China solidified its dominance in table tennis by securing victory in the Olympic women’s team event on Saturday, completing a clean sweep of gold medals for the country in the sport in Paris following a disappointing loss in Tokyo.
Since the inclusion of table tennis in the Summer Olympics in 1988, China has now claimed an impressive 37 out of 42 gold medals. In a rematch of the team event final from three years ago in Tokyo, China once again faced Japan and emerged triumphant with a resounding 3-0 victory. This time, they had to overcome even greater resistance and demonstrated their ability to stage comebacks in crucial moments. Despite the final scoreline, the win in Paris appeared to be hard-fought. China’s Chen Meng and Wang Manyu faced a tough challenge from the beginning as they narrowly lost the first game to Japan’s Hina Hayata and Miwa Harimoto. However, the Chinese duo rallied back, winning two out of the next three games and pushing the match to a decider. The Japanese pair initially established a 9-5 lead, but Chen and Wang adjusted their tactics and managed to level the score at 10-10 before ultimately clinching the victory. Hayata, who had been grappling with a wrist injury since the singles semi-finals, expressed her inability to perform at her best. The Chinese players themselves were overcome with emotion, with Wang shedding tears of joy after the triumph.
“I found today’s doubles match to be incredibly challenging for both of us. This level of difficulty was something that only the two of us on the court could truly understand,” stated Chen, Wang’s partner, who has now completed her second Olympics and earned a total of four gold medals.
“However, I believe that we could also sense that, no matter how tough it got, we had immense trust in each other.”
Sun Yingsha from China also made a remarkable comeback in the first game against Miu Hirano from Japan, who, at one point, had a commanding lead of 7-1. Despite the significant gap, which would typically result in defeat in an 11-point game, Sun, the world number one, persevered and managed to level the score at 11-11 before ultimately winning the game 13-11 and securing a 3-0 victory in the match.
In the final challenge presented by the Japanese team, first-time Olympian Harimoto faced Wang in the third match. Harimoto claimed the opening game with a score of 14-12, showcasing precise shots during backhand rallies. However, the 16-year-old eventually succumbed to Wang in the following three games.
With this win, China has triumphed in all five table tennis events offered in Paris: the men’s and women’s singles, the mixed doubles, and the men’s and women’s teams. In Tokyo, they were unable to secure the mixed gold medal, falling short to Japan.
Earlier today, the South Korean trio consisting of Shin Yubin, Jeon Jihee, and Lee Eunhye triumphed over Germany with three victories, securing yet another bronze medal for their country in the sport of table tennis. This achievement marks a highly anticipated comeback to the podium in this event after a hiatus since 2008.
