Anna Hursey

Last updated

Anna Hursey
Born (2006-06-22) 22 June 2006 (age 18)
Carmarthen, Wales
Medal record
Welsh National Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2020Women's singles
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Birmingham Women's doubles
World Youth Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Nova Gorica U19 girls' doubles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2021 Gaia U15 girls' doubles

Anna Hursey (born 22 June 2006) [1] is a Welsh table tennis player. She is thought to be the youngest person to represent Wales at senior level in any sport, having been aged just 10 when she competed for Wales in a European Championship qualification match against Kosovo in 2017. [2]

Contents

Hursey competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where she came third in the women's doubles event.

Personal life

Hursey was born in Carmarthen, Wales, [3] and attended Cardiff High School. [4] She left Cardiff High School after Year 8. [5] Hursey's mother is Chinese, [3] and in 2019, Hursey moved to Tianjin, China to take up table tennis full-time. [4] [5] She is a United Nations ambassador for climate change in sport, and in 2021, Hursey spoke with US President Joe Biden about climate change. [6]

Career

Hursey began playing table tennis at the age of five. [1] [7] In 2017, Hursey, aged 10, competed for Wales in a European Championship qualification match against Kosovo. In doing so, she is believed to be the youngest person to represent Wales at senior level in any sport. [7] [8] In the same year, she competed at the 2017 World Cadet Challenge. [9] She competed for Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. [1] [7] She was the youngest competitor in Commonwealth Games history. [6] Hursey was nominated for the 2018 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award, which was won by Kare Adenegan. [10]

After the 2020 Welsh National Championships, in which Hursey finished second to Charlotte Carey, [4] she was unable to return to China as the Chinese borders were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] [4] She instead trained in Peterborough, England. [3] Hursey has been ranked the number one ranked Welsh under-15 woman, and number two ranked Welsh woman of any age. [3] [5] At the 2021 ITTF World Youth Championships, Hursey and Portugal's Matilde Pinto came third in the under-15 girls' doubles event. [11]

Hursey was selected in the Wales team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games; [12] [13] Hursey and Charlotte Carey came third in the women's doubles event at the Games, the first time that Welsh women had won a Commonwealth Games table tennis medal. [14] She was part of the Wales team that finished fourth in the women's team competition, [14] and she lost in the quarter-finals of the women's singles event. [15]

Hursey was selected for the women's singles event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. [16] She went out in the first round to 18th seed Manika Batra from India. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Jiawei</span> Chinese-born Singaporean table tennis player

Li Jiawei is a retired Chinese-born former Singaporean table tennis player, four-time Olympian and twice Olympic medalist. She trained in Beijing's famous Shichahai Sports School with Olympic medalist Zhang Yining. In 1995, she moved to Singapore and in the following year, she commenced her international career as a competitive table tennis player. She became a Singapore citizen at the age of 18 years under the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouma Das</span> Indian table tennis player

Mouma Das is an Indian table tennis player. Born and brought up in Kolkata, West Bengal, she has represented India in international events since the early 2000s. Das has won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games including a gold in the Women's Team Competition in 2018. She was awarded the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting honour in 2013 for her contributions to the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Drinkhall</span> British table tennis player

Paul Andrew Drinkhall is a British table tennis player. He won the English Championship in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Sibley</span> British table tennis player

Kelly Sibley is a former professional table tennis player and current coach from England. Sibley won the singles, girls doubles and mixed doubles at the UK Junior Championships and has represented England at senior level at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Mengyu</span> Chinese-born Singaporean table tennis player

Yu Mengyu is a retired Singaporean table tennis player. Born in Liaoning, China, Yu left China in 2006 at the age of 17 to join the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) under the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme. In the same year, Yu made her international debut for Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Pitchford</span> British table tennis player (born 1993)

Liam Benjamin Pitchford is an English table tennis player. He is sponsored by Victas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Tapper</span> Australian para table tennis player

Melissa Tapper is an Australian table tennis player. After competing at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in elite non-Paralympic competition. In March 2016, she became the first Australian athlete to qualify for both the Summer Olympics and Summer Paralympics.

