Who was the first man to win an Olympic table tennis singles title?

Yoo Nam-kyu was the first man to win an Olympic table tennis singles title.

The South Korean player won the inaugural men’s singles gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He defeated Sweden’s Kim Ki-taik in the final, giving the host nation one of the first Olympic table tennis championships in history.

Yoo’s victory came during a period when Asian players were establishing strong control over international table tennis. He later added Olympic medals in team events and remained an important figure in South Korean table tennis. His singles title is a historical distinction separate from later records for total Olympic gold medals.

Jan-Ove Waldner, Liu Guoliang, and Ma Long all became Olympic singles champions after Yoo. Waldner was the first non-Asian men’s singles champion, winning at Barcelona in 1992, but Yoo remains the first Olympic champion overall.