.jpg) Fukuhara at the2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nickname | Ai-chan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1988-11-01)1 November 1988 (age 37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 155 cm (5 ft 1 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Table tennis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing style | Right-handed,shakehand grip | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 4 (October 2015)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Ai Fukuhara (福原 愛,Fukuhara Ai; born 1 November 1988) is a retiredJapanesetable tennis player and Olympic medalist, winning silver at the2012 Summer Olympics and bronze at the2016 Summer Olympics with the Japanese women's team. She is sponsored byAll Nippon Airways.[3][4][5]
Fukuhara began playing at the age of 3 and became a professional at age 10. The following year, she became the youngest player ever to become a member of the Japanese national team. Because of her age, she has been regarded as a "child prodigy" in table tennis.[6] At age 13, in 2002, she became the youngest-ever Japanese representative for theAsian Games.[7] In 2003, she reached the quarter-final, losing to top-seededZhang Yining, in herWorld Championships debut inParis.[8] In 2004, she took part in the World Team Championships and helped Team Japan finish third.
Fukuhara qualified to participate in the2004 Summer Olympics in the Asian zone qualifying tournament.[9] The qualification entitled Fukuhara to compete in Athens, at the age of 15 years and 287 days, as the youngest-ever female table tennis player to debut in theOlympic Games.[10] She reached the round of 16 in her first Olympic Games, losing to bronze medalistKim Kyung-Ah.[11]
| Round | Result | Opponent's country | Opponent | Score | By match | ||||||
| 1st | Bye | ||||||||||
| 2nd | W |  Australia | Miao Miao | 4–3 | 5–11 | 7–11 | 11–9 | 11–6 | 11–6 | 9–11 | 11–9 |
| 3rd | W |  United States | Gao Jun | 4–0 | 11–3 | 11–6 | 11–8 | 11–9 | |||
| 4th | L |  South Korea | Kim Kyung-Ah | 1–4 | 8–11 | 5–11 | 11–7 | 13–15 | 6–11 | ||
In April 2005, Fukuhara replaced compatriot Aya Umemura and became the highest-ranked Japanese female on the ITTF World Ranking list.[12] She advanced to the semifinals at the 2005Women's World Cup, losing toGuo Yan in the semifinals but beatingTie Ya Na in the third place match.[13][14]
Fukuhara was directly qualified for the2008 Summer Olympics through world ranking.[15] She was chosen as the national flag bearer for Japan at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.[16] Fukuhara teamed up withSayaka Hirano andHaruna Fukuoka at the women's team event. They reached the bronze medal contest but lost to South Korea. In the singles event, Fukuhara advanced to round of 16, losing to gold medalistZhang Yining.
She also qualified directly for theLondon 2012 Olympic Games with her world ranking in June 2011, but lost toDing Ning on 31 July 2012, (13–15, 6–11, 6–11, and 4–11).[17] At theWomen's Team Event semi-finals, she defeatedFeng Tianwei (11–9, 11–6, 5–11 and 11–9) in the first match which eventually helped Japan reach their first table tennis finals in the Olympics over Singapore.[18][19] However, Japan failed to defeat China in the finals but Fukuhara got her firstsilver medal ever in table tennis.[20]
Fukuhara also qualified for the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, where she lost a close semi-final against Germany with her team and later won bronze together withKasumi Ishikawa andMima Ito on her side by defeating the team from Singapore.[21] She was also playing for Japan in the Singles event and reached 4th place after losing againstLi Xiaoxia and losing in the game for bronze againstKim Song-i.[22]
Ai Fukuhara won Table Tennis Women's Doubles withKasumi Ishikawa.[23]
The Kuwait Open 2010 would be Ai's most fruitful competition at that time. On the way to the finals, she caused numerous upsets.[24] Starting off, she upset China by defeatingGuo Yue. Later on, she played Singapore'sWang Yuegu, where Ai eventually won 4–2. After two shocking wins, Ai went on to cause another upset to China by beating the experienced top-spin specialist,Guo Yan. In the highly lauded and suspenseful final, she nearly defeated China's top seedLiu Shiwen, but lost 3–4.
