Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha win table tennis mixed doubles gold after China’s Tokyo failure
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Wang Chuqin (left) and Sun Yingsha beat North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong 4-2.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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PARIS – China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha gave it their all to beat North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong 4-2 in the table tennis mixed doubles final at the Paris Games on July 30, the first step in what could be a gold-medal sweep in the sport for the nation.
The North Koreans won their first Olympic medal since Rio 2016 as they skipped Tokyo three years ago due to Covid-19 concerns, settling for silver after defeat.
The Chinese arrived in the French capital as the world’s undisputed table tennis kings, having won 32 of the 37 available golds since it became an Olympic sport.
They failed to claim the mixed doubles title when it was introduced three years ago in Tokyo, losing to a home pairing.
Wang and Sun, who had attracted many travelling fans to cheer for them in France, set the record straight this time with an 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8 win over their opponents.
“We have been thinking of winning this gold for a very long time,” said Wang. “I had said it before, I will give it my all to win this gold, and today I did it.”
Sun added: “We have been preparing for this and we made it. In fact, both sides played very well and in the end it was down to our belief and our determination that we won.”
The South Korean duo of Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin won bronze, beating Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7, 14-12).
The Chinese pair had overwhelming support from the red-clad fans inside the South Paris Arena, cheering and chanting throughout the match.
Wang and Sun, who are the world No. 1 pair, took control early by winning the first game.
North Korea battled back to even things up but the top seeds took the next two games to put themselves on the brink of gold.
Ri and Kim pulled a game back to stay in it but China saw out a tense end to the match to take the title.
In other finals elsewhere, Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold after beating Sevval Ilayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec of Turkey 16-14 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
Britain’s Nathan Hales won the men’s trap event with an Olympic record of 48. Qi Ying (44) of China claimed the silver medal, while Jean Pierre Brol (35) of Guatemala took bronze.
In tennis, Coco Gauff’s hopes of singles gold evaporated in the third round as she fell to a 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 loss
The 20-year-old American was left in tears as she went 4-2 down in the second set following a disputed line call after which she argued with the umpire and referee for several minutes before continuing.
Coco Gauff was left in tears as she went 4-2 down in the second set following a disputed line call.
PHOTO: AFP
The Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd got behind her but the ice-cool Vekic sealed the win as Gauff’s game disintegrated.
“I have to advocate for myself all the time,” said an emotional Gauff, who demanded the introduction of video replays.
“I’m getting cheated in this game. You guys are not fair to me.”
Men’s football continued in Bordeaux, where Egypt shocked Spain 2-1 to top Group C. Both sides have qualified for the quarter-finals, while the other match in the group saw the Dominican Republic draw 1-1 with Uzbekistan.
In other news, the Covid-19 virus has forced athletes to withdraw from events and has others donning masks once again, three years after the Tokyo Olympics were held amid strict precautions and with no fans.
Several athletes have tested positive, including Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, who was a medal hope in the women’s 1,500m freestyle but had to withdraw from the event.
British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive a day after he narrowly missed out on 100m breaststroke gold
“Adam’s okay, he’s not dying, just a bit of a cold,” teammate Matt Richards said.
“We’re here to race. If we get a little bit ill while we’re racing, we’ll keep racing. It’s how we do it.”
Another British swimmer, Jacob Whittle, also said that the team are being extra cautious and “hand sanitising and wearing masks everywhere we can”.
Multiple Australian women’s water polo players had tested positive before the opening ceremony but have continued competing since then, as the Paris Games have no strict protocols or restrictions. REUTERS, AFP
