It isn’t possible to hit a better table tennis shot than this.
The Olympics are the best introduction possible to the many incredible sports that viewers typically don’t get a chance to watch. From sport climbing to kayak cross to breaking to handball, the Olympics give fans a chance to dive into new sports and marvel at the athletes who have perfected them. There’s also something beautiful about watching Olympic athletes master the things even non-athletes have competed in frequently over the years.
Table tennis is a perfect example of the latter. Most people have played table tennis or ping pong. My parents had a table in the basement when I was growing up. I like to think I’m pretty good at table tennis … until I watch Olympians hit shots that don’t even seem possible for ordinary people.
China’s Fan Zhendong and Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh played for gold in singles table tennis over the weekend. Zhendong won the match to bring home the gold, and you can watch full highlights here. Even in defeat, Möregårdh hit one of the most incredible ping pong shots you will ever see. How the heck are you supposed to return that?
You can see the moment at the 5:31 mark in this video.
That’s the ping pong dream right there: putting so much spin on the ball that it actually bounces over the net the other way. You need to have Victor Wembanyama’s wingspan to return that shot, and Zhendong had no chance.
There’s no shame in a silver medal for Möregårdh. He put on a show for fans, including this point which feels like the world’s most perfect table tennis shot.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with a new video link, as the original was taken down.
