FAN ZHENDONG’S SUPERB OLYMPIC TITLE CHARGE

[Author: Luois Yu-Garambois]

Fan Zhendong is a 27-year-old (born 1997) professional Chinese table tennis player. He is currently ranked 2nd in the world, having already led the ITTF World Rankings in previous years. His nickname in Chinese is ‘Xiao Pang’ (or ‘Little Fatty’).

Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fan was ranked as the 2nd seed, behind countrymate Wang Chuqin, with the global expectation to face him again in the final. He had been heavily criticized earlier in the year by fans and media, despite scoring 2nd and 1st place in the 2024 WTT Events (WTT Finals and WTT Champions).

However, the Swedish player Truls Möregårdh upset Wang Chuqin in the round of 32, meaning that Fan was the only Chinese player left to defend China’s gold medal, which they had continuously won since 2008.

Facing intense pressure, Fan Zhendong delivered, and strong performances, especially in the semifinals where he schooled French wonderkid Felix Lebrun 4-0, which meant he faced Möregårdh in the final for gold. A 4-1 win after dropping the first set meant Fan became the 6th athlete to ever complete a ‘Grand Slam’ of individual achievements in table tennis, having won throughout his career the Olympics, the World Cup, and the World Championships.

This Olympic win cemented Fan’s status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, earning him the nickname ‘The Great Wall of China’ in the Japanese press after defeating Harimoto in a thrilling 4-3 showdown, in addition to swaying public opinion in his home country. His own Olympics were even more brilliant as he also participated in China’s victory in men’s team table tennis, a true redemption for the man who had left Tokyo in 2020 as a silver medalist.

Peene, S. (2024, August 4). Paris 2024 table tennis: People’s Republic of China’s Fan Zhendong beats Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh to win men’s individual gold. Olympics.com. https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-fan-zehndong-takes-table-tennis-individual-gold

Sakthimogan, N., & Sakthimogan, N. (2024, August 10). Paris 2024: Fan Zhendong Bags the Gold, Felix Lebrun is Youngest Singles Medalist in Olympic Table Tennis. International Table Tennis Federation. https://www.ittf.com/2024/08/04/day-9-at-paris-2024-mens-singles-medal-showdown-takes-centre-stage/