The Swede won a silver medal in table tennis thanks to an unusual paddle

The Olympic dream of Sweden's Truls Moregard took on a silver hue. The 22-year-old table tennis player caused a sensation at the Olympics by defeating China's Wang Chuqin, the world's top-ranked player, in the round of 16.

His winning streak continued until the final, marking the first time since 2008 that two Chinese players were not in the final.

"I'm still in shock. I never thought I'd be here with a guaranteed medal at this stage of my career, so early, at my first Olympics," said Moregard.

In the final, world number two Fan Zhendong avenged his compatriot. He defeated Moregard in 49 minutes with scores of 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, and 11-8. Moregard couldn't replicate the success of his compatriot Jan-Ove Waldner, who became the champion in Barcelona in 1992 and was the last non-Asian Olympic gold medalist.

Moregard also drew attention with his use of the Cybershape paddle by Stiga.

"This paddle is special because it challenges the traditional rounded shape. The hexagonal design offers a better contact area, increasing it by 11%. It allows for better control of short strokes, improves serves, and forgives mistakes. Truls' strength is his ability to attack the ball much more forcefully," explained French player Esteban Dorr in an interview with RMC Sport.