Fukuhara, who at that time was world number 15, beat two highly rated Chinese opponents on the way to the final before eventually overcoming Moon Hyunjung (KOR) 11–7, 11–5, 13–11, 11–8 to clinch the 2013Japan Open title."This is the first time I won the Japan Open, an event which is very special to me. I am very happy to win such a big event in front of so many people. The reason that I won today was the spectators, especially the ones that have followed my whole career."
Fukuhara announced her retirement in October 2018.[25]
Fukahara calledDing Ning her role model in a heartfelt social media post following Ding's announced retirement in 2021.[26]
Her first name, Ai, means "love" and she is often referred to as "Ai-chan" (愛ちゃん) in Japan. Her youth and talent have made her a popular sports star in Japan. Fukuhara has appeared in two Japanese table tennis video games, includingIkuze! Onsen Takkyū!! (Do it! Hot Spring Table Tennis!!), released on 21 December 2001 andFukuhara Ai No Takkyū Icchokusen (Ai Fukuhara's Table Tennis), released on 24 June 2004, both for thePlayStation 2.[27][28][29] She carried the Olympic flame when it traveled to Tokyo in 2004.[30][31] She carried the torch once again for theBeijing Olympic Games in 2008, and was the flag bearer for the Japanese national team at the Opening Ceremonies.[16][32]
Since she has been playing table tennis in China from a very young age, Fukuhara can speak fluentMandarin Chinese with aNortheastern accent. Therefore, she has greater popularity in China than any other table tennis players from outside of China.[33] In an incident widely reported by the Chinese media, she wrote down "中日友好" (meaning "Sino-Japanese friendship" in both Chinese and Japanese) when meetingWang Yi, then Chinese ambassador to Japan (now the Minister of Foreign Affairs), at the height of the2005 anti-Japanese demonstrations.[34]
In July 2005, Fukuhara guest-starred alongside Chinese actorJackie Chan during the opening of a photograph exhibition, inRoppongi Hills, to celebrate 60 years of peaceful coexistence between China and Japan.[35] During Chinese PresidentHu Jintao's visit to Japan in 2008, Hu played table tennis with Fukuhara atWaseda University.[36][37]
Fukuhara attended Aomori Yamada Junior High School and graduated from Aomori Yamada High School in 2007. Both schools are located in the city ofAomori inAomori Prefecture. In 2007, she enrolled inWaseda University's sports science department; she decided to drop out in 2010 to focus on her table tennis competitions.[38]
As a teenager, Fukuhara trained with theChina national table tennis team and competed as a foreign recruit forLiaoning in theChina Table Tennis Super League, and is very good friend with world champions such asWang Nan andGuo Yue. She is fluent inMandarin and speaks with a distinctlyNortheastern accent, as a result of her time in Liaoning and her close relationship with personal coach Tang Yuanyuan (who was aFushun native). She has been a well-loved sport celebrity among Chinese players and fans, who often affectionately call her "Ai-chan" (爱酱).
Fukuhara married Taiwanese table tennis playerChiang Hung-chieh in 2016 following theRio Olympics.[39] She gave birth to their daughter on Friday 13 October 2017.[40] Their marriage life was the subject of a Chinese reality show.[41] Fukuhara gave birth to a boy in 2019.[42] In March 2021, Fukuhara and Chiang filed for divorce.[43][44][45] According to Japanese media, Chiang criticized her spending on fashion and insulted her.[44][45] Following the divorce, Fukuhara took their son back to Japan and has cut off Chiang from access to him.[46] Chiang has filed multiple cases requesting access but has been denied.[47]
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| Preceded by | Flagbearer for JapanBeijing 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Kuwait Open |
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| Qatar Open |
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| China Open |
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| Japan Open |
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| German Open |
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| Korea Open |
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| Australian Open |
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| Austrian Open |
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| International | |
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| National | |
