PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Sweden has written new sporting history in table tennis.
After a completely senseless turnaround, the men’s team is ready for the Olympic final.
Now the icon Jan-Ove Waldner says what all Swedes think after the feat.
If there wasn’t already total ping pong fever in Sweden, it has now hit the roof. Truls Möregårdh wrote blue and yellow sports history by becoming the first Swede in 24 years to reach an Olympic final in table tennis.
The Swedish feat
But what has now happened is probably even bigger and more successful. Too late on Wednesday evening, when many Swedes had already turned off the TV and fallen asleep, new blue and yellow sports history was written.
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The Swedish table tennis men were really bad in the team game and were down 0-2 in matches against Japan. Then the miracle began when Sweden won two straight singles matches and took the marathon match to a fifth decider.
Waldner in shock
The hidden Anton Källberg stepped up and played the match of his life and became a big hero when he completed the crazy feat by defeating the favorite Timokazu Harimoto. Sweden will now play the Olympic final in team play for the first time in history and at home the icon was sitting on the TV sofa Jan-Ove Waldner in complete shock.
– I have difficulty breathing. It poured in over 100 text messages, it’s absolutely insane. What a turnaround, he says to Sportbladet.
– I said that turning Anton now is a sick feat and he does it. Finally he got to show off what he can do. It was magical and then everyone gets to win a match. It is not possible to win in a better way, it is a dream in a team match.
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JO is one of the table tennis world’s greatest icons in history and when Sweden faced Japan last night, he completely lost his composure.
– I had the balcony door open and happened to shout, so I hope I don’t get a warning, haha. It was a hell of a roar. Even when he got the match ball, it was the same. Great stuff, this is absolutely huge. It was a 50/50 match before but the way the match turned out, it turned out to be magic, says Waldner in the interview.
– It was a great game, propaganda ping-pong again. Incredible balls, it’s absolutely insane.
READ MORE: The Swedish tokilskan after the tough Olympic loss against Denmark – now goes on the attack against great injustice: “Tired of shit”
Also another ping pong icon i Mikael “The Apple” Appelgren is so deeply impressed by the Swedish table tennis gentlemen.
– It is so terribly big. The biggest thing that happened here in the Olympics for Sweden. Actually even bigger than Trul’s final, he tells the evening newspaper.
– Considering the generation before. We won a lot. So there has always been talk about us, that people should live up to us. But we have always said: crap in the old generation. And now they have proven how good they are. Im so proud. It’s absolutely crazy. What team! And everyone won a match.
What do you think of the Swedish table tennis men’s performance in the Olympics? Share the article and have your say!
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