Table Tennis-Japan's mixed doubles team stunned by early elimination

REUTERS

July 28,スポーツ の 祭典 2024 at 08:50 JST

• Share
• Tweet list

• Print

Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto, background right, and Hina Hayata, play against North Korea's Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong during a mixed doubles round of 16 table tennis game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, in Paris. (AP Photo)

Paris--Japan's world number two table tennis mixed doubles team, Hina Hayata and Tomokazu Harimoto, were eliminated by North Korea's Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong 4-1 in the first round at the Paris Olympics, losing the chance to retain the country's gold medal.

The 49-minute match at the South Paris Arena ended in a shocking defeat for the Japanese pair, who were considered top contenders for the title and challengers to the Chinese team.

"I think they played as well as other top countries like South Korea and Germany today," Harimoto said of the North Koreans who will face Sweden in the quarter-finals.

China's top-ranked mixed doubles team, Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, easily advanced with a 4-0 victory over Egypt, setting the stage for what they hope will be a gold medal sweep. They next face Taiwan in the last eight.

Home favourites Alexis Lebrun and Yuan Jia Nan not surprisingly got the biggest cheers from the audience. Despite the French pair's efforts, they lost 4-2 to the higher-ranked Taiwan team of Chen Szu-Yu and Lin Yun-Ju.

The North Korean team have made fewer international appearances over the past three years compared to other players, leaving them as something of a mystery to their rivals.

Their tightly contested match with Japan saw the North Korea pair gaining momentum from the onset and maintaining a high level of play throughout the second half.

Despite the setback, Hayata and Harimoto will continue to compete in more events at the Paris Games.

"Anything could happen. I hope to play better in the singles and team events," Harimoto added.

Their elimination is a significant blow to Japan's medal hopes and a boost for their rivals, including the dominant Chinese team.

Meanwhile, Zeng Zhiying, a former Chinese player making her Olympic debut representing Chile in the women's singles, was defeated 4-1 by Lebanon's Mariana Sahakian. 

• ·アニメ「Dr.STONE」最終シーズンに野島健児＆遊佐浩二、新たな脅威となる役で（動画あり）
• ·家事代行アルバイトを始めた男子、依頼主はまさかの学園一の美少女！電撃大王新連載（試し読みあり）
• ·【ロッテ】高部瑛斗が２６日に右膝手術　来春キャンプでの実戦復帰を目指す
• ·【スプリンターズＳ】香港馬ムゲンがティータン騎手を背にして好気配　「注目しているライバル馬は…」
• ·「コジコジ」展示イベントのグッズは約50種類、王様風衣装のコジコジがぬいぐるみに（写真45枚）
• ·パドレス松井裕樹、大谷と対戦で不運な左前二塁打…ドジャース戦で１９日ぶり登板
• ·ドジャース劇的逆転勝ちで３年連続の地区優勝　２戦連続Ｖ打のヒーロー大谷翔平は米７年目で念願の初優勝
• ·ドジャースが勝てば優勝の大一番を前に中継ぎ投手２人がＩＬ入り　「硬いもの」殴って負傷の左腕は復帰
• ·「王様達のヴァイキング」のさだやすが描く警察頭脳バトル「サイドキック」1巻
• ·アニメ「先輩はおとこのこ」映画化決定　TVシリーズの続きを劇場で（動画あり）
• ·八木莉可子、日テレ「アナザースカイ」ＭＣを卒業「１年間いろんな姿を見せてくれました」
• ·勝てば地区優勝のドジャース、５回に先取点献上…大谷翔平は２打席目まで快音なし
• ·新日本プロレス１・４東京ドーム…「鷹木信悟　対　ＫＯＮＯＳＵＫＥ　ＴＡＫＥＳＨＩＴＡ」決定
• ·映画「孤独のグルメ」に内田有紀、磯村勇斗、塩見三省、杏、オダギリジョー、村田雄浩（コメントあり）
• ·西浜勇星「今度こそ支配下に上がる」くふうハヤテからヤクルト育成契約で移籍
• ·パリ五輪バレーボール男子日本代表・高橋藍が大阪市役所表敬訪問「初代チャンピオンになり大阪を盛り上げたい」