The Paris Olympics are about to begin, and this article will talk to you about an interesting topic: how old were the singles champions of the previous Olympic Games, when they won the championship for the first time?
01 Seoul 1988 Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Liu Nam-kyu (Korea)
Age: 20 years old
Table tennis entered the Olympic Games for the first time in 1988, and no one in the men's singles national table tennis reached the final, and the final was a duel between two Korea host players, and finally Liu Nankui won the championship with a left-handed straight board, becoming the first men's singles champion in the history of the table tennis Olympics!
02 Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Waldner
Age to win: 26 and a half years old
In 1992, the Olympic Games came to Barcelona, Spain, and the national table tennis men's team was at a low point before the turnover, Cai Zhenhua led the team to break through from the men's doubles event, and Wang Taolu Lin won the championship.
But in the men's singles event, no one has reached the final, which was between Sweden's Waldner and France's Geiting. At that Olympics, Waldner only lost one game against Germany's Roskopf and swept Gaiting 3-0 in the final, becoming the first table tennis Grand Slam winner in history, laying a solid foundation for becoming the first person in table tennis history.
03 Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Liu Guoliang
Age to win: 20 and a half years old
At the 1995 Tianjin World Table Tennis Championships, the national table tennis turned over. In the men's team event, he defeated his archrival Sweden to win the championship, and in the men's singles event, Kong Linghui and Liu Guoliang were two young players who competed for the championship on the final stage of the competition, and Kong Linghui won the men's singles championship at the World Championships.
In the next year's Olympic Games, Liu Guoliang reached the final, defeated his senior brother Wang Tao in an upset, and won the men's singles championship. Three years later, at the 1999 World Table Tennis Championships in Eindhoven, he defeated his junior brother Ma Lin and won the men's singles championship, becoming China's first men's Grand Slam!
04 Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Men's singles champion: Kong Linghui
Age: 24 and a half years old
In the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the 24-year-old Kong Linghui challenged his idol Waldner, who was 10 years older than him, and the two sides contributed the greatest duel of the century in the history of the table tennis Olympics.
On the podium, 3 Grand Slams stood at the same station, becoming the best scenery.
05 Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Yoo Seung-min (Korea)
Age to win: 22 years old
Today, 20 years later, there are still many people talking about that final. In fact, at the beginning of the 1/8 finals, Liu Chengmin was already superb, and in the semifinals, he defeated Waldner in one fell swoop (eliminated Marin and Bol), and defeated Wang Hao 4-2 in the final to win the championship!
06 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Ma Lin
Age: 28 years old
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was the happiest period of national table tennis, Wang Liqin, Ma Lin and Wang Hao stood on the same podium and won the top three. In the end, Ma Lin passed all the way, showing the style of the grandmaster, and finally defeated Wang Hao 4-1 to win the championship!
07 London 2012
Men's singles champion: Zhang Jike
Age to win: 24 years old
After 2010, Zhang Jike gradually stood out from the competition and qualified for the Olympic Games with Wang Hao. Before the finals, Zhang Jike was already crushing Wang Hao in the competition, and he could win the championship if he played normally. In the end, there was no suspense, Zhang Jike won the championship, and Wang Hao's Olympic singles journey ended in 3 Asia!
08 Rio 2016
Men's Singles Champion: Ma Long
Age to win: 27 and a half years old
Many people think that Ma Long is extremely talented in table tennis, but in fact, in fact, he belongs to the late formation and self-discipline type. When he won the Olympic men's singles championship for the first time, Ma Long was more than 27 years old, which was relatively late among the champions. However, he won the championship again in Tokyo!
09 Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Men's Singles Champion: Ma Long
Age to win: 32 and a half years old
As we all know, the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021, and Ma Long defeated Fan Zhendong to win the championship. In fact, I want to know if Ma Long can win the men's singles again if he participates in the Paris Olympics, but it's a pity!
At present, Wang Chuqin is 24 years old and Fan Zhendong is 27 and a half years old, which of the two of them will win the gold medal? We look forward to it together!