As a player, Jan-Ove Waldner didn't leave much on the table. Now, he is looking to clean up on flooring. In a career spanning over three decades, Waldner was the first player to complete the career "Grand Slam," winning gold medals in singles at the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup. While it is impossible to compare players from different eras using different racket technologies, Walder is always in the conversation about the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) in table tennis. Waldner has now partnered with Välinge Flooring, also from Sweden, to target Asian markets with a signature line of "Hardened Wood Floors." Välinge is banking on Waldner's enduring appeal in East Asia. "When I played, I tried to be the complete player, mastering every aspect—and I think Välinge has done that with their Hardened Wood Floors too," Waldner smoothly segued. "Technical wizardry matched with persistence, it must be a Swedish thing!" In China, where Waldner is revered, the retired champ is known as 常青树 ("Cháng Qīng Shù" in pinyin). The affectionate nickname translates to "The Evergreen Tree," a nod to the longevity of Waldner's career. The irony is that evergreen trees, such as spruce, pine and fir, produce softwoods. The hardwoods Waldner now sells are the products of deciduous trees like maple and oak. Dendrological issues aside, "The Evergreen Tree" once again stands to conquer the world wielding a wooden weapon. Must be a Swedish thing, indeed.

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