Paris, France, August 10, 2024: China's men's table tennis team secured their fifth consecutive Olympic team title by defeating Sweden 3-0 at South Paris Arena on Friday, August 9. The team was comprised of Ma Long, Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong.
The victory made 35-year-old Ma, known as the “Dragon”, the most decorated Chinese Olympian, with six gold medals.
"These past 12 years have been a journey filled with ups and downs, and I feel incredibly fortunate,” Ma said.
“I’ve played many different roles in each Olympics. This gold medal is a great way to conclude my Olympic journey. But you might still see me on the international table tennis stage in the future,” he added.
China ended the day with 33 gold medals, 27 silver and 23 bronze, behind the United States with 33-39-39.
Elsewhere on Friday, China's diving sensation Chen Yiwen added another gold to her tally, winning the women's 3m springboard event and bringing China's diving team's total to seven golds at these Games.
Chen, who also won gold in the synchronized event, accumulated 376.00 points in her second title-winning performance in Paris. "I couldn't be happier," said Chen, 25.
"Of course, I could have dived better, but this was an Olympic final, and I'm really satisfied with my performance."
China's Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya successfully defended their title in the women's 500m canoe double, setting an Olympic best time of 1:52.81. They finished 1.49 seconds ahead of Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan and Anastasiia Rybachok.
"We were determined to win this gold. From Tokyo to Paris, from the start to the finish line, we aimed to be the best," Sun said after the game.
Chinese boxer Wu Yu captured the women's 50kg gold medal, defeating Turkey's Buse Naz Cakiroglu 4-1. This win marks China's second boxing gold at Paris 2024 and the 33rd gold in China's overall medal count.