DengYaping(SimplifiedChinese:邓亚萍;TraditionalChinese:邓亚萍;bornFebruary5,1973inZhengzhouintheHenanprovinceofChina)isa4-timeOlympicgoldmedalist.Whensheretiredattheageof24,shehadwonmoretitlesthananyotherplayerinthesport,includingfourOlympicgoldmedals,andhadbeen18timesworldchampionintabletennis.From1990to1997,sheretainedthetitleofworldNo.1rankedfemaletabletennisplayerfor8years.ShewasvotedChinesefemaleathleteofthecentury,andjoinedtheInternationalTableTennisFederationHallofFamein2003.

　　Followingherretirement,shewasselectedamemberoftheInternationalOlympicCommitteein1997,andisamemberoftheeliteLaureusWorldSportsAcademy,amemberoftheChinesePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference.ShegainedaBachelor'sdegreefromTsinghuaUniversity,aMaster'sDegreefromtheUniversityofNottingham,andasofMarch2006[1],wascontinuingtostudyforaPhD.inLandEconomyattheUniversityofCambridge(JesusCollege).Herresearchworkcoincideswithherprofessionalfocusonthemarketing,managementanddevelopmentofthe2008BeijingOlympics.ShegotmarriedtoLinZhigang,alsoatabletennisplayer,lastyearandrecentlygavebirthtoababyboy.