Heroic Möregårdh fell in the Olympic final: “Heavy”

Stellan Bengtsson’s World Cup gold in 1971. The team gold in the World Cup in 1989. JO Waldner’s Olympic triumph in 1992.

Three classic Swedish sports moments in the table tennis garden. Truls Möregårdh’s Olympic silver in Paris ends up somewhere in the hooks.

This time, too, he could not beat Fan Zhendong, the Chinese superstar who also beat Möregårdh in the WC final in 2021. Fan won the final 4–1 in sets (7–11, 11–9, 11–9, 11–9 , 11–8).

It’s heavy, of course. I don’t know what to do better, says the 22-year-old in Max.

It’s just to congratulate.

Somehow it makes up for it. The 22-year-old table tennis talent from Hovmantorp in Småland has delivered one of the games’ great Swedish efforts, even if not all the way.

Tricked out a smile

The score until 3-9 in the fifth set – when the Swede basically gave up – said as much. Möregårdh tricked his opponent with a strange, high screw, which caused the stone-faced Fan to smile for the first time in the match.

At the same time, Möregårdh stretched out his arms towards the audience, flashed his widest smile and received a huge cheer from the stands.

Fan Zhendong then advanced to 10–3 and seven match points. Möregårdh, who saved a phenomenal 21 set points en route to the final, saved five of them before a masterful return secured another Chinese Olympic table tennis gold.

Took the first set

It was a Swedish-flavored start to the final, which began with the first point being won on an edge ball and continued with a set win 11–7.

Then the Chinese, big favorite before the match, woke up and won two close sets, both with 11-9. Fan took home most of the really gas-hugging balls, that decided the decision.

So also in the fourth set, where the ball that gave Fan 7–3 was one of the roughest things you’ve seen. Möregårdh could not answer, and lost that set as well, 11–9 to Fan Zhendong.