Olympiad | The Swedish prince takes home two medals. He surprises with his angular bat and neutral strikes – Sport.cz

The first thing you will notice about the talented Swede is definitely the bat, with which he has been playing for several years. The square shape is very unusual in the world of table tennis. And why did Möregaarddh reach him? The purpose is really just marketing, to draw attention to yourself.

In terms of sports, the unconventional choice does not give him any advantage. However, the rules do not specify the shape or size of the bat in any way. Competitors could easily carry equipment as large as a tennis racket, but would be fighting much more air resistance.

However, the most interesting thing about Möregaard is not the shape of the bat, but especially his performance in the first appearance under the five rings. In the second round, he surprised China’s number one, Wang Zhuchin, and finally reached the final. As the first European in 24 years.

And that he fell in the fight for gold to another Chinese fan Chen-tung 1: 4 in sets? That didn’t bother him too much. “This money means a lot to me,” he said in an interview with Swedish television SVT Sport.

Despite the loss, Möregaard’s name was mostly mentioned after the final. Mainly due to the brilliant hitting in the final fifth set. The Swede let the slower shot of the Chinese fall under the table so that the opponent could not see it. And then he took out the so-called “snake shot”.

He moved the bat under the table in such a way that the juice would not recognize which ball he was serving. And the ball took a completely different bounce than Fan expected and returned to Sweden’s half.

The moment became a hit on social networks. “Maybe there weren’t many shots like that in the Olympic final,” laughed Möregaardh, who first came to light three years ago at the World Championships. There, at just 19 years old , he also reached the emotional final, where he also fell to Fan.

In Paris, however, he will still have a chance to take revenge. In the team competition on Friday, Sweden will challenge China in the fight for the gold, which reached the finals without losing a game. However, the participation of the Northerners among the best pair is a surprise.

The Swedes were already not the favorites in the quarter-finals against Germany, which they won without a doubt 3:0. And in the semi-final against Japan, they managed to turn the unfavorable score from 0:2 to 3:2. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, they entered the battle for a gold medal. “I’m lost for words. To experience two Olympic finals within five days is absolutely magical. Nothing seems impossible now,” said Swedish captain Jörgen Persson, a former table tennis player and world champion in 1991.

And even against the Chinese favourites, he will rely heavily on the charms of Möregaardh, a talented youngster with a square bat.