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Summary Chinas Zhang Jike beat his teammate Wang Hao to win gold in mens table tennis at Olympics.
China has won two gold medals in two days in Olympic table tennis both in all-China finals.In other sports and from other nations that would call for chest-bumping, high-fiving, boasting and raucous celebrations. At least, a few smiles.There was almost none of that from Zhang Jike, who defeated teammate Wang Hao in Thursday mens singles final. Zhangs lone hint of happiness, celebrating his first Olympic gold medal, lasted about as long as a good pingpong rally.After the winning point to take the match 4-1, Zhang leaped over a one-meter barrier surrounding the playing area looking like Chinese Olympic hurdler Liu Xiang raced to the medal podium and kneeled down and kissed the top platform designated for the gold medalist.It was spontaneous, he said. If you plan everything, you cant do it well.That was the beginning and the end of any public show of joy or surprise.Minutes later on the medal podium, his eyes glazed over and he seemed far away. Taking questions from Chinese and non-Chinese reporters, he often looked distracted, burying his chin in his shoulder as he looked down.We just finished a very exciting competition, and so my whole body is still not there, Zhang said. I may appear a little down, but thats normal.Trying to explain the lack of exuberance, several Chinese reporters suggested pingpong is seen as a total team game in China, where its the national pastime for 1.3 billion people. Chinese players are expected to win they have 22 of 26 gold medals since the game entered the 1988 Olympics and beating a friend and teammate calls for restraint and respect.
