Photo: Bildbyrån
Truls Möregårdh was successful in this summer’s Olympics and picked up double medals.
The 22-year-old, on the other hand, is incredibly aware that the race will come sooner or later.
– I am afraid that this valley will come down, he says to SVT Sport.
Two silver medals in his first Olympics, not many expected when it came Truls Möregårdh22. Hardly even himself. But how do you actually follow up such a successful championship? It’s a thought he’s had for a while now.
Truls are popular
After his incredible success in the Olympic Games, Truls has become a great role model in Sweden, both for the young and the old. He has succeeded in recreating a Swedish ping pong fever that only existed at the time JO Waldner, Mikael Appelgren and Jorgen Persson was at its best several decades ago.
– I am the Swedish player in the national team who lives in Sweden and who plays table tennis in Sweden, and I think it’s very fun to get that appreciation from the Swedish people. I think they think I’m very funny that I’m very close. I think you have a close connection to me in some way, because I go around here in Malmö where I live and I go around a lot everywhere in Sweden and show myself off. I think that has a very big part in it, says Truls to SVT Sport.
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He loves that he managed to become so popular in a short time at home in Sweden, but at the same time he already fears that everything will get much worse in the future when the dip in form comes and interest cools down.
– I am afraid that this valley downwards will come, because it is this famous valley that when you are at the top, you suddenly fall down. I don’t want it to come up for a long time, so I’ll try to keep it away. I don’t want it to come. I feel very well right now. Everything is flowing and my table tennis has been good after the Olympics, he says.
Hope to be able to handle the setbacks
At the same time, he hopes that once everything “crashes”, as he says, he will be able to handle the setbacks in a good way and not panic.
– I hope, even when that valley comes – because I know I’m only human and will lose matches – that I won’t put that pressure on myself anymore. After such a fantastic Olympics, I hope I can live and move on when that happens, he says.
Truls Möregårdh actually missed the chance to win a medal of the highest value over the weekend when he was eliminated in the EC semi-final against the French Alexis Lebrun. Truls was actually crushed 0-4 in the set. He had to settle for a bronze medal. There was also a loss in the doubles final for Truls and Anton Källberg when they lost 0-3 against the French brothers Alexis and Felix Lebrun.
READ MORE: Olympic hero Truls Möregårdh airs his harsh criticism in table tennis
Keep fighting Truls, we love you and support you going forward. You don’t have to walk around feeling worried and afraid. Just take it easy and you’ll be fine.
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