See main article: Table tennis at the Summer Olympics.
Table tennis is among the sports contested at the Summer Olympic Games. It was introduced at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where singles and doubles tournaments were held for both genders.[1] The men's and women's doubles events were dropped from the 2008 Summer Olympics program and replaced by team events.[2] The competitions are conducted in accordance with the rules established by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).[3]
Ma Long (China) is the all-time Olympic medal leader, having won six golds.[4] Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Germany) have won six medals in the men's competitions, while Ma Lin, Zhang Jike and Fan Zhendong (China) are the males with three gold medals. Wang Nan (China) is the best-performing athlete in the women's competitions, having won four golds—a figure shared with fellow Chinese players Deng Yaping, Zhang Yining and Chen Meng—and one silver medal. Twenty-one players have won at least four medals and six have won three. Chen Jing competed for China when she won her first two medals in 1988, and for Chinese Taipei when she gained her most recent two medals at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics.[5] Since 1992, the winner of the women's singles has also won the doubles or team event: Deng Yaping, in 1992 and 1996; Wang Nan, in 2000; Zhang Yining, in 2004 and 2008; Li Xiaoxia, in 2012; Ding Ning, in 2016; and Chen Meng, in 2020 and 2024. In the men's competition, Liu Guoliang (1996), Ma Lin (2008), Zhang Jike (2012), Ma Long (2016 and 2020) and Fan Zhendong (2024) have achieved this feat. Besides Deng Yaping, Zhang Yining, Chen Meng and Ma Long, no other female or male player has successfully defended their singles title, while in the doubles, back-to-back victories were achieved by Deng Yaping and Qiao Hong (1992, 1996), and Wang Nan (with Li Ju in 2000, and Zhang Yining in 2004).
China has been the most successful nation in Olympic table tennis, winning 66 medals (37 gold, 21 silver, and 8 bronze). Since 1992, Chinese players have won at least one medal in every event. At the 2008 Games, China achieved an unprecedented medal sweep in both the men's and women's singles tournaments,[6] and won both team tournaments.[7] [8] With 20 medals, South Korea is second to China in the overall medal count. Japan is the third nation to have won double-digit medals. As of the 2024 Summer Olympics, 130 medals (42 gold, 42 silver, and 46 bronze) have been awarded to 118 players selected from 12 National Olympic Committees (NOC). Third-place matches were not held at the 1992 Summer Olympics, so all losing semifinalists were given bronze medals, resulting in four additional bronze medalists.[9]
| 1988 Seoul | ||||
| 1992 Barcelona | ||||
| 1996 Atlanta | ||||
| 2000 Sydney | ||||
| 2004 Athens | ||||
| 2008 Beijing | ||||
| 2012 London | ||||
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | ||||
| 2020 Tokyo | ||||
| 2024 Paris |
| 1988 Seoul | |||
| 1992 Barcelona | |||
| 1996 Atlanta | |||
| 2000 Sydney | |||
| 2004 Athens | |||
| 2008 Beijing | |||
| 2012 London | |||
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro | |||
| 2020 Tokyo | |||
| 2024 Paris | |||
| 2020 Tokyo | |||
| 2024 Paris | |||
| 1988 Seoul | nowrap | nowrap | |||
| 1992 Barcelona | nowrap | ||||
| 1996 Atlanta | |||||
| 2000 Sydney | |||||
| 2004 Athens |
| 1988 Seoul | nowrap | nowrap | |||
| 1992 Barcelona | |||||
| 1996 Atlanta | nowrap | ||||
| 2000 Sydney | |||||
| 2004 Athens |
| Athlete | Nation | Gender | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ma Long | Male | 2012–2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| Wang Nan | Female | 2000–2008 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | ||
| Deng Yaping | Female | 1992–1996 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Zhang Yining | Female | 2004–2008 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Chen Meng | Female | 2020–2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Sun Yingsha | Female | 2020–2024 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | ||
| Ding Ning | Female | 2012–2016 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Li Xiaoxia | Female | 2012–2016 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Zhang Jike | Male | 2012–2016 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Fan Zhendong | Male | 2020–2024 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Ma Lin | Male | 2004–2008 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Wang Hao | Male | 2004–2012 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | ||
| Liu Guoliang | Male | 1996–2000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Qiao Hong | Female | 1992–1996 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Kong Linghui | Male | 1996–2000 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Xu Xin | Male | 2016–2020 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Guo Yue | Female | 2004–2012 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Wang Liqin | Male | 2000–2008 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Wang Chuqin | Male | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Wang Manyu | Female | 2020–2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Chen Jing | Female | 1988 1996–2000 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Wang Tao | Male | 1992–1996 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Mima Ito | Female | 2016–2020 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Jun Mizutani | Male | 2016–2020 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Ryu Seung-min | Male | 2004–2012 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Li Ju | Female | 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Liu Shiwen | Female | 2016–2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Lü Lin | Male | 1992, 1996 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Jan-Ove Waldner | Male | 1992, 2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Yoo Nam-kyu | Male | 1988–1996 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Hyun Jung-hwa | Female | 1988–1992 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Chen Longcan | Male | 1988 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Chen Qi | Male | 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Wei Qingguang | Male | 1988 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Yan Sen | Male | 2000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Yang Young-ja | Female | 1988 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Male | 2008–2020 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |||
