Rio 2016 Olympic Games   Gold medallist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Korea’s Ryu Seungmin has been elected as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission. The election will be ratified at the 129th session of the International Olympic Committee on Sunday 21st August.   Germany’s Britta Heidemann from Fencing gained election as did Hungary’s Daniel Gyurta from swimming in addition to Yelena Isinbayeva from the world of athletics.   “A former Olympic Champion and player who has visited all parts of the world he is an expert in table tennis; for our sport it is always important to be active in the highest body the International Olympi  Committee  to raise our specific questions in order to develop table tennis furthermore” Thomas WEIKERT ITTF President   Britta HEIDEMANN won Épée gold in 2008 in Beijing Daniel GYURTA set a new World record and clinched gold in the 200 metres breastroke at the London 2012 Olympic Games whilst Yelena Isinbayeva was Pole Vault gold medallist in both Athens and Beijing.   RYU Seungmin adopting the traditional pen-hold grip style of player in true traditional Korean style will always be regarded for the exciting and athletic manner in which he extolled his skills.   “To be elected to the Athletes comission of the International Table Tennis Federation is a great accomplishment for any athlete. I am really happy for RYU Seungmin who has always been an excellent sportsmen and good friend. He will definitely do a great job. It is fantastic news for our sport.” Vladimir SAMSONOV Chair ITTF Athletes Commission   In 2008 Sichuan an area of China in which RYU Seungmin had represented in the country’s Super League was hit by an earthquake; generously Ryu Seungmin donated US$10000 to the devastation fund.   RYU Seungmin represents the best ideals of sport always he gave 100 per cent effort a man of high integrity and sincerity but it is not necessarily the extensive knowledge gained by ccompeting in the arenas of the world that makes him a most worthy member of any major organisation.   It is also his caring attitude and thought for fellow man.    

China faced severe challenge in the final but survived to win the Men’s Team title at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.   MA Long XU Xin and ZHANG Jike recorded a three matches to one success in opposition to the brave fourth seeded Japanese outfit comprising Jun MIZUTANI Koi NIWA and Maharu YOSHIMURA.   In the opening match Koki NIWA faced MA Long. At the 2012 Asian Olympic Games Qualification Tournament staged in Hong Kong Koki NIWA had sensationally beaten Ma Long but he could not repeat that success. MA Long prevailed in straight games (11-6 11-9 11-6)   Jun MIZUTANI’s outstanding performance against XU Xin brought back the hope for Japan. He won the first two games lost the next two and trailed 7-10 in the decider before he won the next five points(12-10 11-9 3-11 7-11 12-10).   The reigning World champions XU Xin and ZHANG Jike faced the challenge from Koki NIWA and Maharu YOSHIMURA. Koki Niwa and Maharu Yoshimura captured the opening game. However the next three games went to Xu Xin and Zhang Jike (4-11 11-6 11-9 11-5).MA Long sealed the match with the victory over Maharu YOSHIMURA in three straight games (11-1. 11-4 11-4).   The win meant that in Men’s Table Tennis events at an Olympic Games Xu Xin became the 14th Chinese player to win gold. Overall in male competitions China has now won a total of 13 titles with 24 gold medals being presented. They have won the Men’s Singles title on four occasions. Also they won the Men’s Doubles title on all five occasions the event was staged.   Now they have won the Men’s Team gold medal on all three occasions the event has been held. In 2008 when the competition was first staged it was Ma Lin Wang Hao and Wang Liqin; now in 2016 it is Ma Long Xu Xin and Zhang Jike.

