LONDON: China completed a sweep of all four golds in table tennis at the London Olympics with a 3-0 win on Wednesday over South Korea in the men’s team final.
The sweep was expected, and anything less could have prompted shake-ups in the government bureaucracy that oversees the sport. Table tennis is a source of national pride in China with some jokingly calling it “China ball.”
China has won an amazing 24 of 28 gold medals since the sport entered the Olympic schedule in 1988. The Chinese won two gold and two silvers this time in singles. They may have taken the bronze medals too if nations had not been limited to two singles players instead of three.
China also took the women’s team gold on Tuesday.
Estimates suggest 500 million Chinese watched the men’s final on TV.
Many viewed China’s semifinal against Germany as the “real” final, when the Chinese won 3-1 against a stubborn team led by Timo Boll, the top-ranked non-Chinese player in the game. The Germans won the bronze medal match over Hong Kong 3-1, also on Wednesday. (AP)