In the four previous Olympic Games finals in team events, China's men lost a total of eleven sets. Sweden took six sets – in three matches.
It was still a Chinese 3–0 victory and their fifth consecutive team gold, but the Swedish players felt that they were close to disturbing the mighty table tennis nation.
We really noticed that they were scared. Truls (Möregårdh) got a deciding set against Fang (Zhendong) and you can really see how much it means to them, says Kristian Karlsson, who himself lost the doubles together with Anton Källberg.
I've never seen Ma Long celebrate like when they won the doubles.
Won everything
Ma Long, the greatest table tennis player of all time, also praises the Swedish effort.
It's a very strong team. Just the fact that they reached the final shows that they're in top form. And they never give up. There were a lot of great balls out there and the difference between victory and defeat hung perhaps only on a few balls, says Ma Long.
He has won everything that can be won. And so far, he has never lost a major championship final against Sweden.
So is he happy that the new generation of Swedish players has taken up the baton after icons like Jörgen Persson and Jan-Ove Waldner, and now challenges China seriously again?
I can't say I'm happy. But the Swedish team is a classic, really strong team. In the past, it was often Sweden against China in the big finals.
New chance in two years
He admits that it was a relief when the Olympic gold was secured. In China, gold is the only thing that counts. Kristian Karlsson believes at the same time that there is something in the Swedish successes that triggers the Chinese.
I think Ma Long has six out of six possible Olympic golds. But they want a challenge too, it can't be fun to win too easily all the time.
The 33-year-old Swede is sure that the wall will soon be breached again. The next chance comes in the 2026 World Championship team event.
It will take a few more matches, but we're on the right track. During my lifetime, I believe we will breach it.
What's missing for you to beat China?
We're on an upward trend. If you compare with the World Championship semi-finals in Halmstad (2018), we're significantly closer. And it feels like the margins are smaller in table tennis now. There are more upsets than 5–10 years ago. If it continues in the same trend, it speaks for everyone else.
