Teens taking over at US table tennis trials

CARY, N.C. — The teens are taking over at the U.S. Olympic table tennis trials.

Five of the top 10 women's seeds in the round-robin tournament that started Friday are between the ages of 14 and 16. They're led by 16-year-old Ariel Hsing, the No. 2 seed, and 15-year-old Lily Zhang, who is seeded third.

Top-seeded Gao Jun — a 43-year-old four-time Olympian — says those young players are the future of the sport.

The top four male and female finishers qualify to return to Cary for the North American Trials in April, with the top two women earning spots on the U.S. team.

Fifth-seeded Erica Wu is a 16-year-old 10th-grader from Arcadia, Calif. She says the goal of making the Olympic team is "completely attainable — it's just not easy."