Jan-Ove Waldner is our greatest ball conjurer of all time.
He could throw punches that no one else could even imagine.
And sometimes it actually even felt like he could see into the future.
Jan-Ove Waldner was the super talent who charmed an entire country with his wizardry and put ping pong on the map in Europe. He already broke through as a 16-year-old when he reached the final of the European Championship, but it was easy for him to digest it as the successes quickly lined up.
Incredible career
JO Waldner was not only skilled, determined and had an extraordinary winning streak. His love for table tennis, and his desire to grow the sport, was unmatched and that is also why his career continued for so long. Waldner played table tennis for four decades and during that time managed to win an Olympic gold, 16(!) WC medals, six of which were gold.
JO Waldner made history time and time again. He once went through an entire WC without losing a single set. But it wasn’t just because he won that he became so popular. It had as much to do with how he won his races. JO Waldner made every match a show, and he always wanted to offer the audience that little something extra. Often it went well too.
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Rubbish
Waldner was the returner’s master, but in ping pong it’s all about staying one step ahead of your opponent at all times. And no one was better at it than the legendary Swede. Once he showed an absolutely perfect example of how superior he was. In table tennis, it’s a bit of an unwritten rule to play with one hand, but Waldner always does what it takes to win.
Once In a match, which can be seen in the second part of the clip below, Waldner ended up in a tight spot where he would never have had time to get there. He reacted lightning fast, put the racket in his left hand, and got the ball over to the opponent’s side. JO also won the ball – and he really deserved it after the sheer magic. What an incredible player!
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