Singles, Women

China had won the women’s table tennis singles event at the Olympics every year since its inception in 1988, most recently with Zhang Yining, who had earned gold in the singles and the doubles/team categories for the past two editions. Following her retirement, compatriot Ding Ning entered the tournament as the number one seed and the reigning World Champion in the singles and team events. Close behind at number two was Li Xiaoxia, also of China, who had numerous World Championship titles in team and doubles competitions. No other player came close to their dominance, and thus the Chinese were expected to take the top two podium spots and, as Li had a losing record against Ding, Ding came to London as the favorite to win the gold. With China having captured all three medals in the men’s and women’s event at the last Olympics, the International Table Tennis Federation instituted a two entrant per country rule at the tournament, leaving Kim Gyeong-A of South Korea as the number three seed. This would be Kim’s third Olympics: she won bronze in the singles event in 2004 and again in the team event in 2008. The restriction on national entries was not unprecedented, as it had been undertaken in swimming during the 1970s, due to American and East German dominance.

Throughout the tournament Ding seemed to be the stronger player, surrendering only one set out of thirteen through the quarterfinals. Li stumbled at times, but still easily survived to the semi-finals, where she defeated fourth-ranked Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan in five sets. Ding had slightly more trouble overcoming her opponent, Feng Tian Wei of Singapore, but eventually emerged victorious and paved the way for an all-China final. Li displayed an iron determination to defeat her teammate, winning the first two sets 11-8 and 14-12. She then seemed to wear down in the third set, losing 8-11, but picked up again in the fourth with an 11-6 victory. By the fifth set, Li’s momentum was unstoppable and she launched an aggressive barrage against which Ding had no answer. Li won this final set by the widest margin yet, 11-4, and stole the Olympic crown from the favorite. Meanwhile the Chinese-born Feng defeated her Japanese opponent to win the bronze medal, leading China to sweep the podium, at least in spirit, once more.