| Timo Boll | Male | 2008–2020 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Kasumi Ishikawa | Female | 2012–2020 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Truls Möregårdh | Male | 2024 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Miu Hirano | Female | 2020–2024 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Feng Tianwei | Female | 2008–2012 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Jiao Zhimin | Female | 1988 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Jean-Philippe Gatien | Male | 1992, 2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Jörg Roßkopf | Male | 1992–1996 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Oh Sang-eun | Male | 2008–2012 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Li Jiawei | Female | 2008–2012 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Wang Yuegu | Female | 2008–2012 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Ai Fukuhara | Female | 2012–2016 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Koki Niwa | Male | 2016–2020 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Hina Hayata | Female | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Kim Ki-taik | Male | 1988 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Li Huifen | Female | 1988 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Ilija Lupulesku | Male | 1988 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Zoran Primorac | Male | 1988 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Steffen Fetzner | Male | 1992 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Chen Zihe | Female | 1992 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Gao Jun | Female | 1992 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Liu Wei | Female | 1996 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Qiao Yunping | Female | 1996 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Sun Jin | Female | 2000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Yang Ying | Female | 2000 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Kim Hyang-mi | Female | 2004 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Ko Lai Chak | Male | 2004 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Li Ching | Male | 2004 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Lee Eun-sil | Female | 2004 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Seok Eun-mi | Female | 2004 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Christian Süß | Male | 2008 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Joo Se-hyuk | Male | 2012 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Sayaka Hirano | Female | 2012 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Maharu Yoshimura | Male | 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Han Ying | Female | 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Petrissa Solja | Female | 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Shan Xiaona | Female | 2016 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Patrick Franziska | Male | 2020 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Anton Källberg | Male | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Kristian Karlsson | Male | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Miwa Harimoto | Female | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Ri Jong-sik | Male | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Kim Kum-yong | Female | 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Kim Taek-soo | Male | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Lee Chul-seung | Male | 1992–1996 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Ryu Ji-hae | Female | 1996–2000 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Kim Kyung-ah | Female | 2004–2008 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Bastian Steger | Male | 2012–2016 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Félix Lebrun | Male | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Shin Yu-bin | Female | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Erik Lindh | Male | 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ahn Jae-hyung | Male | 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Jasna Fazlić | Female | 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Gordana Perkučin | Female | 1988 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ma Wenge | Male | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ri Pun-hui | Female | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kang Hee-chan | Male | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Li Bun-Hui | Female | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Yu Sun-bok | Female | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Hong Cha-ok | Female | 1992 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Park Hae-jung | Female | 1996 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Patrick Chila | Male | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kim Moo-kyo | Female | 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Michael Maze | Male | 2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Finn Tugwell | Male | 2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Niu Jianfeng | Female | 2004 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Yoon Jae-young | Male | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Dang Ye-seo | Female | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Park Mi-young | Female | 2008 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Kim Song-i | Female | 2016 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Tomokazu Harimoto | Male | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Doo Hoi Kem | Female | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lee Ho Ching | Female | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Minnie Soo | Female | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lin Yun-ju | Male | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Cheng I-ching | Female | 2020 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Alexis Lebrun | Male | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Simon Gauzy | Male | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Jeon Ji-hee | Female | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lee Eun-hye | Female | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lim Jong-hoon | Male | 2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Nation | class=unsortable | 1896–1984 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 66 | |||
| – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | |||
| – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||
| – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | |||
| – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 9 | |||
| – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | |||
| – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | |||
| – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | |||
| – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 3 | |||
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 20 | |||
| 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | |||
| 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | |||
There have been three podium sweeps in Olympic table tennis history. This is when athletes from one NOC win all three medals in a single event. This has not been possible since the conclusion of the 2008 Olympic games, since following China's podium sweeps, the ITTF has limited each country at the Olympics to a maximum of two contestants per gender.[10] [11]
| Games | Event | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Beijing | Men's singles | Ma Lin | Wang Hao | Wang Liqin | ||
| 1988 Seoul | Women's singles | Chen Jing | Li Huifen | Jiao Zhimin | ||
| 2008 Beijing | Women's singles | Zhang Yining | Wang Nan | Guo Yue |