2016 Rio Olympic Games   Germany has clinched Bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Table Tennis Men’s Team event after defeating Korea Republic 3-1. Both teams have claimed team medals since Beijing 2008 when the Team event was first incorporated into the Olympic Games. In Beijing Germany took Silver while Korea settled for Bronze it was the reverse case in 2012.   Korea Republic’s JEOUNG Youngsik caught up in a tight opening match against world number 24 Bastian STEGER in a five-games duel. JEOUNG survived the scare from the lower ranked STEGER having to save three match points to finally win 3-2 (12-10 6-11 11-6 6-11 13-11) in the decider.   The world number twelve was having the tournament of his life at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games putting up a strong fight against eventual Champion MA Long (CHN) in the Singles event and coming close to defeating Grand Slam Champion ZHANG Jike in the Team semifinals encounter between China and Korea Republic.   After his shock early exit earlier in the Games to miss out on a Singles medal London 2012 Singles Bronze medalist Dimitrij OVTCHAROV has his eyes set on the Team Bronze today beating Korean veteran JOO Saehyuk 3-2 (11-5 11-9 8-11 2-11 11-6) to level Germany’s score 1-1 with Korea.   Losing his Singles match STEGER teamed with former world number one Timo BOLL to play against Korean pair of JEOUNG and 2013 World Mixed Double runner-up LEE Sangsu. Suffering from a dislocation of a bone is his neck following a bad fall in the match BOLL came back to the court after having pain killer injections during the injury time-out. The German pair eventually prevailed 3-2 (9-11 11-6 11-7 9-11 11-9) in the thriller.   BOLL continued his winning form in the fourth match beating JOO 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-6) to seal the deal for Germany to for another podium finish.   “Oh my god. Such a thriller. First game was so exciting. We had to keep on believing we could win” stated the German flag bearer at the Rio 2016 Opening ceremony. “I had an injury during the doubles and had to take injections in the injury break. My mind was focused on just keeping the ball on the table. It was a team effort we had great spirit.”   The world number thirteen added “I was in a lot of pain and I was scared I could not play in the singles. Injections helped a lot. In the end it was very nice to get the medal.”   “It is a great feeling as you never know if it’s your last game. Emotional win. Could be last Olympics as you don’t know what happens in the future. Tokyo is a long way away!”   Claiming Germany’s second table tennis medal in Rio after the German women’s team clinched Silver last night OVTCHAROV shared “No one expected we can do it. Three medals in a row we did it for Germany.”   “Bastian played the match of his life we were shock when he lost. I said I had to do everything for the team. Thankfully Timo played brilliant in the end.”

The Chinese women’s team have successfully defended the Gold title they earned four years ago in London to clinch another Gold for China’s medal count crushing Germany 3-0 in the final.   Grand Slam Champion LI Xiaoxia ended her international table tennis career in style continuing her 3-0 (11-9 11-3 11-7) swept against HAN Ying (GER). The world number four have previously announced her retirement from international play after her semifinals match against Singapore.   LI have shared earlier “The Women’s Team final might be the last time I’m representing my country to compete. My goal will be to win but the most important thing to show my best self on court.”   The 28-year-old has not dropped a single game since the Team event started and even in the Singles event the Singles Silver medalist has only dropped four games to the eventual Champion DING Ning (CHN) throughout the entire Olympic Games in Rio.   Missing out on the Singles event world number one LIU Shiwen (CHN) was on task to stamp her authority in the team event. The four-time Women’s World Cup Champion gave no chance for Petrissa SOLJA (GER) to fight back defeating the world number fifteen 3-0 (11-3 11-5 11-4) to give China a 2-0 lead for her first Olympic Gold.   LIU joined forces with Singles Champion DING Ning (CHN) to face German pair of SOLJA and SHAN Xiaona. The German duo put up a brave fight but the combination of the world number one and two proved too strong for them and China prevailed 3-1 (11-6 11-5 9-11 11-7) to seal the victory in the Gold medal match.   Winning her first Olympic medal in Rio an excited LIU shared “It’s a dream for everyone to win an Olympic medal so this is perfect.”   DING added “We are a team so we do everything together and trust each other. Sometimes at this level we don’t think we just play.”   Despite losing the Gold medal Germany has secured the Silver medal which is Germany’s first Women’s Olympic Table Tennis medal and first for Europe since Seoul 1988.   The Bronze medal went to Japan who defeated Singapore 3-1 earlier today.   More table tennis action continues with the Men’s Bronze and Gold medal matches to conclude the Rio 2016 Table Tennis event.

Gold for China at 2016 Rio Olympic Games   Since the Team’s Event has been introduced at the Olympic Games only one nation wins gold in Women’s tournament. Successful in Beijing and London; at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games the top seeds China once again struck gold. In the final DING Ning LI Xiaoxia and LIU Shiwen prevailed against the third seeded German trio formed by HAN Ying SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA.   China won by three matches to nil and thus maintained their stunning record in the Women’s Team event at an Olympic Games; they have never at any stage of the competition since introduced in 2008 lost an individual match. On the other side Germany become the first non-Asian trio to win a medal in the Women’s Team event at an Olympic Games   LI Xiaoxia the silver medalist earlier in the proceedings in Rio de Janeiro in the Women’s Singles event faced the backspin skills of HAN Ying and recorded straight games win (11-9 11-3 11-7). LIU Shiwen stayed on the same path against Petrissa SOLJA; she emerged successful in three straight games (11-3 11-5 11-4)   DING Ning and LIU Shiwen faced SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA; the German duo won the third game and in the fourth when reducing the gap to one point at 7-6 down caused KONG Linghui the Chinese Women’s Team coach to call ”Time Out”. The wise words worked. DING Ning and LIU Shiwen obeyed orders to win in four games (10-6 11-5 10-12 11-7).   China have won the Women’s Singles title on all eight occasions and now the Women’s Team title on all three occasions when the event have been staged. Also they won the Women’s Doubles title four times. It is only in Seoul in 1988 when they did not complete the clean sweep; on that occasion they had to settle for silver. CHEN Jing and JIAO Zhimin were beaten in the Women’s Doubled final by Korea’s HYUN Junhwa and YANG Youngja.  

