Paddler Chen tops Sun for title
Print Edition
China鈥檚 Chen Meng defeated compatriot Sun Yingsha 4-2 to win women鈥檚 singles Olympic table tennis gold yesterday.
World No. 1 Chen overcame her opponent 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 5-11, 11-4, 11-9 as China continued its incredible run of winning every women鈥檚 singles gold medal in Olympic history.
Chen fired herself up with a mighty yell each time she scored, while the 20-year-old Sun in contrast silently gave a reserved fist pump as she tried to get back into the contest.
Chen and Sun embraced at the end and then unfurled a large Chinese flag.
Japan鈥檚 Mima Ito won the bronze medal after beating Singapore鈥檚 Yu Mengyu 4-1, earning Japan鈥檚 first medal ever in Olympic women鈥檚 singles, after she secured gold in the mixed doubles.
In the men鈥檚 singles, China鈥檚 Fan Zhendong won 4-3 against Chinese Taipei鈥檚 Lin Yun Ju, while defending champion Ma Long beat Germany鈥檚 Dimitrij Ovtcharov by the same score to reach today鈥檚 final.
The results mean that China provided all four finalists in the showpiece matches at the Tokyo Games in the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 singles events as it has at every Games since 2008.
China has long been the dominant force in the sport, especially in the women鈥檚 singles where the Asian powerhouse has never been beaten to the Olympic title.
Earlier, world No. 3 Sun had overwhelmed Ito in the semifinals with an 11-3, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 victory, while Chen had beaten Yu 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6.
鈥淚鈥檝e always looked forward to fighting against Ito, who鈥檚 the same age as me,鈥 Sun told reporters. 鈥淲hether I win or lose, there鈥檚 a lot of joy every time I face her.鈥
China swept all four table tennis events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. That was also the third straight Olympics where Chinese men have taken both gold and silver.
A rule change ahead of the Rio Games widely seen as aimed at China meant that each country can now only send two players for singles, opening up the bronze medal for other nations.
China鈥檚 table tennis team is so strong that Liu Shiwen, the women鈥檚 world champion, didn鈥檛 even make the singles鈥 team and is only playing team events.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
