Table tennis - Boll's Olympic dream: "I'm running out of time a bit"
Taking part in the Olympic Games again at the age of 43 - that is German table tennis star Timo Boll's big goal for 2024. The record-breaking European champion from Borussia Düsseldorf has never won an individual Olympic medal in his long and successful career.
Boll's only problem is that following a serious shoulder injury last year, he is no longer a member of the German team, unlike in his six previous Olympic appearances from Sydney 2000 to Tokyo 2021. With Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Dang Qiu, Patrick Franziska and Benedikt Duda, the competition for two places in the singles and three in the team is fierce.
"The next two months are very important. That's when the decision will be made as to who plays at the Olympics and who doesn't. That's why I'm running out of time a bit," Boll told the German Press Agency with a view to the new year. "But I still have a few tournaments left. And I have to perform there and show that I'm on the right track again. Because the internal competition is also playing well. So it won't be easy."
Important tests on the program
Boll's schedule in the coming weeks includes the cup final tournament with Borussia Düsseldorf (January 7), the World Team Championships in South Korea (February) and the first Grand Smash tournament of the year in Singapore (March). There he wants to recommend himself for a place in the Olympic team.
"The shoulder is doing quite well again," he said, referring to his injury break of several months last year. "I'll say this: I'm at 95 percent. And if you come from five percent, then all the work has been worth it."
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- Timo Boll aims to participate in table tennis at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, hoping to add an individual medal to his long and accomplished career, despite being 43 years old.
- Although he missed out on being part of the German team for Tokyo 2021 due to a serious shoulder injury, Boll is determined to regain his form and secure a spot for the upcoming Olympic Games in France.
- With stiff competition from Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Dang Qiu, Patrick Franziska, and Benedikt Duda for the limited slots in the singles and team events, Boll recognizes he needs to perform exceptionally well in upcoming tournaments, such as the cup final tournament with Borussia Düsseldorf, the World Team Championships in South Korea, and the first Grand Smash tournament in Singapore.
Source: www.stern.de
