1st Time in 16 Years Since Seoul Olympics


By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter
Ryu Seung-min sent the Great Wall of China crashing down as he became the first South Korean to win the gold medal in the men’s singles table tennis in 16 years Monday at the Athens Olympics, beating Wang Hao in a six-set thriller.

In the final match at Galatsi Olympic Hall, the third-seeded Ryu defeated the fourth-seeded Wang in 45 minutes by a score of 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9, denying the heavily-favored Chinese team a sweep of the gold medals.

With Ryu’s unexpected gold, South Korea increased its medal haul in Athens to six gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals.

Yoo Nam-kyu was South Korea’s last gold medallist in table tennis when he won the 1988 Seoul Olympics singles event in an all-Korean final with Kim Ki-taek. The women’s pairing of Hyun Jung-hwa and Yang Young-ja also won the gold in the women’s doubles event in Seoul.

In the final match between two offensive pen-holders, the 22-year-old Ryu easily took the first set as Wang made successive receiving errors on Ryu’s powerful drives. However, Wang fought back in the second set as he recovered his offensive playing style to level the match.

Exchanging powerful attacks, the two kept the score close in the third set but it was the South Korean who gained a 2-1 advantage, finishing the set with a backhanded drive.

The see-saw match continued in the fourth set. Wang went ahead 8-6 with quick pushes to Ryu’s backhand side, but Ryu stayed calm and rallied to get the set, pushing Wang to the brink at 3-1.

Ryu had a great chance to win in the fifth set, jumping out to a 9-6 lead over Wang. But perhaps getting taking his foot of the pedal for a moment Ryu played more defensively and Wang took advantage to win the set at 13-11.

In the sixth set Ryu went ahead again at 9-7 but Wang fought back to make it even. However Ryu wasn’t about to let his advantage slip this time and hit a powerful drive to end the intense battle.

``I was very nervous at the beginning, but as the game went on my tactics worked well so I expected this win,’’ Ryu said after the game. ``I fought thinking that I am representing the table tennis of South Korea.

``I was shaken in the fifth set when I lost 13-11. But coach Kim Taek-soo calmed me down, so I was able to play the rest of the game.’’

``I hope this gold medal can boost popularity of table tennis in South Korea,’’ he added.

South Korea’s male and female archery gold medallists joined the small group of Koreans cheering Ryu on to victory in the stadium, which was packed with hundreds of Chinese supporters in red shirts.

Ryu started playing table tennis at the age of nine and was selected for the national team at 15. He lost in the first round in Sydney four years ago, but won the 2002 Pusan Asian Games singles event and placed third at this year’s Korean Open. After winning the U.S. Open in July, Ryu’s world ranking climbed to a career best third.

In six previous encounters with Wang, Ryu only won once, back in 1999 in the final of the Asian Junior Championships, and lost their next five encounters including the recent Korea Open semifinals.

Ryu defeated Leung Chu Yan of Hong Kong in the quarterfinals and overcame Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden in the semifinals.

indizio@koreatimes.co.kr