SI Vault
 
Young An
Rick Lipsey
September 07, 2009
On Sunday Byeong Hun An won the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa with a 7-and-5 rout of Ben Martin, a Clemson senior, in the final. At 17, An became the Amateur's youngest champ, making good on his bloodlines. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Byeong's father, Jae Hyung An, won a bronze in table tennis doubles, while his mother, Jiao Zhimin, of China, earned a bronze in singles and a silver in doubles. In 2005 Jae Hyung quit coaching table tennis to move with his son to the David Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla., while Zhimin took a corporate job in China to pay the bills. "Splitting up the family and coming to America was a huge decision," says Byeong, who will play at Cal in 2010. "But it has been worth it. Especially right now."
Decrease font Decrease font
Enlarge font Enlarge font
September 07, 2009

Young An

View CoverRead All Articles
Print This PRINT E-mail This EMAIL Most Popular MOST POPULAR SHARE SHARE

On Sunday Byeong Hun An won the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa with a 7-and-5 rout of Ben Martin, a Clemson senior, in the final. At 17, An became the Amateur's youngest champ, making good on his bloodlines. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Byeong's father, Jae Hyung An, won a bronze in table tennis doubles, while his mother, Jiao Zhimin, of China, earned a bronze in singles and a silver in doubles. In 2005 Jae Hyung quit coaching table tennis to move with his son to the David Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla., while Zhimin took a corporate job in China to pay the bills. "Splitting up the family and coming to America was a huge decision," says Byeong, who will play at Cal in 2010. "But it has been worth it. Especially right now."

1
Related Topics
  ARTICLES GALLERIES VIDEO COVERS
Jiao Zhimin 1 0   0
China 501 26   1
Tulsa 219 0   0
Rick Lipsey 18 0   0
Ben Martin 9 0   0