With 4-2 in the semifinal against Brazilian Hugo Calderano, Truls Möregårdh secured a spot in an Olympic Games final.
And only then did he get the most important advice from the national team captain:
I told Truls afterwards, because I didn't dare to do it before: Now you get to do something I didn't do, go to an Olympic Games final and not get eliminated in the semis, says Jörgen Persson.
The 58-year-old, with a plethora of World Championship and European Championship gold medals, never managed to bring anything home from his seven Olympic Games. His best results were semifinal appearances in Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 – but those matches ended in losses.
Playing in the final or bronze match, it's a huge difference, he says.
Now Persson gets to watch from the front row outside the arena as Möregårdh competes for the singles tournament's most prestigious medals against Chinese world number four Fan Zhendong.
And he believes the 22-year-old can succeed in Paris again.
I'll tell Truls: It's an opportunity and he has everything to gain.
He's still playing from a position of disadvantage, so enjoy the moment and then above all trust his game. He's three years older than he was in the World Championship final in 2021, gained more experience, and already played a big final. It's nice to have done that.
The final takes place on Sunday at 14.30.
