PARIS (AFP) – Ma Long made Chinese Olympic history with the sixth gold of his career on Friday in the men’s team event in Paris to embellish his reputation as the best table tennis player ever.
The 35-year-old played his part in a 3-0 victory over Sweden that put China on the verge of a clean sweep in the French capital, although the matches were closer than the result suggests.
Ma called it “the perfect ending” to his Olympic career, but stopped short of saying he was retiring.
“You might still see me on the international table tennis stage in the future,” he told reporters.
“Of course this is my last Olympics,” he added. “I am very proud and I feel very lucky.”
Ma’s sixth gold took him past divers Wu Minxia and Chen Ruolin, and gymnast Zou Kai, with the most golds of any Chinese athlete in Olympic history.
As well as his record haul of Olympic golds, Ma has also won an astonishing 14 world titles and was China’s male flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.
In the first match of the final, Ma paired up with Wang Chuqin, who had his bat accidentally broken by an overeager photographer earlier at the Games.
