Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-23 23:20:52

(L-R) Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin on the podium with their medals (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

(BEIJING, August 23) — China made a clean sweep of medals in the Men’s Singles Table Tennis competition at the Peking University Gymnasium on Saturday. It was the first time one country has won all the medals in the Men’s Singles event.

Ma Lin won gold, while silver went to Wang Hao and bronze to Wang Liqin. The Chinese Men’s trio emulated the feat of their female Table Tennis compatriots, who, 24 hours earlier, had occupied all three steps of the Women’s Singles victory podium.

For Wang Hao, it was his second straight silver after finishing second at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games to Ryu Seung-min of the Republic of Korea. The bronze medal was Wang Liqin’s second in a row, after also finishing third four years previously, when he beat Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden in the Athens bronze medal contest.

Gold medalist Ma Lin celebrates. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Ma Lin, a three-time runner-up in Men’s Singles at the World Championships, finally tasted victory in a major championship. Ma had a three-games-to-one lead against Wang Hao on Saturday before Wang mounted a furious comeback, but Ma Lin saw off his compatriot in a long point at 10-9 to seal gold. Ma is the most successful male Table Tennis player in the Olympics, with three Olympic gold medals.

Jorgen Persson competes in the bronze medal match (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

In the bronze medal contest, 42-year-old Jorgen Persson of Sweden made the better start against Wang Liqin, leading for much of the opening game, before Wang recovered to win it 13-11. It was the confidence boost that the world champion needed.

Wang Liqin dominated the second and third games as Persson, laboring with a thigh strain, was forced to call the masseur prior to the start of the fourth game. After a five-minute break, the Swede came out with all guns ablaze before Wang Liqin steadied and emerged victorious.

Updated: 2008-08-23 22:03:22

(L-R) Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin pose with their Olympic medals. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 23) — Table Tennis fans at the Peking University Gymnasium witnessed three Chinese flags raised again Saturday, when Chinese paddlers Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin occupied the three levels of the Men’s Singles victory podium. China had a clean sweep of all four Table Tennis gold medals and all six medals in the Table Tennis Singles events.

Ma Lin of China celebrates with his gold medal. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Ma Lin scored a hard-fought win over teammate Wang Hao 4-1 to finally add Olympic gold to his gold medal collection. Ma was fierce and aggressive from the start and enjoyed a 2-0 lead before Wang, who also won the Men’s Singles silver medal in Athens, found his pace in the third game. But Ma would come back to win the next two games for the gold medal.

Earlier in the afternoon, Jorgen Persson of Sweden and Wang Liqin in the bronze medal match gave the spectators a great show with a splendid match of many long rallies and slams. Sixth time Olympian Persson, 42, lost the medal but won the applause of the audience for his extraordinary performance and also for the true Olympic spirit he demonstrated during the match as he fought heroically after receiving medical treatment at the start of the fourth game due to pain in his left leg. Wang won the match 4-0.

Updated: 2008-08-23 21:43:31

(L-R) Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Ma Lin beat fellow Chinese Wang Hao 4-1 (11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9) to win the Men’s Singles gold medal at the Olympic Table Tennis tournament here on Saturday.

Wang Liqin of China took bronze after beating Sweden’s Jorgen Persson 4-0.

Ma Lin of China competes. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Ma Lin of China competes. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Wang Hao of China competes. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Wang Hao of China competes. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Ma Lin of China reacts. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-08-23 14:21:59

Ma Lin competes. (Photo credit: Xu Jiajun/Xinhua)

Ma Lin of China beat Wang Liqin of China 4-2 in the Men’s Table Tennis Single semifinal and advanced to the final.

Ma Lin hits a return against Wang Liqin. (Photo credit: Bao Feifei/Xinhua)
Wang Liqin takes on Ma Lin. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Ma Lin celebrates. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Updated: 2008-08-23 12:44:02

Wang Hao celebrates winning a point. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 23) — Two Chinese players, top seed Wang Hao and second seed Ma Lin will meet in the Table Tennis Men’s Singles final which secured China’s clean sweep of all four Table Tennis gold medals.

World No.1 Wang Hao met the Swedish veteran Jorgen Persson in the first match of the Men’s Singles semifinals. Persson gave an outstanding performance but Wang was unbeatable. Nicknamed “Hurricane,” Wang claimed victory 4-1.

Ma Lin celebrates victory. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

World No.2 Ma Lin met his teammate Wang Liqin who has beaten him twice in the World Championships final before. But this time, Ma triumphed. Wang failed to deal with Ma’s serve effectively and lost several easy shots. Wang was not in his best form throughout the match. Ma, however, entered form early on and didn’t let Wang catch his weaker backhand. With a 4-2, Ma headed into the final to fight for the Olympic gold that has eluded his resume.

Ma Lin will play Wang Hao in the final to be held at 8:30 Saturday evening (UTC/GMT 8). Wang Liqin will contend for the bronze medal against Jorgen Persson an hour earlier than the gold medal match.

Updated: 2008-08-23 11:45:30

Wang Hao hits a return against Jorgen Persson. (Photo credit: Xu Jiajun/Xinhua)

Wang Hao of China beat Jorgen Persson of Sweden 4-1 in the Men’s Table Tennis Single semifinal and advanced to the final.

Wang Hao celebrates a score. (Photo credit: Xu Jiajun/Xinhua)
Jorgen Persson hits a return against Wang Hao. (Photo credit: Bao Feifei/Xinhua)
Jorgen Persson hits a return against Wang Hao. (Photo credit: Bao Feifei/Xinhua)
Wang Hao (R) celebrates with Liu Guoliang, head coach of Chinese Men’s Table Tennis team. (Photo credit: Xu Jiajun/Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-08-22 23:45:02

(BEIJING, August 22) — The third Table Tennis gold medal match of the tournament was contested Friday at the Peking University Gymnasium. Zhang Yining of China won gold in the Women’s Singles competition over her teammate Wang Nan. China has claimed all three medals in Women’s Singles at Beijing 2008, with Guo Yue winning bronze. It is China’s second medal sweep in Women’s Singles; their first was at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

Zhang has participated in four Olympic events (two Singles and two Team) and won the gold medal on every occasion. Wang, despite losing to Zhang in the final, is the most successful Table Tennis player in Olympic history, with four gold medals and one silver.

Now all eyes are on the Chinese trio of Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin to see if they can continue China’s triumph at the Peking University Gymnasium in Saturday’s Men’s Singles competition.

The three top-seeded players have duly booked their places in the semifinals with outstanding performances.

It was the player who joins the illustrious trio in the penultimate stage, however, that attracted the most attention.

Jorgen Persson of Sweden beat Zoran Primorac of Croatia in a contest between the two oldest European-born players in the tournament. Persson is 42 years old, Primorac is three years younger.

Persson retired from international Table Tennis in 2005 but returned two years later, motivated by the possibility of competing in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The Men’s Singles world champion in 1991, Persson, despite competing in all six Olympic Games when Table Tennis has been staged, has never won an Olympic medal. The closest he got was at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, when he lost to Liu Guoliang of China in the bronze medal contest.

Wang Hao defeated a spirited Ko Lai-chak of Hong Kong; Wang Liqin overwhelmed surprise quarterfinalist Tan Ruiwu of Croatia; and Ma Lin proved too fast for the man against whom he had experienced problems in the Men’s Team event, Oh Sang-eun of the Republic of Korea.