Outside the fence in the table tennis hall, the normally calm national team captain Jörgen Persson jumped up with clenched fists in the air.
Inside, Truls Möregårdh stood still, his gaze fixed.
The 22-year-old looked at his family in the stands, had his hands out to the sides and just... stood.
Shock State
He tried to take in everything in the hall after his semifinal victory over Brazilian Hugo Calderano, 4–2.
But I don't know if I succeeded that well, because I even forgot my racket over there, he says and describes his state with one word: "shock state".
I'm completely shocked. Completely shocked.
I can't believe it's true. First Olympic Games, the way I've had it and then standing in a final... I didn't believe that when I came here.
His journey to the Olympic final has been magnificent – including a victory over the Chinese world number one Wang Chuqin – and has created table tennis fever back home in Sweden.
In the semifinal against Brazilian Hugo Calderano, the next triumph came.
With eight straight ball wins, he turned 4–10 to win the first set 12–10. The second was even – and blue and yellow. Möregårdh dominated in many duels, played varied and aggressively, but it was ultimately the defense that gave the ball to 16–14.
He lost the third, 7–11, but won the fourth with the same score. After another lost set, Truls Möregårdh decided in the sixth.
With 11–8, he was clear for the Olympic final.
Tears
Then came the shock.
And the tears.
In the stands, the family stood and cried. Inside the fence, Möregårdh did the same.
If I had been third-seeded, it would have been a different story, then we would have been prepared now. But this comes from nowhere; for me and for them. That's probably why all the tears come.
In the final on Sunday, at 2:30 pm, awaits the Chinese world number four Fan Zhendong, who in his semifinal won against French talent Félix Lebrun, 17 years old, in straight sets.
Until then, Möregårdh hopes the emotions will settle.
I hope I'm not (shocked) for too long, because I really want to take a gold medal. And I really believe I can do it.
Regardless of the result in the final, he has secured an Olympic medal – which will be Sweden's first in table tennis since Jan-Ove Waldner's silver in Sydney 2000.