Lily Ann Zhang is an American table tennis player who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with teammates Ariel Hsing and Erica Wu. She also competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio with teammates Jiaqi Zheng and Jennifer Wu. She is a six-time US national champion in women's singles. Zhang has won the US national championship in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. In 2011, she was a bronze medalist in women's singles and women's team at the Pan American Games and won the women's doubles title at the Qatar Peace and Sport Cup. She is currently a member of the United States National Women's team. She has been ranked as high as #2 in the cadet (U-15) world ranking and #5 in the junior (U-18) world ranking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mima Ito</span> Japanese table tennis player

Mima Ito is a Japanese table tennis player. She won a bronze medal in the Women's Team event at the 2016 Summer Olympics when she was 15 years old. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal with her partner Jun Mizutani in the Mixed Doubles event which made its debut, a bronze medal in the Women's singles, and a silver medal in the Women's Team event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miu Hirano</span> Japanese table tennis player

Miu Hirano is a Japanese table tennis player. She won Women's World Cup in 2016 as the youngest ever winner. She won the women's singles at the 2017 Asian Table Tennis Championships by sweeping away three top Chinese players. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in women's team event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tin-Tin Ho</span> British table tennis player

Tin-Tin Ho is an English table tennis player, born and raised in London. She has won multiple national titles, as well as two Commonwealth silver medals, and appeared at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Walker (table tennis)</span> English table tennis player

Samuel Jake Walker is a British table tennis player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Price</span> Welsh boxer (born 1994)

Lauren Louise Price is a Welsh professional boxer, former amateur boxer and former kickboxer and footballer. She has held the WBA, IBO, and Ring female welterweight World titles since 11 May 2024. She was the first-ever female British professional boxing champion having won the welterweight title on 6 May 2023 and holding it until vacating the belt when she became World champion. While representing Wales in the amateur sport she won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Welsh woman to win a Commonwealth Games boxing medal. Four years later she surpassed this achievement by winning gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, followed by a gold at the 2019 World Championships. While representing Great Britain, she won gold medals at the 2019 European Games and 2020 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manika Batra</span> Indian table tennis player

Manika Batra is an Indian table tennis player. She is the top female table tennis player in India and ranks world number 24 in ITTF as of May 2024. She is one of the female players who uses a long pimple rubber. She was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2020.

Karé Adenegan is a British wheelchair athlete specialising in sprint distances in the T34 classification. She was classified as a disability athlete in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Wales competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to April 15, 2018. It is Wales's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930.

Maria Tsaptsinos is an English table tennis player. She competed for England in the Women's Team event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she won a bronze medal alongside teammates Tin-Tin Ho and Kelly Sibley. Tsaptsinos and Ho also competed in the Women's Doubles, reaching the quarter-finals.

Shin Yu-bin is a South Korean table tennis player.

Charlotte Carey is a Welsh table tennis player. Her highest career ITTF ranking was 98 in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Wales competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, between 28 July and 8 August 2022. Having competed at every Games since their 1930 inauguration, it was Wales' twenty-second appearance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Commonwealth Games 2018: Wales name 11-year-old Anna Hursey in squad". BBC Sport . 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Alao, Lola (28 July 2022). "Who is Anna Hursey? All eyes on teen table tennis sensation at Commonwealth Games". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "China return in the air for table tennis prodigy Anna Hursey". Express & Star . 17 March 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Anna Hursey: Welsh table tennis prodigy waits on China return because of coronavirus". BBC Sport . 3 March 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "The 13-year-old girl from Cardiff who has moved to China to become a table tennis star". Wales Online . 13 November 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  6. 1 2 "President Joe Biden asks Anna Hursey, 14, for climate advice". BBC News . 25 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 "Anna Hursey, 11, to represent Wales at 2018 Commonwealth Games". Sony ESPN . 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "Table tennis star Anna Hursey, 10, sets Wales record". BBC News . 31 March 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Morning to forget for Team Europe". International Table Tennis Federation . 27 October 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "BBC Young Sports Personality 2018: Kare Adenegan wins award". BBC Sport . 21 October 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  11. ↑ "ITTF World Youth Championships: U15 Girls Doubles". International Table Tennis Federation . Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "CGW are pleased to announce the 2022 Women's Table Tennis team". Commonwealth Games Wales. 11 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Moore, Shaun (11 May 2022). "Team Wales: Women's Table Tennis players announced". Sunshine Radio . Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Table tennis duo claim Wales' last medal of 2022 Commonwealth Games as star breaks down in tears". Wales Online . 8 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Women's Singles - Quarter-Final 3". 2022 Commonwealth Games . Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Anna Hursey Ready For More Limelight At Paris Olympics". Dai Sport. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "Teenager Hursey suffers first-round defeat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.