Table tennis star Truls Möregårdh declined participation in the team European Championship in Croatia about three weeks ago, where the reigning champion Sweden later lost in the quarterfinals.
An X-ray examination had shown that Möregårdh had an overstrained knee, the same knee that he had undergone surgery on twice before due to a genetic inability to produce cartilage.
Important rest
The assessment was that his career could be jeopardized if he had played the championship.
The rest was extremely important. I have learned to listen to my knee for once now and had to decline the championship, because it should not get worse. And I know it would have gotten worse with the pain I had in my knee, says Möregårdh.
Now it's time for a comeback, which will take place in the Champions tournament on the world tour in Montpellier. The tournament starts on Tuesday next week.
I have started training at 100 percent this week. It feels better and better with each passing day, says Möregårdh.
He has trained with the German star Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
He is a good friend of mine and a really good player. He was visiting here to measure my capacity and see how good it feels.
Even in the future, it will be important to listen to the body.
"Sensational news"
There will always be injuries, whether you like it or not. As an elite athlete, I sometimes train six hours a day, and it's not something the body always wants. But it was really sad, of course, that it happened now during the team European Championship.
Recently, the news came that several of the top Chinese players are withdrawing from the tournament in France, such as world number one Wang Chuqin and world number two Lin Shidong.
It was a bit of sensational news. It opens up quite a bit in the Champions tournament. Not many non-Chinese have won them either. It's a chance for everyone to take some cool title, says world number six Truls Möregårdh.
The Swede became the first non-Chinese to win a Grand Smash tournament – the highest level on the world tour – in Malmö in August.
Born: February 16, 2002.
Occupation: Table tennis player.
Lives: Malmö.
Club: Eslövs AI.
Main merits: Victory in the World Tour tournament Europe Smash 2025, Olympic Games silver in singles and Olympic Games silver in team 2024, World Championship silver in singles 2021, World Championship bronze in singles 2025, World Championship bronze in team 2018, European Championship gold in team 2023, European Championship bronze in singles and European Championship silver in doubles 2024, European Championship bronze in team 2021 and 2019.
Other: Voted by the Swedish people as the winner of Radiosportens Jerringpris 2024.
