More than 10,500 athletes from 206 countries – including Kosovo and South Sudan for the first time – are expected to compete for 306 sets of medals in 28 sports. Rio is the first city in South America to host the Summer Olympics and the beautiful vistas of Ipanema Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain will be juxtaposed against serious water quality issues, poverty and crime in the favelas and concerns over the Zika virus.
Table tennis has been competed at the Games since 1988 in both men’s and women’s singles and doubles. China has been dominant wining a total of 47 medals in 28 events, including 24 gold medals. After 2008 in Beijing a new rule was established whereby each nation was only allowed to enter two competitors in each event to prevent one country from sweeping the medals as China did in 2008.
Contrary to popular belief, Forrest Gump never did win an Olympic gold medal in table tennis.