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China bag maximum medal haul - London 2012 - Table Tennis

China bag maximum medal haul - London 2012 - Table Tennis
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09/08/2012

It is fair to say their London 2012 Olympics clean sweep has done little to suggest China's dominance of Table Tennis is going to end any time soon.

Since the sport was added to the schedule at Seoul 1988, the Asian powerhouse's superiority has grown with every Games.

Not since Swede Jan-Ove Waldner, who emerged victorious at Barcelona 1992, has Europe produced a gold medallist. Even other Asian nations, where the sport is as popular, cannot reach the same standard as China.

The most notable statistic is that China have now won 24 of the 28 Table Tennis gold medals on offer after delivering a second successive clean sweep in London.

Li Xiaoxia and Zhang Jike won the women's and men's Singles respectively, beating compatriots Ding Ning and Wang Hao in their finals.

The haul was completed as their two Team entries - the women's was comprised of Li, Ding and Guo Yue and the men's Zhang, Wang and Ma Long - also sealed the ultimate prize.

Following Beijing 2008, when China scooped every Singles medal on offer, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) reduced the amount of players countries could enter into the Singles to two.

The change mattered little as a maximum medal haul of four golds and two silvers was delivered by China's representatives in London.

It seems Dimitrij Ovtcharov may be the man most likely to break the pattern.

The German won two bronze medals in London, one in the Singles and another alongside Timo Boll and Bastian Steger in the men's Team event.

There is also a new wave of impressive Japanese players, epitomised by Kasumi Ishikawa, Sayaka Hirano and Ai Fukuhara taking silver in the women's Team format.

That was Japan's first Olympic medal in the sport, though it will surely represent the first of many.

ITTF president Adham Sharara said: 'What has amazed me is that from the first day until the end, there has not been one session that is not full.

'That is really amazing; I do not know if it is the spirit of the Games or what, but it has been very impressive.

'We actually have a better feeling now than we did after Beijing because more new people have seen our sport.'

Discover the best photos of London 2012

  • 4th Olympic Gold for Bradley Wiggins

    London – 1 August 2012: In the space of less than a month, Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France, then became Olympic time trial champion in front of a home crowd. Here he poses with his gold medal, holding aloft the British flag, with the pride of winning of his fourth gold medal at three Olympic Games, but his very first on the road.

  • Individual time trial podium

    London – 1 August 2012: Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins (gold), flanked by Germany’s Tony Martin (silver) and his fellow countryman Chris Froome (bronze) on the podium for the men’s road time trial, in front of Hampton Court Palace in Richmond-Upon-Thames, Greater London. Wiggins won this event to take his fourth Olympic gold medal, but the first on the road... only a few days after completing the Tour de France on the Champs Elysées wearing the yellow jersey.

  • Bradley Wiggins unforgettable win

    London – 1 August 2012: untouchable in the time trial, crowned Olympic champion for the fourth time in his career, but the first time on the road, Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins triumphant before his home crowd after winning with a 42-second lead over Germany’s Tony Martin at the end of the 44km race. He raised his arms and continued in the clamour to Hampton Court Palace where he was awarded his gold medal.

  • Bradley Wiggins untouchable on the road

    London – 1 August 2012: On the track, Great Britain’s Bradley Wiggins is a three-time Olympic gold medallist in the individual and team pursuit, and six-time world champion. On the road, he had just won the Tour de France. Supported by a host of people, he broadly dominated the individual time trial over the 44km route in the South West of London, finishing in a time of 50:39.54, some 42 seconds ahead of Germany’s Tony Martin to win his fourth title and his seventh medal in three Olympic Games.

  • Wrestling: Ghasem Rezaei was crowned Olympic champion in the 96kg Greco-Roman event

    London - 7 August 2012: Iran’s Ghasem Gholamreza Rezaei (in red) faces Russia’s Rustam Totrov in the final of the Greco-Roman wrestling 96kg category at the ExCeL Arena. Rezaei won 2-0 (2-0, 1-0), taking one of Iran’s three gold medals in wrestling at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

  • Wrestling: Ghasem Rezaei's euphoria at his victory

    London - 7 August 2012: Iran’s Ghasem Gholamreza Rezaei is knocked over by his coach on the mat at the ExCel Arena after his 2-0 (2-0, 1-0) victory in the final of the Greco-Roman wrestling 96kg category against Russia’s Rustam Totrov. Rezaei took one of Iran’s three gold medals in wrestling at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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