Wang Chuqin declined to blame the broken paddle for his early exit in the Olympic table tennis men's singles event, while attributing it mainly to physical and mental fatigue.
BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Wang Chuqin has shrugged off a direct link between his broken paddle after the Olympic table tennis mixed doubles final and his early elimination in the men's singles event.
In his first Olympic appearance in Paris, the 24-year-old Wang rode on a twist-and-turn journey, starting with his triumph in mixed doubles along with Sun Yingsha on July 30. The duo earned the Chinese team its first gold medal in the event at the Olympics.
However, Wang's paddle, which was placed on the courtside while he celebrated the win with Sun and their coach, was broken after a photographer stepped on it during the post-match photo session.
Wang had to use his backup racket for the upcoming singles match, and he lost to Truls Moregard of Sweden 4-2 in round of 32 the following day. Then Wang regrouped himself, teaming up with Fan Zhendong and Ma Long to clinch the team gold for China.
Wang revealed his biggest pity was that he wasn't accustomed to competing in three events at the Olympics.
"I have played three events in other competitions for two years, but after competing in mixed doubles and playing a singles match against a chopper [at these Olympics], my physical reaction and pains and mental tiredness were beyond my expectations," he said.
"It just happened after you played these matches. It was not, like others said, due to the [broken] paddle. I think it's the goal for the next Olympic cycle," Wang added.
According to Wang, it was already 6:30 p.m. after his doping test on the mixed doubles final day, and it took him around one hour to go back to the Olympic village. Considering dining, meeting, video analysis and medical treatment, he didn't have much rest as he had to wake up at six o'clock the next morning.
"If I had played that match in the evening, it would possibly have gone differently," Wang reflected. ■