JO Waldner is one of our greatest.
And he is not exactly hated in China for that matter.
Just check out this clip – when the Swede completely plays with 10 Chinese amateurs.
JO Waldner has credentials that few Swedish athletes come close to. He has one Olympic gold, one Olympic silver, six World Championship golds and eleven European Championship golds – but it wasn’t just that he won his titles, but how he won all the competitions.
Incredible show
Table tennis had long been completely dominated by China, but Waldner broke the Chinese supremacy, and for that he became a real icon in the country. Waldner was nicknamed “The Evergreen Tree” in China, and if he is a legend in Sweden, his icon status is almost even higher in China.
Table tennis is China’s national sport, and when someone could excel as much as JO could, there was nothing but respect. And it lives on to this day. Although it’s been many years since Waldner’s prime, and long since he put his racket on the shelf, Waldner is a super celebrity in China, and as soon as he’s there, he’s treated like one. And this clip certainly proves it.
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Played with the amateurs
During a trip to China almost 10 years ago, Waldner visited a shopping center, where amateurs and table tennis lovers had the chance to play a few balls with the Swedish icon. Waldner stepped in with a jacket, jeans and not very warm – but still had a total playhouse. Sure, he loses a couple of balls, but he’s not playing his absolute best, and he’s throwing some serious balls along the way.
In total, Waldner has time to face ten amateurs, some better and more serious than others, but JO always takes everything with a heel kick, and it really is a total show all the way. What an incredible athlete and a true ball genius.
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