Silver's OK, but gold sure would be better

Wang Hao has plenty of silver medals, thank you very much.

The Chinese table tennis player, who last week made it three straight Olympics with a runner-up finish, now has his eye on team gold.

Last Thursday, world No 1 Zhang Jike defeated Wang, 18-16, 11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 13-11 in the final.

Wang, tired and disappointed, remained calm as Zhang hugged him and invited him to hold the national flag together in front of the camera after the match.

For Wang, an Olympic gold medal would be the last piece of a Grand Slam. He won the World Table Tennis Championships in 2009, and the Table Tennis World Cup in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Wang won silver in Athens in 2004, defeated by South Korea's Ryu Seung-min. Four years later in Beijing, he was defeated by compatriot Ma Lin.

"Three Olympic Games in 12 years. It hasn't been easy for me," Wang said at the post-match press conference, admitting the ups and downs have tested his perseverance.

A smiling Wang said he remains as strong as ever, but hates disappointing his fans.

"I think my fans might be more disappointed with the result than I was," he said. "But I've really done my best. I hope they can be as strong as I am and move on with me."

Liu Guoliang, head coach of China's men's team, said he was proud of Wang, whose dedication helped the country remain dominant.

"Wang Hao didn't win the gold medal," Liu said. "But he entered the final three times. This is also something unprecedented. His perseverance embodies the Olympic spirit."

Wang said he put the loss behind him and is focused on the team event.

"I hope my hard work can be constantly recognized by the coaches," he said. "The loss won't influence my spirit. I will spare no effort to do better and win the team competition with my teammates."

China defeated Russia 3-1 on Saturday, despite Wang Hao's and teammate Ma Long's losses in the third round of doubles. China went on and swept Singapore 3-0 in the quarterfinal. It beat Germany 3-1 on Monday with a trip to the final at stake.

Contact the writer at tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 08/07/2012 page12)