2024
Paris Olympics
The table tennis mixed doubles event saw a highly anticipated 1/8 final on the evening of July 27th. The Japanese pair
Tomohiro Harimoto and
/Hina Hayada, the favorite to win the mixed doubles event at this year's Olympics, suffered a surprise round-robin defeat to the North Korean duo of Lee Jung-sik/Kim Kim Kim-young, 1-4.
At the beginning of the match, the North Korean pair showed a strong desire to attack and they easily took the first set 11-5, putting Japan under pressure. In the second set, Tomokazu Zhang/
Hina Hayata
Adjusting their tactics and switching up their defense and offense, they came back with an 11-7 win to even the overall score at 1-1.
In the third set, the North Korean team regained the rhythm of the match and they took the lead again with 11-4 to make the total score 2-1. In the fourth set, both teams engaged in a fierce battle, with the score exchanging the lead several times. At the critical moment, the North Korean team seized the opportunity and won two points in a row to extend the total score to 3-1 with 11-9.
In the fifth set, Tomokazu Harimoto/Hina Hayata had their backs against the wall as they saved a match point to tie the score at 10-10 after trailing 9-10.However, the North Korean duo were not to be disrupted as they won two points in a row to end the match at 12-10.
The loss of Tomokazu Harimoto/Hina Hayada is undoubtedly one of the major cold spots in the mixed doubles table tennis program of this year's Olympics. They, as a young duo focused on training by the Japan Table Tennis Association (JTA), had previously won many international tournaments, but they failed to perform in this crucial tournament and regretted to stop in the 1/8th final.
The victory of Lee Jung Sik/Kim Kim Kim Young was a major breakthrough in their career. They showed excellent technical and tactical level as well as tenacious fighting spirit in the match. The victory not only earned them respect and praise from fans, but also injected new momentum into the development of table tennis in North Korea.
