'Sturdy Great Wall' Women's Table Tennis Fails to Reach Team Event Final [Paris Olympics]

Defeated 0-3... Korea's 14th Consecutive Loss to China in All Events

Korean table tennis could not overcome the 'Great Wall' in the women's team event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

South Korea, represented by Shin Yubin, Lee Eunhye (both from Korean Air), and Jeon Jihee (Mirae Asset Securities), lost 0-3 in match score to China in the women's team semifinals held on the 8th (local time) at the South Paris Arena in France. Although they aggressively launched attacks from the start, they were repeatedly blocked by the high wall of China’s top-ranked singles players (Sun Yingsha ranked 1st, Chen Meng 2nd, Wang Manyu 3rd).

As a result, South Korea will compete for the bronze medal in the women's team event. They will face the winner of the Germany vs. Japan match at 5 p.m. Korean time on the 10th. If they win, they will earn an Olympic medal in this event for the first time in 16 years since the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

South Korea’s frontline was the doubles pair of Shin Yubin and Jeon Jihee, who won the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games and are ranked 2nd in the world in women’s doubles. China countered with the world No. 1 doubles pair Chen Meng and Wang Manyu. Shin Yubin and Jeon Jihee, who were losing after dropping the first two games, showed improved performance in the third game. They led 7-2, then tied at 9-9, but regained the lead with Jeon Jihee’s lucky edge shot. Shin Yubin also displayed a brilliant forehand to secure game point. In the fourth game, despite trailing by 6 points, they showed remarkable concentration to tie at 9-9. However, their shots subsequently went out of the table one after another, and they ultimately lost 1-3 (4-11, 5-11, 11-9, 9-11).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Eunhye, who played the second singles match, failed to lay the foundation for a comeback. She lost 0-3 (5-11, 1-11, 3-11) to Sun Yingsha without putting up much resistance. Jeon Jihee, in the third singles match, also lost 0-3 (3-11, 7-11, 3-11) to Wang Manyu, ending South Korea’s hopes of reaching the final. With this defeat, Korean table tennis has now suffered 14 consecutive losses to China across all Olympic events. The men’s team also lost to China in the quarterfinals of the men’s team event the previous day, ending their medal challenge. The last time South Korea defeated China at the Olympics dates back to the 2004 Athens Games, when Yoo Seungmin (President of the Korea Table Tennis Association) defeated Wang Hao (coach of the Chinese men’s team) in the men’s singles final to win the gold medal.