Win and you're in. While it may sound simplistic, this catchy mnemonic device effectively summarizes the US Olympic table tennis team's new selection process. In the past, would-be Olympians were at the mercy of the USATT's selection committee. Lacking transparency or accountability, this process left many players and fans disgruntled. Now, things are changing. According to new USATT CEO Virginia Sung, "There will no longer be any discretionary selections for the 2020 USATT Olympic Team." According to Sung, the the team will essentially select itself in two steps. First, the highest-ranking US woman and man on the ITTF world rankings for the month of February will automatically be selected. This means that Lily Zhang and Kanak Jha are each guaranteed spots on the team. Next, the remaining spots on the team will be fiercely contested at the USATT Olympic Trials. This make-or-break tournament will be held in Santa Monica College, California this February 27-March 1. At stake are two team spots (and one alternate) for both the women's and men's teams. While Zhang and Jha eagerly wait to see who will join them in Tokyo, each has a chance to continue building a historic résumé. Zhang and Jha both made their Olympic debuts at the age of 16, Zhang in London 2012 and Jha in Rio 2016. Given that they are both reigning US national champions ranked in the top 30 in the world, and both play professionally in Germany, there is no reason to think their Olympic runs face any imminent danger of interruption. For historical context, the record for the most Olympic appearances in table tennis is seven, shared by Jörgen Persson of Sweden, Zoran Primorac of Croatia, Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium and Segun Toriola of Kenya. All four were older than the American duo when they made their Olympic debuts, ranging from Toriola at 17 years of age to Persson at 22, with an average debut age of 19. Zhang and Jha stay healthy and continue to play professionally, they could certainly continue to qualify for the Olympics into their 40s. Persson made his last Olympics at age 46, coincidentally at London 2012 where Zhang debuted. Remarkably, Ni Xia Lian will be 57 when she represents Luxembourg at this summer's Olympics, making her the oldest player ever to qualify. Point being, Lily Zhang and Kanak Jha have an excellent chance to break the record for Olympic appearances, not just for table tennis but in any sport. (Cut to Ian Millar, 10-time Olympic equestrian, suddenly looking nervous as he brushes his horses in his native Canada.) Thanks to the straightforward new qualification system, Zhang, Jha and all aspiring Olympic table tennis players now control their own destinies. As Al Davis would have advised, "Just win, baby."

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