China's dominance of table tennis is "just the beginning" and they will soon be strong in every Olympic event, the sport's chief said Wednesday.
Adham Sharara, president of the International Table Tennis Federation, was speaking after China sealed their second straight clean sweep of all four table tennis gold medals for the second Games running.
"They are the best technically, as they have always been," he said. "And they are the best technologically, with combinations of blades and rubbers. And now they are the best physically too. That used to be the Europeans.
"Mentally they are not the strongest, because they have been so much better in those other three areas that it doesn't really matter. Even at 70 percent they are 10 percent better than the rest."
He added, "China also won every medal in diving and in badminton - and this is just the beginning. Technically they will soon be very strong in every sport."
China have in fact won only five out of six diving finals so far, although they won all five of the badminton gold medals for the first time.
Sharara, who has previously described China's pre-eminence as "devastating" for table tennis, urged the team to pass on their expertise to rival nations.
The world body changed its rules for the London Olympic Games to allow only two singles players per country, after China won every individual medal going in Beijing.
Since table tennis joined the Olympic program in 1988, China have won 24 out of 28 gold medals.
China overwhelmed South Korea 3-0 in the men's team final on Wednesday.
Despite a tweak to the table tennis entry rules which limited the number of Chinese players in the draws for the various Olympic tournaments, results in London have mirrored the rout in Beijing four years ago.
Olympic champion Zhang Jike won the outstanding contest in the second match of a final played before an enthusiastic full house, the majority of whom were Chinese supporters.
Zhang downed Joo Sae-hyuk 11-9, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6 with a masterful display which mixed fierce fast-looped attacks and sudden changes of direction.
Earlier Ma Long, the world No.2, was too sharp for Ryu Seung-min, who was the Olympic champion in Athens eight years ago, also winning in four games.
The winning lead was completed by a straight games win in the doubles by Zhang and Wang Hao, the Olympic silver medalist, against Ryu and Oh Sang-eun.
Wang made the winning hit to capture the gold medal, offering some compensation for having won the silver medal for a third Olympic Games in a row.
Zhang said China had not expected to clinch a second sweep of the medals.
"I am happy not only because it's my first Olympic Games but because the team event exceeded our expectations," Zhang said through an interpreter.
Meanwhile, Wang Hao praised the support from fans inside the Excel and back home in China.
"There are only three people playing and there are millions of people supporting us, and it's appreciated," he said. "It feels very emotional to win it in this atmosphere."
Earlier Germany won the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong, China, the winning point being struck by former world No.1 Timo Boll, with a 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 success against Jiang Tianyi, the world No.20.
Boll had earlier beaten Zhang Jike in the team semifinals. But now he is talking of starting a family and reducing the amount he competes.
Germany head coach Jorg Rosskopf said Boll's win showed the Chinese could be beaten when the next games roll around in 2016.
"We have shown that we can beat Chinese players," Rosskopf said.
AFP - Global Times
