Kong Linghui Wins Table Tennis Men's Singles Title

Kong Linghui Wins Table Tennis Men's Singles Title

Kong Linghui of China won the table tennis men's singles title after beating Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden 3-2 (21-16, 21-19, 17-21, 16-21, 21-13) in the final.

Liu Guoliang of China won the bronze medal.

Earlier, China collected men's doubles and both women's gold medals.

Kong's victory repeated China's sweep of the gold medals in Atlanta four years ago and push China further up the medals table. China now have 21 gold medals, five more than in Atlanta four years ago.

Kong's win enabled him to be the third player, following his teammate Liu Guoliang and Jan-Ove Waldner, to complete a grand slam. He has collected all the major world singles titles in table tennis, including: world cup, world championships and the Olympics.

The experienced Waldner, the gold medal winner eight years ago in Barcelona, knocked off Kong's doubles partner Liu Guoliang in the semifinals to reach the final.

Kong, men's doubles gold medallist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, stormed into the final after sweeping aside seventh seeded Joergen Persson 21-12, 13-21,21-16 and 21-13.

Earlier Monday, Liu Guoliang beat Sweden's Jorgen Persson in the bronze medal match.