Which table tennis player won men’s singles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics?

Ryu Seung-min won the men’s singles table tennis gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The South Korean defeated China’s Wang Hao in the final, winning four games to two under the then-current 21-point system. His victory was one of the notable Olympic singles successes by a player from outside China during China’s long period of dominance.

Ryu used an attacking penhold style, combining powerful forehand play with fast movement. His Athens title was South Korea’s third Olympic men’s singles gold in table tennis, following Yoo Nam-kyu in 1988 and Kim Taek-soo’s era of strong Korean results.

The result is sometimes confused with Wang Hao’s Olympic record. Wang reached three consecutive Olympic men’s singles finals, but he won silver in 2004 and 2008 before taking gold in 2012. Ryu later won Olympic team bronze medals in 2008 and 2012.