[Olympic Table Tennis History Episode] Waldner’s masterful performance that electrified Barcelona 1992. Deng Yaping won two titles in the women’s events

Four years after the 1988 Seoul Games, Barcelona 1992 marked the second Olympics to feature table tennis. Today, everyone associates table tennis with China, but in Barcelona it was Waldner, known as the “King of Table Tennis,” who won the gold medal. It was an era when Europe and Asia were evenly matched.

The fantasista transforms into a “fast attack man”! Waldner wins the gold in a landslide

Europe’s rise from the late 1980s continued through this Barcelona Olympics. The venue was a building converted from the former Barcelona North Station. There were station windows above the venue, and large crowds gathered there every day.

The Olympics were moved from the traditional September-October schedule to late July in consideration of the European vacation season. The trade-off was scorching heat outside, with temperatures topping 35 degrees Celsius. At this time of year, European professional players were said to have a hard time adjusting to a midsummer Olympics because they were in the off-season, but the European players came into this Barcelona Olympics thoroughly prepared.