Surprising and important visitors arrived at the Werner Schlager Academy. 

China's living table tennis legend Zhang Yining, the best table tennis player of all time, four-time Olympic champion, ten-time World champion, four-time World Cup winner, 46-time winner on the ITTF Pro Tour, Asian champion and between 2003 and 2009 almost consistently the number one in the women's world rankings, included in her visit to Austria a trip to the Werner Schlager Academy.

Zhang Yining, now studying sports management in Beijing and in Chicago (USA), accompanied by her husband Dr. Xu Hui, were the guest of Austria's women's coach Liu Yan Jun, who at the WSA is in charge of the Women's Project and head coach of the WSA Partner's Club SVS STRÖCK.

After a tour of the Multiversum, Zhang Yining was deeply impressed by the facility, including the Werner Schlager Academy.  She said: “This is certainly the greatest table tennis training center in the world.”  Her husband, Dr. Xu Hui, added, “This is even more impressive than what is in China.”  Zhang Yining also recorded impressions with her cell phone camera.

Similar comments were heard from the Chinese national team when they completed their World Championships preparation at the Werner Schlager Academy just prior to the tournament.  Even the Chinese men's head coach Liu Guo Liang said a number of times after his team's Schwechat stay that “The WSA is by far the best training center in Europe.”

As if to confirm their quality of preparation, the Chinese men's and women's team concluded the World Championships on Sunday in Rotterdam, capturing all the gold and silver medals.