China’s Wang Chuqin falls in Olympic table tennis stunner after broken paddle fiasco
Wang Chuqin went from the elation of securing his first-ever Olympic gold medal in table tennis doubles to being devastated by the aftermath.
Photographers, rushing to capture the moment after Wang and Sun Yingsha defeated their Korea counterparts on Tuesday, accidentally broke the World No. 1’s paddle, a pivotal piece of equipment needed for his singles match the following night — leaving Wang in disbelief and needing to be calmed by his coach.
“They didn’t do it on purpose. Since it already happened, there is nothing much I can do about it. I will try to play well with my backup paddle,” Wang said, still visibly affected by the incident. “Maybe this is fate.”
If it was fate that brought this on, his next match was a disaster.
Sweden’s Truls Moregard, 22, pulled off a shocking 4-2 upset over Wang after admitting he’s never so much as won a set against him.
“I have almost never taken a set against Wang, so it’s crazy to win here,” said Moregard. “I think how I played in the tactical game was really clever, and I didn’t feel that he had his best day at the beginning.”
Wang was keen not to blame the paddle breakage for his poor performance, but the loss undoubtedly shocked everyone in the event.
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“I think the main reason was my own poor performance, which gave Moregard more opportunities. I made a lot of mistakes, which gradually put me in a disadvantageous position,” said Wang, who will continue his Paris journey in the team event for China, his next chance coming on Aug. 6.
Wang was a -5000 favorite (98.04 percent implied) in the match, and the loss is likely one of the most significant in Olympic history.
