When you talk about table tennis, there is one country which comes immediately to mind – China. Ever since TT was introduced in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, China have dominated the sport and it comes as no surprise that they are the favourites to claim the top prize this time around as well.
However, there are some players who have shown that they have the capability to shock the Chinese paddlers when they are at their best. We take a look at 5 players who are favourites to win the gold medal at Rio 2016:
#5 Jung Youngsik
World number 12 and 9th seed in the tournament, Jung Youngsik is capable of matching the best on his day. Just 24, the South Korean paddler relies on his powerful backhand jabs and explosive topspins to cause his opponents problems.
Although players like Marcos Frietas and Chuang Chih-Yuan are seeded higher than Jung, the South Korean’s game is best suited to cause the Chinese players and top players like Ovtcharov and Mizutani problems.
The South Korean is currently at his best and a favourable draw might just see him surprise quite a few people and claim the gold medal. The below video shows Jung Youngsik brilliantly taking apart Rio 2016 5th seed Chuang Chih-Yuan in the 2016 Croatian open.
#4 Jun Mizutani
Probably the player who is most entertaining to watch, Jun Mizutani is one of the most exciting players in the Pro tour circuit. The Japanese paddler’s game away from the table is unparalleled with many players struggling to read the vicious sidespin and topspin Mizutani imparts from well behind the table.
Mizutani's strengths are undoubtedly his quick movement and retrieving skills. When the Japanese player is involved, you never know when the point is over with Mizutani often returning the normally unreturnable shots with ease.
Although Mizutani has never claimed victory over Zhang Jike and Ma Long, he has troubled them plenty of occasions, often claiming a couple of games in every match. Although it is a tall order to win the gold at Rio, Mizutani on his best day is capable of beating anyone.
The below video shows an unbelievable point played by Mizutani, showcasing all his strengths against Ovtcharov:
#3 Dimitrij Ovtcharov
Undoubtedly the biggest threat to Chinese domination, German paddler Dimitrij Ovtcharov is definitely one of the favourites for the gold medal in Rio 2016. The talented 27-year-old has claimed plenty of big scalps in his career and he is the only player in the draw to have beaten both Ma Long and Zhang Jike.
The only player who is capable of matching both Ma Long and Zhang Jike stroke to stroke, Ovtcharov will have to be at his best if he is to have any hopes of ending the Chinese domination in Olympics.
What goes in the German’s favour is that Ovtcharov got the better of Zhang Jike just 3 months back, and he will be quietly confident of bettering his bronze medal at Rio 2016. The below video shows Ovtcharov pulling out all the stops in his amazing victory against Zhang Jike earlier this year.
#2 Zhang Jike
One of only 4 males to win a career grand slam, Zhang Jike has won almost every trophy and event the sport has to offer. Bursting on to the scene in 2010, Zhang Jike took the TT world by storm with his powerful two-winged attack.
Zhang's serves are unpredictable and quite deceptive. His most famous serve is probably the reverse pendulum short serve into both corners of the table. The side-spin on the serve, together with his deadly backhand flicks, lightning footwork and top-class anticipation has proven to be a frightening combination as he "opens up" top spin rallies to his advantage.
Known for his backhand flick receive, Zhang Jike is the only person in history of the sport to hold the World Championship title, World Cup title and the Olympic gold medal at the same time.
However, the Chinese superstar has struggled in the last one year and it was bit of a surprise that he was chosen ahead of Xu Xin to participate in the Olympics. Zhang Jike is definitely a big match player and is always capable of bringing out his best at the most crucial of times.
The below video shows Zhang Jike beating Ma Long earlier this year in the 2016 Kuwait Open:
#1 Ma Long
The most dominant player in the history of the sport, Ma Long is coming off the back of an incredible year having lost only twice so far. The favourite to win the gold by a long way, Ma Long will be hoping to become the 5th player in the history of the sport to complete a career grand slam (World Cup singles winner, World Championship winner and Olympic gold medal).
The only thing that can cause the world number 1's downfall is his own state of mind as Ma Long is prone to putting too much pressure on himself. Long is one of the most complete players in the history of the game and his coach. the legendary Liu Guoliang’s biggest challenge has been to calm his protege down in tough situations:
“For Ma Long, two things are most important,” he told AFP. “One is that when the pressure gets very high, to make him go to a bar and drink some alcohol.” The other was to distract him with chit-chat, he added. Moderation in drinking was key, Liu said, but the goal was to get the obsessed player to “relax a bit, because the demands he usually puts on himself are very strict and harsh”.
“I have to throw off the burden and the pressure,” Ma added. “That’s the only way I’ll get the title this time.”
It will really be a huge shock if Ma Long fails to win the gold medal at Rio 2016. The below video shows one of Ma Long’s best matches in 2016:
