Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito claim Japan’s first ever Olympic gold in table tennis

The mixed doubles pair broke China’s dominance in table tennis

Lim Chee Wah
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Lim Chee Wah
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It’s a good day for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. First, 13 year-old Momiji Nishiya won the first ever Olympic gold in women’s street skateboarding and in doing so, became the country’s youngest Olympic medalist. Now, Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito took home Japan’s first ever Olympic gold in table tennis.

The table tennis pair beat China’s reigning world champions Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen for the first place in mixed doubles table tennis. China has long dominated table tennis since the sport made its debut at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. China has won a total of 28 out of 32 Olympic gold and had been on a winning streak since the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching, the current world No. 1 mixed double pair from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), took the bronze. This was table tennis's inaugural mixed doubles event at the Olympics.

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