold|1983 Tokyo|Team}} {{MedalGold|1983 Tokyo|Mixed doubles}} {{MedalSilver|1985 Gothenburg|Doubles}} {{MedalBronze|1983 Tokyo|Doubles}} |crank=46 (Feb 2024)<ref name="ranking-2024">{{cite web |url= https://worldtabletennis.com/playerDescription?playerId=106706| title=WTT |website=worldtabletennis.com |access-date= 2024-02-19}}</ref> }}
'''Ni Xia Lian''' ({{lang-zh|s=倪夏連}}; born 4 July 1963) is a Chinese-born Luxembourgish table tennis player who has represented Luxembourg in international competitions since 1991. Born in Shanghai, China, she currently lives with her husband, Tommy Danielsson, in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg.
== Personal == Ni began playing table tennis at age 7, and she joined the Chinese national team when she was a teenager.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Ben |last2=Robinson |first2=Joshua |date=July 29, 2024 |title=The Olympian Who Is 61 Years Old - and Destroying Athletes Half Her Age |url=https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-table-tennis-oldest-olympian-ni-xialin-a53458e6 |access-date=July 30, 2024 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>
==Career== Ni won team and mixed doubles gold medals for China in the 1983 World Table Tennis Championships.<ref>[https://worldtabletennis.com/playerDescription?playerId=106706 BIOGRAPHY(World Table Tennis)]</ref><ref>[https://sporthenon.com/result/1983/Table-tennis/World-Championships/Mixed-doubles/KJJS2MZXGE3C2MI Table tennis – World Championships – Mixed doubles]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5juxS6ye0c|title= Guo Yuehua/Ni Xia Lian - Chen Xinhua/Tong Ling 1983|last=|first=|date=10 November 2021|website=Youtube|access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref> She moved to Germany in 1989 and settled in Luxembourg two years later. Her husband, Tommy Danielsson, is her coach and training partner.<ref name=":0" /> She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the third round of the singles competition. She qualified for competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the Women's singles competition. She lost 4–2 to 16-year-old Ariel Hsing from the US in the 2nd round in the London games.
She competed for Luxembourg at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the women's singles competition. She lost 4–2 to Feng Tianwei of Singapore in the 3rd round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/table-tennis-womens-singles-round-3-tt-16|title=Rio 2016|website=Rio 2016|access-date=23 August 2016|archive-date=27 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827022149/https://www.rio2016.com/en/table-tennis-womens-singles-round-3-tt-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was the flag bearer for Luxembourg during the closing ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/the-flagbearers-for-the-rio-2016-closing-ceremony|title=The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony|date=21 August 2016|access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref>
When she qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics at the age of 58, Ni became the oldest Olympian table tennis player.<ref>[http://delano.lu/d/detail/news/ni-xia-lian-set-be-oldest-table-tennis-olympian/206826 Ni Xia Lian set to be oldest table tennis Olympian]</ref>
During the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Hybiome Austrian Open, Ni won the longest match in table tennis history which lasted 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 44 seconds.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=ETTU.org - 54-year-old Ni Xialian Wins Longest Table Tennis Match in Modern History |url=https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2017/september/54-year-old-ni-xialian-wins-longest-table-tennis-match-in-modern-history-/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=www.ettu.org |date=18 June 2024 |language=de}}</ref>
In 2021, Ni, 58 years old, won the women's doubles bronze medal for Luxembourg (LUX) in 2021 World Table Tennis Championships alongside Sarah de Nutte.<ref>[https://lequotidien.lu/a-la-une/tennis-de-table-ce-sera-le-bronze/ Table tennis It will be bronze]</ref> At the age of 60, Ni was ranked the 46th worldwide.<ref name="ranking-2024" />{{when|When in 2024?|date=July 2024}}
She competed in table tennis for Luxembourg at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris where she was also one of the country's flag bearers during the opening ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gunston |first1=Jo |title=PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS: 61-YEAR OLD NI XIA LIAN WINS FIRST ROUND MATCH AT SIXTH GAMES |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-ni-xia-lian-61-wins-table-tennis-olympic-games |website=olympics.com |access-date=28 July 2024}}</ref> She beat Sibel Altinkaya 4-2 in the first round, but lost 4-0 to the current world No. 1 Sun Yingsha.
Ni is noted to be one of "the most beloved athletes" in Luxembourg, where she was honored twice as that country's Sportswoman of the Year.<ref name=":0" />
==See also== * List of table tennis players * List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}} * {{COSL profile|ni-xia-lian|Ni Xia Lian}} * {{Instagram|name=Ni Xia Lian}}
{{Navboxes | title = Ni Xialian's Titles | titlestyle = background: #EEEEFF | list1 ={{Footer World Champions Table Tennis Doubles Mixed}} {{Footer World Champions Table Tennis Team Women}} {{Footer European Champions Table Tennis Singles Women}} {{Footer European Champions Table Tennis Doubles Mixed}} {{Footer European Top-12 Champions Table Tennis Singles Women}} }} {{Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ni, Xialian}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Luxembourgian female table tennis players Category:Table tennis players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Table tennis players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Table tennis players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Table tennis players at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic table tennis players for Luxembourg Category:Chinese expatriates in Germany Category:Chinese emigrants to Luxembourg Category:Table tennis players from Shanghai Category:Table tennis players at the 2015 European Games Category:Table tennis players at the 2019 European Games Category:Medalists at the 2019 European Games Category:European Games medalists in table tennis Category:European Games bronze medalists for Luxembourg Category:Chinese female table tennis players Category:Naturalised table tennis players Category:Naturalised citizens of Luxembourg Category:People from Ettelbruck Category:Sportspeople from the canton of Diekirch Category:Table tennis players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:World Table Tennis Championships medalists Category:Table tennis players at the 2023 European Games Category:Table tennis players at the 2024 Summer Olympics