  The Japanese trio of Ai FUKUHARA Kasumi ISHIKAWA and Mima ITO are the Rio 2016 Olympic Table Tennis Women’s Team Bronze medalists after a 3-1 victory over Singapore.   With her victory ITO is now the youngest ever medalist to be awarded at an Olympic Table Tennis event at 15 years and 300 days old (including Youth Olympic Games). The achievement was previously held by China’s GUO Yue when she won claimed the Women’s Doubles Bronze with NIU Jianfeng (CHN) at Athens 2004 at the age of 16 years 1 month and 3 days old.   Four-time Olympian FUKUHARA (JPN) took on the first singles match against Singapore’s YU Mengyu. The opening match was a thriller with the momentum in the match alternating between the world number eight and thirteen. The lower ranked YU was the victor in the decider taking the match 3-2 (4-11 11-5 11-3 4011 11-5) to give Singapore a 1-0 lead in the battle for Bronze.   ISHIKAWA (JPN) faced off her longtime rival FENG Tianwei (SIN) again on the Olympic stage. Back at the London 2012 Olympic Games both players competed in the Singles Bronze medal playoff with FENG winning 4-0 to take home the medal. Having a 4-9 victory record against the world number four ISHIKAWA was on fire today smashing the 2010 World Team Champion 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-7) to level the match 1-1   In the crucial doubles match FUKUHARA teamed up with 15-year-old ITO to give Japan a 2-1 lead over Singapore by defeating the Singapore pair of YU and ZHOU Yihan 3-1 (9-11 11-9 11-1 14-12).   ITO was the hero of the day for Japan as she upset FENG in three straight games () to seal the final victory for Japan to clinch Bronze which put all three girls into tears.   “As we worked as a team we could win. I could not win the first game. Without my team it would not have happened. I am forever in debt to them” stated FUKUHARA in tears of joy after finally securing a Rio 2016 medal.   The 27-year-old who lost her Singles Bronze medal match to KIM Song I (PRK) added “Every single moment was so important. All the matches in the tournament and matches in the past. Ito and I have been playing doubles well together. We tried to refresh after Germany. It meant to much to have her play with me. It is very important to have her in the team.”   Contributing two points for her team victory ITO stated “I am just happy to win the medal. Before I played Fukuhara and Ishikawa played well. It was because all of us that we got this medal not just my performance.”   “I am looking forward to getting home and showing my medal to my family and supporters.”

Japan the no.4 seeds with Jun MIZUTANI Koki NIWA and Maharu YOSHIMURA upset the order of merit to beat the German outfit comprising Timo BOLL Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Bastian STEGER the no.2 seeds in the semi final of the Men’s Team Event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games – 3-1.   Maharu YOSHIMURA faced  Men’s Team silver medallist in Beijing and bronze medallist in Men’s Team and Men’s Singles in London 27 year old Dimitrij OVTCHAROV in the opening duel of the contest. OVTCHAROV emerged successful to record a straight games victory (11-8 11-3 11-3).   German coach Jörg ROSSKOPF explained:   “We expected Maharu YOSHIMURA to play first it was no surprise; a turning point came in the match between Timo and Jun. Timo led 7-2 in the first game and lost from then on Jun played fantastically. He was much better playing short short and that meant he could make the opening and put pressure on Timo. Today Jun played incredibly well he is playing the best of his life.”   In next match Jun MIZUTANI who he had won bronze in the Men’s Singles event faced Timo BOLL and won in straight games games (11-9 11-6 12-10). The doubles duel concluded in similar vain.  Timo BOLL and Bastian STEGER suffered by the hands of Maharu YOSHIMURA and Koki NIWA in four games (11-6 13-15 11-4 11-5).   “Sure we knew the doubles was not in our favour but the defeats against Chinese Taipei and Austria had been very close so I decided not to change. We had a little chance but we were well aware that we had to win the singles matches” said Jörg ROSSKOPF.   Jun Mizutani won a three straight games (11-5 11-4 11-4) against STEGER to help Japan win a first ever medal in the Men’s Team event in the table tennis competitions at an Olympi Games was assured   Japan advances to the final Germany to the bronze medal match; both contests will be played on Wednesday 17th August; the former at 11.00am the latter at 7.30pm.   “Japan played well congratulations to them. Now we focus on the Bronze medal” added Jörg ROSSKOPF.