Vladimir Samsonov

Vladimir Samsonov Uładzimir Samsonaŭ
File:Mondial Ping - Men's Singles - Round 4 - Kenta Matsudaira-Vladimir Samsonov - 09.jpg Samsonov at the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships.
Personal information
Full name	Vladimir Viktorovich Samsonov; Uładzimir Viktaravich Samsonaŭ
Nationality	Belarus
Born	(1976-04-17) April 17, 1976 Minsk, Belarus
Playing style	Right-handed, shakehand grip
Equipment(s)	Tibhar: blade - Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition, rubbers - Evolution MX-S
Highest ranking	1
Current ranking	9 (May 2016)
Height
Weight	82 kg (181 lb; 12.9 st)
Medal record Men's table tennis Representing Belarus European Games 2015 Baku Singles World Championships 1995 Tianjin Doubles 1997 Manchester Singles 1999 Eindhoven Doubles World Cup 1999 Xiaolan Singles 2001 Courmayeur Singles 2009 Moscow Singles 2013 Verviers Singles 1996 Nimes Singles 1997 Nimes Singles 2012 Liverpool Singles European Championships 1996 Bratislava Mixed Doubles 1998 Eindhoven Singles 1998 Eindhoven Doubles 2003 Courmayeur Singles 2003 Courmayeur Team 2005 Aarhus Singles 2005 Aarhus Doubles 2007 Belgrade Singles 2008 Saint-Petersburg Singles 2008 Saint-Petersburg Team 2010 Ostrava Team 2013 Schwechat Singles 1994 Birmingham Doubles 2012 Herning Doubles 2013 Schwechat Team 2015 Ekaterinburg Team

Vladimir Samsonov (Belarusian: Уладзімір Самсонаў, Łacinka: Uładzimir Samsonaŭ) (born April 17, 1976 in Minsk) is a Belarusian professional table tennis player, ranked 9th in the world as of May 2016. He is known in China as the "Tai Chi Master" because of his superb all-around (both offensive and defensive) style.

He is known as Mr.ECL (European Champions League) for participating in the tournament for at least 15 years straight and because he currently holds nine (9) ECL winner titles - three with Borussia, five with Charleroi, and two with Fakel Orenburg. He began his European club career when he joined Borussia Düsseldorf in 1994, then seven years later moved to Royal Charleroi in Belgium. In 2008 he moved to Spain to play for Cajagranada, but the things didn't go the way he planned and two years later he decided to join Russian superleague club Fakel Orenburg.

He is famous for being a top-10 player longer than anyone else in official ranking history save for the legend of table tennis Jan-Ove Waldner. He first joined the top-10 in 1996, then climbed to the top position in 1998. He stayed in the top-10 for 15 years until November 2011. He is ranked #9 as of May 2016. He also currently holds the distinction of being the player with most ITTF ProTour gold medals - 26 ProTour titles.

In June 2015, he competed in the inaugural European Games, for Belarus in table tennis, more specifically, Men's singles. He earned a silver medal.

Career records

File:Vladimir Samsonov 001.jpg

Vladimir Samsonov during final match of Russian premier league (season 2012-13) in Moscow

Singles (as of December 26, 2010)

• Olympics: QF (1996, 2000).
• European Games: runner-up (2015)
• World Championships: runner-up (1997).
• World Cup appearances: 13.
  winner (1999, 2001, 2009); runner-up (2013) 3rd (1996,1997, 2012).
• World Tour winner (×26)
• World Tour Grand Finals appearances: 12. Record: winner (1997); runner-up (1996); SF (2008, 2010).
• European Championships: winner (1998, 2003, 05); runner-up (2007, 2008,2013).
• Europe Top-12: winner (1998, 99, 2001, 2007); 2nd (1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011).

Men's Doubles

• Olympics: lost 1st stage (1996, 2000).
• World Championships: runner-up (1995); SF (1999).
• World Tour winner (×1): Austrian Open 1997.
  Runner-up (×1): Croatian Open 1999.
• World Tour Grand Finals appearances: 3.
  Record: runner-up (1996, 1997).
• European Championships: winner (1998); runner-up (2005); SF (1994,2012).

Mixed Doubles

• World Championships: round of 16 (1995).
• European Championships: winner (1996).

Team

• World Championships: 7th (2010).
• European Championships: 1st (2003); 2nd (2008, 2010); 3rd (2013,2015).