London: Swedish table tennis veteran Jorgen Persson has said he will not compete in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics after his seventh attempt to win an Olympic medal was thwarted in the London Games.
Persson lost his second-round match 0-4 to Croatia`s Andrej Gacina in the men`s singles at ExCeL here, Xinhua reports.
"I won`t be at the next Olympics. If you can`t pass the second round here, there will be no chance for Rio. The game`s getting quicker and quicker and everything has to come to an end. And this is the end," Persson said.
During the 28-minute match, Persson could hardly withstand Gacina`s fierce attacks, losing 5-11, 6-11, 7-11 and 4-11.
"He put the pressure on me and unfortunately I could not change the game. It was his game all the way. He made it difficult for me," Persson said.
Persson has competed at every Games since table tennis became an Olympic sport at Seoul 1988. The 1991 World Champion beat Segun Toriola of Nigeria in the first round Saturday.
Persson said he still enjoys playing table tennis, but he hasn`t figured out what he will do next. "Maybe I`ll play the league matches in China."
Another seven-time Olympian, Jean-Michel Saive of Belgium also lost in the second round. He was beaten by Kalinikos Kreanga of Greece.
The most senior female paddler in London, Luxembourg`s Ni Xia Lian was defeated by 16-year-old American Ariel Hsing.
The only veteran that shone Sunday was Spain`s He Zhiwen. The 50-year-old player trailed 0-3 but fought back, trusting his sophisticated skills and vast experience. He defeated Polland`s Wang Zengyi 4-3.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.