Guide Note

Table tennis, or ping pong, as it is also known, has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1988.¹ At the 2008 Summer Olympics, team and individual medals were awarded to the top male and female competitors, for a total of four sets of medals. Prior to the 2008 games, medals were awarded to the top male and female singles and doubles players.²

China dominated the events, winning all four gold medals, plus two each silver and bronze medals. South Korea followed with two medals and Germany and Singapore each earned one.³

Fast Facts

1. First played at Summer Olympics in 1988¹
2. Medals awarded to top male and female individual players and top male and female teams
3. Individual competitions are single elimination tournaments⁴
4. Team competitions consist of a round robin, then a single elimination tournament⁵
5. Each game is played to 11 points⁵
6. If each competitor scores 10 points in a game, a two-point margin is required to win the game⁵

Since table tennis was incorporated into the Olympics in 1988, China has won 20 of 24 gold medals.⁶

The winner of the best-of-seven games wins the match and moves on to the next round of the tournament.⁵

In the first stage, four groups of four teams face each other in a round robin. Winning teams then face off in a best-of-five matches contest. One of the five matches is a doubles match, the other four are singles.⁵

Summer Olympics 2008 | US Olympic Table Tennis 2008 | Ping Pong | Olympics | Summer Olympics