U.S. Olympians are often medal favorites in the events they compete in. Not in table tennis, one of the few Olympic sports in which no American has ever won a medal. In Paris, U.S. competitors are hoping for more exposure — and resources — after Kanak Jha made history by becoming the first American man to reach the round of 16 on Wednesday.
United States’ Jha Kanak plays against China ’s Fan Zhendong during a men’s singles round of 16 table tennis game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris , France. United States’ Jha Kanak plays against China ’s Fan Zhendong during a men’s singles round of 16 table tennis game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Paris , France.
“It’s impossible to be a professional table tennis player living in the U.S. Financially, it’s impossible,” Jha told The Associated Press. Before Jha reached the round of 16, where he lost to Tokyo silver medalist Fan Zhendong, no U.S. men’s player had even made it to the round of 32 since Jimmy Butler at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.“It’s not easy,” U.S. national team coach Jun Gao told the AP. “You see other countries, they have a team, they have a physio, doctor… they have everything. And then we have nothing.”
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