Wang Tao (table tennis)

Wang Tao (born December 13, 1967, in Beijing) is a retired Chinese table tennis player, the current head coach of the Bayi Gongshang club in the China Table Tennis Super League, and a member of the Chinese Olympic Committee. Wang Tao is a left-handed player who utilizes the shakehand grip, known for using short pimpled rubber on his backhand and regular inverted rubber on his forehand. Due to the special characteristics of short pimpled rubber being able to hit through and resist spin, Wang Tao's play style is unique, as he was able to rely on the quick hitting motion on his backhand to directly attack serves with heavy spin or make controlled shots at wide angles against his opponents. Wang Tao positions himself close to the table, attacking with great speed and surprising his opponents with unexpected shots.

Wang Tao was an influential figure, making great contributions to the revival of Chinese dominance in the sport of table tennis in a time when European countries like Sweden and Austria dominated the world stage (winning the men's team event during the 1995 table tennis world championships).

Wang Tao was mentioned in season 4, episode 8 of the American television series The Office. In the episode, entitled "The Deposition", the character Dwight Schrute mentions Wang Tao as one of his table tennis heroes.