PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Jan-Ove Waldner is one of our greatest sporting heroes ever.
A powerful moment in his career was the superior World Cup gold in 1997.
And right after he made sports history, he did the most unexpected thing.
There are few Swedish athletes who can compete with Jan-Ove Waldner when it comes to dominating their sport for many years. With his amazing ball sense, he is still regarded as one of the world’s best table tennis players of all time.
Icon Waldner
The good JO was raw talent personified and broke through at an early age. He was truly unique as a table tennis player and most quickly understood that this would become a real giant with his rack.
The article continues after the picture.
The Swedish world star won an Olympic gold, six World Cup gold, eleven European Championship gold and double World Cup titles during his successful career. And one of his most powerful moments during his heyday was the 1997 World Cup in Manchester.
As Waldner was in great form and completely unbeatable as he went through the entire WC tournament without losing a single set. In seven matches, the victory figures could be written to 21-0 for the JO against the world and he had to lift the WC trophy so incredibly fairly.
READ MORE: When Jan-Ove Waldner gave the smartest answer of all time to a foreign journalist after winning World Cup gold
Called Brolin
Right after he made sports history in Manchester, he did the most unexpected thing. By immediately making a phone call to the soccer star Thomas Brolin.
– We agreed that we will meet again in Sweden in the summer, Brolin tells about the golden conversation from the JO in an old interview with the newspaper GT.
The article continues after the picture.
Waldner and Brolin got to know each other during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and became close friends from the first moment.
– We have met regularly since then. The last time we saw each other was also in Sweden, during the Easter weekend, Brolin admits in the interview that was done in 1997.
– We have the same interests. We both like to play golf and play horses. We find it easy to talk to each other.
Tomas Brolin also wanted to send a special greeting to Waldner, who actually won both WC gold and WC silver in doubles on the same day.
“Congratulations on the WC gold, Old Grandfather! You deserved it, you little devil. Congratulations also on the WC silver and say hello to Jörgen”, was the greeting from Brolin.
READ MORE: Tomas Brolin reveals the truth about the famous free-kick variation in WC 94 – confesses after 29 years
Strong friendship
At this time, the World Cup 94 hero was playing in Italy’s Parma and something they also had in common was their unique ball senses. Although it is not possible to directly compare the sports of table tennis and football.
– Not directly. Table tennis is an individual sport, soccer is a team sport. There is no doubt, however, that JO as a ball artist is second to none footballer, Tomas Brolin asserts.
The friendship between sports heroes Jan-Ove Waldner and Tomas Brolin is just as strong today. So many, many years after they found each other in the 1992 Summer Olympics and their sports careers ended long ago.
Surely Jan-Ove Waldner is one of the greats of Swedish sports? Share the article and have your say!