China volleyball captain Zhu to end national team exile, drive team’s bid for Paris Olympics qualification
- Zhu Ting has not played for the national team for more than two years after the bitter disappointment of ninth place at Tokyo Games
- The 29-year-old expects to be with the side for FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League in Macau and Hong Kong
Former Chinese women’s volleyball captain Zhu Ting will make her first national team appearance in more than two years when she returns to the court at the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League in Macau.
The Olympic champion, who won gold in Rio in 2016, will also take part in the third and final event of the season in Hong Kong next month, as China battle for a place at the Paris Games this summer.
Having guided club side Pallavolo Scandicci to second in the Italian Women’s Serie A1 last month, Zhu is expected to resume national team training in Beijing soon before joining her teammates in Macau later this month.
“I won’t be able to make it to the first leg in Brazil,” Zhu said. “The General Administration of Sport of China and the team let me adjust and recover at home, and be prepared for the second leg.”
China were ninth at the Tokyo Olympics, the country’s worst result in 10 appearances at a Games, and Zhu was heavily criticised for her performances, despite the fact she was injured.
After an operation on her right wrist in April 2022, the two-time World Cup winner moved to Italy and has been out of the national team since then.
