Joy of Gold Medal Short-Lived... Table Tennis Paddle Stepped on by Reporters, 'Helpless' [Paris Olympics]

"Already Happened... Will Play Match with Spare Table Tennis Paddle"

An incident occurred where the table tennis paddle of Wang Chuqin, the gold medalist in mixed doubles table tennis at the Paris Olympics, was damaged. This happened because the paddle was stepped on by the press crowding around after the match ended.

On the 30th, at South Paris Arena 4 in Paris, France, the mixed doubles table tennis final was held between the Chinese team (Wang Chuqin - Sun Yingsha) and the North Korean team (Ri Jong-sik - Kim Kum-young). In this match, the Chinese team won with a game score of 4-2 and took home the gold medal. Wang Chuqin enjoyed the moment of joy by raising the Five-starred Red Flag together with Sun Yingsha after the match ended.

The ping pong paddle of Wang Chuchin was damaged after being stepped on by the crowd of reporters. [Image source=China Weibo]

However, the joy was short-lived as photographers rushed in to take pictures, and Wang Chuqin’s paddle was stepped on. As a result, the paddle was broken in the middle and bent, becoming unusable for the match. Wang Chuqin held the damaged paddle with a stunned expression. Afterwards, Wang Chuqin looked around the press angrily, but the Chinese team coach hugged him to calm him down.

In a post-match interview, Wang Chuqin expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "At the moment (the racket was damaged), I could not control my emotions. I could not understand why the photographers acted that way." He added, "It has already happened, and I will play well with the spare paddle."

Chinese table tennis player Wang Chuqin.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency

Netizens who heard the news responded with comments such as "It’s like going to a battlefield without weapons," "It’s a once-in-four-years match, so anyone would be reckless," "Athletes are very sensitive to routines, jinxes, and equipment," and "It’s understandable to be angry. I hope he performs well in the remaining matches."

Meanwhile, Wang Chuqin is scheduled to face Sweden’s Truls Moregard in the men’s singles round of 32 on the 31st. On August 6, he will play the round of 16 in the men’s team event against India.