In the mixed doubles table tennis competition at the Paris Olympics, the North Korean team won the silver medal for their first Olympic medal in eight years, although the final defeat to the Chinese team was an exciting result.
The birth of every medal is accompanied by sweat and tears, and the silver medal of the North Korean team shows the indomitable spirit. In table tennis, an event that the Chinese team almost monopolized, the North Korean team was able to win the silver medal, which is a miracle in itself.
The Chinese team, as the hegemon of world table tennis, has won 32 of the 37 gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport. Their performance at the Paris Olympics once again proved their dominance in the sport. This time, they met a strong challenge from the North Korean team.
Three years ago, the Chinese duo of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, who failed to win the Olympic Games in Tokyo, broke the previous record and added another gold medal to the Chinese team in Paris with a score of 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8.
Although the North Korean team failed to win the championship, their performance was enough to make people awe-inspired. Due to the pandemic, North Korea did not participate in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. In Paris, they had been dormant for a long time, knocking out one of the favourites in the first round against the Japan pair, who proved their mettle with a silver medal. Lee Jung-gun and Kim were on the podium alongside bronze medal-winning Korea pair Lim Jong-hoon/Shin Yoo-bin, which was the best reward for their hard work.
The stadium in South Paris was packed with standing spectators, and Chinese fans in red cheered on Wang Qiang and Sun Yingsha for the entire game. The world-ranked duo of Wang Qiang and Sun Yingsha used their consistent play to win the first game and control the match.
The North Korean team did not give up easily, they fought back and equalized, and the Chinese team won two games in a row to bring the score closer to the edge of the gold medal. The North Korean team pulled back another game, and in the end, the Chinese team won the championship at the end of a tense match.
In this game, although the North Korean team lost to the Chinese team, they were still honored, and their tenacity and courage in the game won the respect of the whole world. The victory of the Chinese team once again proved their strong strength in the field of table tennis. The silver medal won by the North Korean team at the Paris Olympics is an affirmation of their own efforts and the best interpretation of all indomitable spirit.