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China's Zhang Yining wins women's singles table tennis gold
Xinhua/Agencies
Updated: 2008-08-22 21:44
BEIJING--World number one Zhang Yining won her fourth Olympic gold, beating teammate Wang Nan 4-1 in an all-Chinese women's singles table tennis Olympic final here Friday evening.
Zhang Yining of China (C) poses on the podium with compatriots Wang Nan (L) and Guo Yue after their women's singles table tennis competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 22, 2008. [Agencies]
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Zhang won 8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3, becoming the third Chinese table tennis player to pocket four Olympic golds, after legendary Deng Yaping and Grand Slam veteran Wang.
It was also the 19th Olympic gold medal that China won in table tennis since its national sport was introduced at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Zhang Yining of China celebrates with her father Zhang Qiyuan after winning her women's singles gold medal table tennis match against compatriot Wang Nan at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 22, 2008. [Agencies]
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With a 4-2 win over Singapore's Li Jia Wei, China's Guo Yue finished third, a disappointment for the world champion who had rarely finished lower than second in international singles tournaments in the last two years.
Guo failed to reach the final because of her 4-2 loss to "Big Sister" Wang, who is going to retire and determined to win as much as possible at her last Olympic Games.