Team China has won the Men’s Teams gold medal in the final of the Men’s Team Event at the Paris Olympic Games for the fifth straight time defeating Sweden 3-0. This victory also propelled MA Long to become the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals of any Chinese athlete in any sport!
Kristian KARLSSON Anton KÄLLBERG and Truls MÖREGÅRDH were outplayed by WANG Chuqin and FAN Zhendong ranked first and second in the world along with the sixth-ranked MA Long. The highest-ranked player on the Swedish team is Truls MÖREGÅRDH who is ranked tenth.
The doubles match between KÄLLBERG/KARLSSON and LONG/CHUQIN started in favor of the Swedish side before the “Red Dragon” began to assert its dominance. The Chinese team won two straight games before KÄLLBERG/KARLSSON won the fourth to push for a decider. In the decisive fifth set LONG/CHUQIN proved stronger once again. Despite Sweden saving three match points the Chinese took the lead in the match.
In Sunday’s rematch between MÖREGÅRDH and FAN we saw the same outcome but with a much closer result. The silver medalist surprised with a varied game and won the first set. MÖREGÅRDH was close in the second game as well but narrowly lost. The same happened in the third before MÖREGÅRDH fought back in the fourth (13–11).
In another decisive game the Chinese player shifted into another gear and secured a 2-0 lead in the match.
Finally Kristian KARLSSON faced the world number one WANG Chuqin and after five games it was all over. WANG Chuqin surged to a 2-0 lead. Karlsson made a huge comeback in the third and fourth games (both 12–10) but the Chinese player easily wrapped up the match in the fifth game with an 11–2 victory.
With that the match – 3-0 – and the Olympic gold were once again in the hands of the definitive powerhouse of table tennis.
“I think we should be immensely proud. We pushed China as much as we could but they are insanely strong ” said Truls MÖREGÅRDH to Max.
Earlier France beat Japan to secure the bronze medal.
Gold medal match: China – Sweden
Long MA/Chuqin WANG – Anton KALLBERG/Kristian KARLSSON 3-2 (8-11 11-4 11-3 6-11 11-7)
Zhendong FAN – Truls MOREGARD 3-2 (10-12 11-8 11-9 11-13 11-5)
Chuqin WANG – Kristian KARLSSON 3-2 (11-9 11-5 10-12 10-12 11-2)
