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William J Henzell

Player & Coach

William started playing table tennis at the age of 6 and grew up in the Adelaide Hills. His determination was evident from a young age; at the age of 14 he told his parents that he wanted to move to Sweden and dedicate himself completely to table tennis. William stayed in Europe for 12 years, playing professionally in Sweden and Germany before moving back home to Australia after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The lure of competing at his third Olympics was strong and Henzell quit his day job and relocated back to Europe in 2011 to prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He went undefeated through both the Australian and Oceania Olympic Qualifying tournaments in February and March 2012 to claim a coveted place in the Australian Olympic team. His goal is to improve on his third round finish in Beijing.

William holds many records in Australian table tennis; he is a 9-time Australian Singles Champion, has represented his country at 3 Olympic Games and 3 Commonwealth Games and was inducted into the Australian Table Tennis Hall of Fame at the age of 26.

Henzell's trademark shots are his backhand topspin and tomahawk serve. He is regarded as one of the more technical and tactical players on the World circuit, often using spin, placement and variation to outmaneuver his opponent.