ITEM 1/3 Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Table Tennis – Men's Team Gold Medal Team Match – South Paris Arena 4, Paris, France – August 9, 2024. China's Fan Zhendong plays in the gold medal match against Sweden's Truls Mollegard. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
[1/3]Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Table Tennis – Men's Gold Medal Team Match – South Paris Arena 4, Paris, France – August 9, 2024. China's Fan Zhendong plays in the gold medal match against Sweden's Truls Molegaard. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq License rights purchased will open in a new tab
PARIS, Aug 9 (Reuters) – China successfully defended its Olympic men's team title by beating Sweden in three closely fought matches on Friday, with Ma Long cementing his place as China's champion.
Already the most successful Olympic table tennis player, Ma won six gold medals, making him China's most decorated Olympian in history.
Ma, 35, has said Paris will be his last Olympics and has no plans to retire from competition altogether.
“I never thought that Paris would still be there after Tokyo. It's great to get through these three years and finally achieve what I've worked so hard for. It's really special,” said Ma, who was not a favourite to win the men's singles gold medal for the third consecutive tournament.
China defeated Sweden 3-0 in the finals, but the seventh-seeded Europeans kept China on their toes until the end, with each match spanning five closely fought games.
Sweden and France both won medals in the table tennis team event, marking the first time two European nations have stood on the podium.
In the men's singles final rematch, Sweden's Truls Molegaard put up a strong fight against gold medalist Fan Zhendong.
Molegaard, who lost 1-4 to Phan in singles, played smarter from wider angles and handled Phan's powerful backhand to win the second and fourth sets.
But the fans dominated the key points, winning the final game 11-5.
Earlier, French teenager Felix Leblanc, who made history by winning France's first table tennis singles bronze medal since 2000, added another bronze medal to the delight of the host nation.
Leblanc won two matches to help France beat Tokyo bronze medallists Japan, while his brother Alexis and Simon Gauzy thrilled a packed South Paris Arena with enthusiastic home fans in a marathon that lasted more than three hours.
“An Olympic medal is every table tennis player's dream. To achieve it in France, with my team and with my family watching, is a moment I want to hold on to as long as possible,” said Leblanc, who plans to celebrate despite not yet being able to drink alcohol in France.
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Reporting by Crystal Hu in Paris; Editing by Ed Osmond
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