After the Shock – Möregårdh Aims for Olympic Gold

The tears are dried and the sights are set. Truls Möregårdh is going for Olympic Games gold when he faces the Chinese player Fan Zhendong. I'm so psyched.

» Updated: August 05 2024

» Published: August 03 2024

After the Shock – Möregårdh Aims for Olympic Gold
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

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A chance, a moment, make sure to enjoy and take the chance. These are the words that national team captain Jörgen Persson has chosen to say to Truls Möregårdh ahead of Sunday's final in the table tennis hall in Paris.

No unexpected message, really.

But still something that perhaps should be said ahead of the 22-year-old's biggest match in his career.

Support that gives energy

At the same time, the Swede is getting motivation from other sources. Partly from people on site in France, partly from the support back home.

It's super many who write on social media and I'm really glad for that, really grateful. I know I haven't been very good at responding to everyone, but that's because I want to be in my little bubble, he says.

But it's fun, it doesn't drain energy, it gives me more knowing that everyone is watching and supporting.

With the table tennis fever back home in Sweden and the knowledge that many are following his progress in Paris, Möregårdh is determined to give something extra.

He's going for gold.

But he can't promise – for those who think the sport is too exciting – that it will be enjoyable to sit in front of the screens.

Hopefully, I can make it easier for them and win easily, but I probably won't do that. They'll probably sit there and shake in their sofas again. That's kind of what sports are about, that you should be nervous and cheer until the end, he says.

Truls Möregårdh faced Fan Zhendong in the World Championship final in Houston 2021.

Then it was a loss in straight sets.

Since then, they have met each other twice and the star's feeling is that he has come closer to a victory each time.

I'm a "super underdog" but knowing that you can beat him, that's all you want ahead of a match like this, he says.

I have to step up a level, return flawlessly and serve everything I have, but it's going to be super tough anyway.

Pressure on Zhendong

Jörgen Persson, who himself has several World Championship and European Championship medals and was Olympic fourth twice, says that Zhendong has a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

China is supposed to win five golds, that's why they're here. Four isn't good enough for them at home, he says.

The way Truls beat their number one gives a lot of respect, and they have respect for us Swedes since before, they know it's us who have beaten them if you go back in time.

Truls Möregårdh has already secured a medal, which is the first since Jan-Ove Waldner took silver in Sydney 2000.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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