As a traditional strength of the Chinese team, table tennis has always received special attention. However, in the men's singles 1/32 finals of the Paris Olympics, an unexpected happened: China's top player Wang Chuqin was upset and missed the gold medal, which immediately caused an uproar on the Internet.

After winning the mixed doubles championship, Wang Chuqin's form was once pinned on high hopes. However, fate seems to play a joke, and just as spectators were looking forward to Wang's upcoming Olympic performance, the unexpected happened: his trusty racket was accidentally damaged after the mixed doubles match. This not only affected the next table tennis competition, but also shook Wang Chuqin's mentality. Unfortunately, the story went in the direction that people least wanted to see - on July 31, Wang Chuqin lost 2-4 to world No. 26 Sweden's Moregard and missed out on the men's singles round of 16.

For table tennis players, the racket is not only a piece of equipment in the game, but also an important partner on the field. As this incident shows, a proper racket is essential for an athlete's performance. After switching to the new racket, Wang Chuqin obviously felt that the feel was different from the usual training racket, which directly affected his control of the ball, especially when dealing with fastballs and spinning balls.

Guo Keli, an expert in sports equipment, analyzed the matter, and he pointed out: "For table tennis players, the racket is not just a tool, but more like their combat partner. Changing rackets suddenly, especially in such an important game, can have an impact on the athletes. He further explained that even a spare racket takes a period of adaptation, and Wang Chuqin's rapid change of racket during the game has undoubtedly increased his psychological and technical burden.

There have also been many examples in history where racquet problems have affected the outcome of a match. During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Zhang Yining faced a strong opponent in the women's singles semifinals when she encountered a sudden situation of having her racket changed. The performance of the spare racket is slightly different from Zhang Yining's original, especially in the elasticity and grip of the racket. Zhang Yining said after the match that this subtle difference caused some trouble to her serve and near-table ball handling. Still, she managed to win that match with a hard run by adjusting her style of play and mentality.

Another example is what Japan table tennis player Ai Fukuhara suffered at the 2012 London Olympics. In the team competition, due to an unexpected damage to the racket, Ai Fukuhara had to use a relatively unfamiliar spare racket. The change had a noticeable impact on her performance, especially in terms of possession and power. Although Japan eventually won the bronze medal, Ai Fukuhara admitted after the match that the discomfort of the new racket almost made her lose control of the game.

These historical cases clearly show that there is a subtle and deep connection between table tennis players and their rackets. A habitual racket seems to be an extension of an athlete, and a sudden change will undoubtedly take a toll on their mental and technical skills.

Although Wang's experience is regrettable, he and his coaching team have said that they will learn from it. Coach Xiao mentioned that more attention will be paid to the management and inspection of equipment in the next team competitions to ensure that similar problems will not occur again. Wang Chuqin himself also expressed a positive attitude: "Although the replacement of the racket has affected me, the cause of defeat lies in me. I need to adjust more and get ready for the next races. ”

On the whole, this incident is not only a test for Wang Chuqin personally, but also a test for the emergency management ability of the entire team. Through this experience, the team's cohesion and ability to respond to emergencies need to be valued to be better prepared for the challenges that may be encountered in the future.

The table tennis events of the Paris Olympics will continue, and the next events will be more exciting: on August 3, Sun Yingsha and Chen Meng will participate in the women's singles final; On August 4, Fan Zhendong challenged the gold medal in the men's singles final; On August 9, Ma Long personally participated in the men's team gold medal match; The women's team gold medal match will begin on August 10. Migu Video will continue to broadcast the Olympic table tennis events live, and I believe that the athletes will bring us more excitement.

#夺冠2024#​