Olympic gold medalist Annett Kaufmann expresses disappointment with the timid declarations.
This German Olympic debutant, Annett Kaufmann, is earning recognition as a potential table tennis powerhouse post-Boll. The European Championship in Linz serves as a stepping stone under new circumstances.
Jewels and accessories, such as bling-bling hair clips, necklaces, pearl earrings, and Swiftie armbands, are just as synonymous with Annett Kaufmann as her exceptional backhand and precise smashes. Many already envision the 18-year-old as a promising candidate to assume the mantle from the retired icon Timo Boll as the face of German table tennis.
Following her success in Paris, the humble teenager has flourished. "On Instagram," Kaufmann boasts in the media of the German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB), "I have gained an additional 35,000 followers." Apart from the quadrupling of her online fan base since the Olympics, where she clinched her first victory over a top-ten player and four more against opponents from the top 30, the self-aware student has also recognized other changes. "I am now taken more seriously, and I am more recognized on the street," Kaufmann shared with "Sportschau." "I was Annett, but nobody knew who Annett was - that has changed now."
A blessing for German table tennis
For the DTTB, Kaufmann is a gift with her talent, self-confidence, and articulate public appearances. In an interview with ntv.de, she stated, "Even the Chinese get intimidated when they have to face a good European." With no standout candidates in the often aging "U30" male squad, including the veteran star Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Kaufmann is a valuable figurehead for the post-Boll era.
The handling of the "raw gem" is careful. The federation's top brass remains silent about expectations for Kaufmann before Linz. For national coach Tamara Boros, the left-hander, who has claimed all EM titles up to U21 juniors at the age of 16 since 2021, has been "our future" since then. At least, the DTTB no longer shies away from presenting its young star as "European champion of all youth classes" without exaggeration.
"Kaufmann wins medal - that would be perfectly fine as well"
The daughter of sports enthusiasts - her father was an ice hockey professional, and her mother a skier - currently ranked just outside the top 100 in the world rankings, approach the growing demands with calm ambition. "I'd love for the headline to read 'Kaufmann wins European Championship,'" she reveals: "Dreams are there to be dreamt. But 'Kaufmann wins medal' would be perfectly fine as well."
As grounded as she may be, Kaufmann's aspirations for more manifest in her comparisons to "century player" Boll. "If I," she said in Paris, "if I manage to achieve what he did, then you can call me the new Timo Boll." But Kaufmann may soon carve her own path. After all, the family-oriented prodigy embarks on her first professional season post-Paris not with overconfidence but with great determination: "I know what I want, and I know what I have to do for it."
During an interview, Kaufmann was asked about her Instagram followers surge, and she replied, "- What? I have gained an additional 35,000 followers." After her impressive performances at the Olympics, people started recognizing Kaufmann more on the street, and she acknowledged this change by saying, "- What? I'm now taken more seriously, and I'm more recognized on the street."
