China's Zhang wins men's table tennis gold

LONDON (AFP) –

Zhang Jike of China watches the ball as he serves during his table tennis men’s gold medal singles match against compatriot Wang Hao for the London 2012 Olympic Games at The Excel Centre in London. China’s Zhang won the Olympic men’s singles table tennis gold medal after defeating compatriot Wang Hao 4-1 in the final here on Thursday.

China’s Zhang Jike won the Olympic men’s singles table tennis gold medal after defeating compatriot Wang Hao 4-1 in the final here on Thursday.

Victory saw 24-year-old top seed Zhang become the first male player in history to win successive World Championship and Olympic titles.

Zhang stormed into a 3-0 lead before number two seed Wang, singles silver medallist at both the 2004 and 2008 Games, hit back in his quest for an elusive singles gold medal.

But Zhang held his nerve for an 18-16, 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 13-11 win over the 27-year-old Wang, the 2009 world champion, in a final which was yet more evidence of China’s position as table tennis’s pre-eminent nation.

An elated Zhang celebrated his victory by leaping out of the court and running to the empty podium, kissing the top step on which he would soon be standing to receive his gold medal.

His latest success gave Zhang a ‘grand slam’ as he added Olympic gold to the World Cup and World Championship titles he won in Paris and Rotterdam respectively last year.

Zhang’s was the 22nd gold medal China have won in table tennis since it was introduced as an Olympic sport at the 1988 Games in Seoul.

Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov took bronze after a 4-2 win over Chuang Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei.

Zhang’s victory gave China their second table tennis gold of the Games after Li Xiaoxia defeated Ding Ning in another all-Chinese clash in the women’s singles final.