With reigning Olympic champion Zhang Jike and Ma Long advancing to the gold medal match in the men’s singles table tennis tournament, China was assured of its third straight Olympic gold medal in the event. The only question answer was who would win, and in the end Ma took gold in impressive fashion.
After winning the first set 14-12, Ma rolled through the next three sets by scores of 11-5, 11-4 and 11-4 to win the gold medal in straight sets. China has taken gold in five of the last six men’s singles competitions, but none of those five athletes managed to win more than once.