News

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
Written by
Lim Chee Wah
Editor-in-Chief, Time Out Tokyo
Advertising

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.

Keep up-to-date with our guide to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

More on Tokyo Olympics

Watch: international athletes are raving about the food at the Olympic Village

Explained: the Japanese symbolism you missed at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

Watch: the epic drone display at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics opening ceremony

Watch: the amazing blue human pictograms at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

Where to get official Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic merchandise in Tokyo

Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising