Heartbreak for Hao again as Jike claims table tennis gold

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China's Zhang Jike put his name in the table tennis history books when he beat compatriot Wang Ho to win the men's Olympic singles title at the ExCel Arena.
Jike was just too good for Hao on the day, winning the final 4-1, and consigning his opponent to a heartbreaking third successive defeat in an Olympic singles final.

Celebrations: China's Zhang Jike won table tennis gold at the ExCel Arena

The final was played in a terrific atmosphere, and the crowd cheered in appreciation when Jike jumped over the hoardings in sheer joy after clinching victory, before kissing the podium.
Both players entered the final knowing they could become only the fourth man to complete the slam of World Cup, World Championships and Olympic success, following in the footsteps of countrymen Liu Guoliang and Kong Linghui, along with Swedish great Jan-Ove Waldner.

Jumping for joy: Jike celebrates after his victory

It was the younger man Jike whotook a crucial early advantage, winning a dramatic first game 18-16. He rushed through the next two, winning both 11-5.
Hao gave himself hope when he won the fourth 12-10, and he went ahead in the fifth, but Zhang showed his class to win it 13-11 and seal his win.
The sportsmanship showed by Hao at the end was a great credit to one of China's favourite champions, as he will certainly have been hurting. It was the same story for him in Athens at the 2004 Games, and on home soil in Beijing four years ago.

A day to remember: Zhang Jike beat Wang Hao in the singles final

China is now halfway to its target of winning every table tennis gold medal at the Games. The team events begin in east London on Friday.
After his victory, Jike told reporters: 'I'm not too excited because we need to think about the team competition, that's the first goal. The team is representing the whole country, so I need to do everything to prepare myself for that.'

So close: Wang Hao once again finished runner-up at the Olympics

Earlier, Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov won a captivating bronze medal match against Chuang Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei.
Ovtcharov won 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-5, 14-12, emotionally jumping into the arms of his coach after clinching his hard fought win.


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