Japan’s second-ranked table tennis mixed doubles duo, Hina Hayata and Tomokazu Harimoto, suffered a disappointing 4-1 loss in the opening round of the Paris Olympics to North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong.
This defeat dashed their hopes of defending Japan’s gold medal.
The match, which lasted 49 minutes at the South Paris Arena, ended in a stunning upset for the Japanese pair. They were considered strong contenders for the title and were expected to challenge the Chinese team.
“Hina and I have faced many tough opponents, but Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong proved to be more challenging than we anticipated. They performed exceptionally well today compared to our previous encounters,” Harimoto commented on the North Korean team, who will now face Sweden in the quarter-finals.
In contrast, China’s top-ranked mixed doubles team, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, had a smooth 4-0 victory over Egypt, securing their spot in the next round. They are aiming for a gold medal sweep and will compete against Taiwan in the quarter-finals.
Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian, aged 61, became the oldest competitor in table tennis at the Olympics and secured a victory in the round of 64 against Turkey’s Sibel Altinkaya, continuing her exceptional journey in her sixth Olympic Games.
French supporters, passionately cheering for all athletes but particularly their home favorites, experienced a mixed day. Despite the efforts of Alexis Lebrun and Yuan Jia Nan, they were defeated by the higher-ranked Taiwanese team of Chen Szu-Yu and Lin Yun-Ju in the mixed doubles, with a score of 4-2.
However, the advantage of competing on home soil may have aided 19-year-old French player Prithika Pavade on Saturday as she returned to her second Olympics. She advanced to the round of 32 in the women’s singles by defeating Iranian player Neda Shahsavari with a score of 4-1.
The North Korean team has had fewer international appearances in the past three years compared to other players, making them somewhat of an enigma to their competitors.
Their closely contested match against Japan showcased the North Korean duo gaining momentum from the beginning and maintaining a high level of performance throughout the latter half.
Despite the setback, Hayata and Harimoto will persevere and participate in additional competitions at the Paris Games. “There’s always a chance for anything to occur. I aspire to perform better in both the singles and team events,” Harimoto expressed. Their elimination deals a blow to Japan’s hopes for a medal while providing their competitors, including the dominant Chinese team, with an advantage. Zeng Zhiying, a former teammate of Ni Xialian from China, at the age of 58, experienced her Olympic debut representing Chile come to an end earlier on Saturday when she suffered a 4-1 defeat against Mariana Sahakia from Lebanon.
