"The separation," as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson once wrote, "is in the preparation." This November, Team USA will be aiming to separate themselves from a distinguished field in Tokyo. Although the Tokyo Olympics will not be held until the following summer, top teams from around the globe will get a little extra preparation at the 2019 ZEN-NOH ITTF World Team Cup, to be held November 6th-10th. While the event is its own reward, it will serve an added purpose for participants and hosts alike. Specifically, it will double as a form of Olympic training, as all parties involved will hope to engage in eerily similar behavior next summer at the same site. Both the United States women's and men's teams qualified for the prestigious event by virtue of reaching the finals in the 2018 Pan America Championships last November in Santiago, Chile. Although both teams lost to Brazil, silver was sufficient to book a spot in Tokyo this year. This week, the USATT announced the rosters for the women's and men's teams. The women's squad, which made waves all the way to the quarterfinals of last year's World Cup, consists of Wu Yue, Amy Wang and national champion Lily Zhang. The league of distinguished gentlemen will comprise Kai Zhang, Yijun Feng (pictured) and national champion Kanak Jha. Both teams will compete under the guidance of the venerable coach Gao Jun, an Olympic medalist once listed seventh in the women's world rankings With the Olympic Team Trials this Saturday, October 5th in Rockford, Illinois, both the USA women and men will be fighting to secure tickets to Tokyo next summer. Ideally, they will both have punched their Olympic tickets when they fly to Tokyo this November. That way, the tournament will serve the added purpose of site-specific training. After all, when going up against the best in the world, you cannot afford to skimp on preparation. How else can you separate yourself from the pack?

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