1996 Atlanta Olympics – Liu Guoliang
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Another grand slam champion, China started their era of dominance in men’s table tennis with Liu Guoliang’s gold medal in 1996. The legendary Chinese paddler overcame fellow countryman Wang Tao with some searing forehand drives and top-spins.
Winner of the bronze medal in 2000, Liu Guoliang cemented his legacy by claiming the doubles gold as well in 1996. The Chinese legend played with a pen-hold grip and a short pimple rubber. A pioneer of the backhand reverse topspin, Guoliang is widely credited with revolutionising the pen-hold style of play and he is considered to be one of the greatest table tennis players of all time.
Currently guiding the current generation of Chinese players to world domination, Guoliang will be present in the Rio Olympics as well, but this time as a mentor.
The below video shows the best glimpses of Liu Guoliang in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics:
