Choi Hyo-joo (, born 15 April 1998) is a Chinese-born South Korean table tennis player. Born in China as Yao Yao ( zh, c=姚尧), she became a naturalized South Korean citizen in November 2013. She represented South Korea at the team event in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Early life and move to Korea

Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...

native, Choi (then known as Yao Yao) attended a table tennis school in

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...

at a young age. In 2009, she finished 8th in the national cadet tournament, behind the likes of

Chen Meng Chen Meng (; born 15 January 1994) is a Chinese professional table tennis player and Olympic champion. She joined the provincial team when she was 9 and joined the national team when she was only 13 in 2007. She is the women's singles champion o ...

, Gu Yuting,

Shao Jieni Shao Jieni ( zh, c=邵杰妮, p=Shào Jiénī, born 24 January 1994) is a Chinese-born Portuguese table tennis player. Originally from Anshan, Shao Jieni began her professional career in Beijing. In 2010, at the age of sixteen and without speaki ...

, and

Zhu Yuling Zhu Yuling (; born 10 January 1995) is a Chinese table tennis player representing Macau. Career Zhu was born in Mianyang in 1995 and began playing table tennis at the age of five, as it kept her occupied while she was ill. At the age of nine, s ...

. She was spotted by Choi Young-il, head coach of the Korean club Samsung Life, who persuaded her to go to South Korea and acquire Korean nationality. Several people helped out with her naturalization: the mother of

Jeong Sang-eun Jeong Sang-eun (, born 2 April 1990) is a Chinese-South Korean table tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the ...

, another Chinese-born South Korean player, and Coach Choi's older brother, a public employee, who volunteered to foster her. Later, when she became a naturalized Korean, she adopted the surname Choi.

Achievements

ITTF Tours

''Women's singles'' ''Women's doubles''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Choi, Hyo-joo 1998 births Living people Chinese female table tennis players South Korean female table tennis players Table tennis players from Jiangsu Chinese emigrants to South Korea Naturalised table tennis players Naturalized citizens of South Korea Asian Games bronze medalists in table tennis Table tennis players at the 2018 Asian Games Asian Games bronze medalists for South Korea Medalists at the 2018 Asian Games Table tennis players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic table tennis players for South Korea 21st-century South Korean sportswomen