Liu Guoliang, born in 1976 in Henan, is a retired Chinese table tennis legend who became the first Chinese male player to achieve a career Grand Slam (Olympics, World Cup, and World Championships). As a player, he famously won two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (singles and doubles with partner Kong Linghui) and the 1999 World Singles Championships. After retiring in 2001, he became head coach of China's men's team at just 27, leading them to team golds at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics and an unprecedented run of World Team Championship titles from 2001 to 2018. He later transitioned to administration, becoming president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association in 2018, and was appointed ITTF Deputy President and WTT board chairman in 2022, before stepping down as CTTA president in 2025. Known for his innovative penholder grip and backhand reverse topspin, his playing style relied on short-pimple rubber, specifically the TSP Spinpips, which was eventually banned for being too advantageous due to its unique pip structure.