It took the impregnable China, crowned for the eleventh time in a row, to put an end to the Lebrun version of the Blues’ epic on Sunday February 25 in the final of the World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea.
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On the podium, the big smiles of Félix and Alexis Lebrun as well as Simon Gauzy, outclassed 3-0 on the tables half an hour earlier, reminded us of the rarity of the moment. The French table tennis players equaled the best result of the Blues, 27 years after the silver won in 1997 by the “ Musketeers » led by Jean-Philippe Gatien.
The hierarchy was finally respected: a 3-1 defeat (7-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-6), giving China its 11th world team title in a row.
World number 2 Wang Chuqin easily dominated 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3) over young Félix Lebrun (17 years old), No. 6 and first non-Chinese in the world rankings. His brother Alexis (20 years old), in the relay, led two sets to one and 10-9 in the fourth set, without managing to convert a match point against world No.1 Fan Zhendong.
On the contrary, the reigning world singles champion, who had not lost a set in two matches during the semi-final against South Korea, ended up bringing down the first European to have knocked him down ( ten months ago in Macau): the eldest Lebrun (21st in the world ranking), lost 3-2 (9-11, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7).
In the third and final match, the legend Ma Long, double Olympic singles champion (2016 and 2021), dominated Simon Gauzy 3-1 (7-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-6).
But, five months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, these World Championships remain historic for the “ ping » tricolor since the French table tennis players also returned with a bronze medal, a first since 1991.