The stage is set for a thrilling climax to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as the men’s and women’s singles events near their conclusion. The semifinals delivered a series of captivating encounters that determined the finalists for each event.
In the men’s semifinals, world number 26, Truls Moregard of Sweden, who is having a stellar campaign, continued his impressive run by defeating fourth seed Hugo Calderano. Moregard, who knocked out the world number one earlier in the tournament, secured his place in the gold medal match, marking the end of Sweden’s 24-year Olympic medal drought, with Jan-Ove Waldner’s silver in Athens 2004 being the last. Calderano, who became the first player outside of Asia and Europe to reach the semifinal, will face France’s Felix Lebrun in the bronze medal match.
Earlier in the other semifinal, Fan Zhendong demonstrated why he is one of the best in the world with a commanding 4-0 victory over Felix Lebrun (11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4). Fan shattered French dreams of a gold medal by defeating home favourite Lebrun, silencing the passionate French crowd. Determined to rectify his Tokyo 2020 silver medal finish, the Chinese star delivered a dominant performance. Despite the defeat, Lebrun has elevated the profile of table tennis in France and will look to end his singles campaign on a high note by competing for the bronze medal.
Sunday’s gold medal match will be a highly anticipated rematch of the ITTF World Championships 2021 final between Fan Zhendong and Truls Moregard, which the Chinese player won 4-0.
In the women’s semifinals, both Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng showcased their class with respective 4-0 wins. Sun Yingsha proved too strong for Japan’s Hina Hayata, while Chen Meng, the reigning champion, cruised past Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin. This sets up a rematch of the Tokyo 2020 final, but the landscape of women’s table tennis has shifted dramatically since then.
Sun Yingsha has risen like a phoenix, claiming victory after victory. With the World Championships and the World Cup in her bag, she is on the cusp of a historic table tennis Grand Slam – a feat that would make her the youngest player ever to achieve this.
Chen Meng, however, will not relinquish her crown without a fight. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion’s experience and tactical brilliance are formidable. With a point to prove and years of experience under her belt, Chen Meng represents a significant obstacle on Sun Yingsha’s path to glory.
As the finals approach, the excitement builds for what promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to the singles events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The Women’s Singles event will conclude tomorrow, starting with the Bronze medal match at 13:30 (GMT+2), and Gold Medal match at 14:30 (GMT+2). The Men’s Singles event matches will take place on 4 August, with the Bronze Medal match at 13:30 (GMT+2) and the Gold Medal match at 14:30 (GMT+2)
Credit: ITTF