Seventeen-year-old Lebrun is ecstatic with a medal in Paris
China's Fan Zhendong crowns himself table tennis Olympic champion against Sweden's Truls Moregardh, but the highlight in Paris comes from the bronze medal match: There, France's shooting star Felix Lebrun wins and creates an unprecedented ecstasy in the arena.
China remains the benchmark, but France's shooting star provides the emotional peak: Teenager Felix Lebrun has won bronze in table tennis at the Olympics, securing France's second-ever individual medal in the sport. The 17-year-old defeated Brazil's Hugo Calderano 4-0 in Paris, ending a 32-year drought since Jean-Philippe Gatien won silver in Barcelona in 1992.
In the Paris final, Fan Zhendong delivered a favorites' win, defeating Sweden's Truls Moregardh 4-1. This is China's fifth consecutive men's singles gold, but it's Fan's first individual title, having won team gold in Tokyo and settling for silver in singles.
Môregardh's Hexagonal Secret Weapon Fails
Moregardh, the man with the hexagonal paddle, also wrote his own story. Ranked 26th in the world, he sensationally knocked out top-ranked Wang Chuqin in the second round and ended Sweden's long medal drought, their first since Jan-Ove Waldner's singles silver in 2000.
But Lebrun was the star of the show in Paris, defeating Germany's hopeful Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the quarterfinals. His victory march captivated the audience, creating a real hype, even drawing stars like football legend Zinedine Zidane. With his penholder grip and lightning-fast table tennis, the world's fifth-ranked player also triumphed in the bronze match, defeating sixth-ranked Calderano in just 31 minutes.
Lebrun dropped his paddle and clutched his head, surrounded by deafening cheers - and even tears in the audience. But the crowd's favorite is not done yet: He will also compete in the team event in the second week of the Olympics, alongside his three-year-older brother Alexis.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris are eagerly anticipated, given the excitement generated by the performances of the athletes this year. France's table tennis sensation Felix Lebrun has ensured that Paris will have a significant role to play in the future Olympic Games, as he aims to defend his bronze medal victory.
