SafekipediaTable tennis at the Summer Olympics
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Table tennis has been part of the Summer Olympic Games since 1988. The sport has singles and doubles events for both men and women. Athletes from China have been very successful in table tennis. They have won many medals and have shown great skill, making the Olympic table tennis events exciting and competitive.
Summary
Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988. Since then, it has included singles and doubles events for both men and women.
China has been very successful in table tennis at the Olympics, winning many medals, including most of the gold medals available.
Events
In 1992, two bronze medals were given out in each event. In 2008, the doubles events changed to team events. The Chinese table tennis team won many medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. To focus on gender equality, a mixed doubles event was added at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The IOC plans to add a mixed team event for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Medal table
See also: List of Olympic medalists in table tennis
Updated after the 2024 Olympics.
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | 37 | 21 | 8 | 66 |
| 2 |  South Korea | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
| 3 |  Japan | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 4 |  Sweden | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 |  Germany | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 6 |  North Korea | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 |  France | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 8 |  Chinese Taipei | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 Singapore | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 10 |  Hong Kong | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Yugoslavia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 12 |  Denmark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (12 entries) | 42 | 42 | 46 | 130 | |
Number of athletes by nation
Players from 108 countries have played in the Olympic table tennis events. This includes athletes from independent Olympians and the Unified Team in 1992.
| Nation | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 5 |
 Argentina | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 8 |
 Australia | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
 Austria | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
 Belarus | URS | EUN | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | AIN | 6 |
 Belgium | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 8 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina | YUG | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Brazil | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
 Bulgaria | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 3 |
 Cameroon | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 Canada | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
 Chile | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| China | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 10 |
| Chinese Taipei | 6 | – | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
 Colombia | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 |
 Republic of the Congo | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 4 |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Croatia | YUG | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
 Cuba | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
 Czech Republic | TCH | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |
| Czechoslovakia | 4 | 5 | Dissolved | 2 | |||||||
| Denmark | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
 Djibouti | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
 Dominican Republic | 3 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | 5 |
 Ecuador | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Egypt | 3 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
 Estonia | URS | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Fiji | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Finland | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| France | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
| Germany | – | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
 Ghana | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Great Britain | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
 Greece | – | – | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
 Guyana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Honduras | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Hong Kong | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
 Hungary | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 10 |
 Independent Olympic Athletes | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 India | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
 Indonesia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Iran | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
 Iraq | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Israel | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Italy | 1 | 1 | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | 8 |
 Jamaica | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Japan | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
 Jordan | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 6 |
 Kazakhstan | URS | EUN | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 Kuwait | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
 Latvia | URS | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
 Lebanon | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 4 |
 Libya | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Lithuania | URS | – | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Luxembourg | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
 Madagascar | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
 Malaysia | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Maldives | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
 Mauritius | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Mexico | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | 5 |
 Moldova | URS | EUN | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
 Monaco | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Mongolia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 |
 Morocco | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Nepal | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
 Netherlands | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
 New Zealand | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
 Nigeria | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| North Korea | – | 8 | 7 | – | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | – | 3 | 7 |
 Pakistan | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Paraguay | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 |
 Peru | 1 | 4 | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Philippines | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
 Poland | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
 Portugal | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
 Puerto Rico | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
 Qatar | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 4 |
 ROC | URS | EUN | RUS | 3 | AIN | 1 | |||||
 Romania | – | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
 Russia | URS | EUN | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | ROC | 6 | |
 Saudi Arabia | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 3 |
 Senegal | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Serbia | YUG | IOP | SCG | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | ||
 Serbia and Montenegro | YUG | IOP | 3 | 2 | 3 | Dissolved | 3 | ||||
| Singapore | – | – | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
 Slovakia | TCH | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
 Slovenia | YUG | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
 South Africa | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| South Korea | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 |
 Soviet Union | 5 | EUN | Dissolved | 1 | |||||||
 Spain | – | 4 | – | – | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
 Sudan | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Sweden | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
 Switzerland | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 |
 Syria | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
 Thailand | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
 Togo | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 |
 Trinidad and Tobago | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Tunisia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | 7 |
 Turkey | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 1 | 4 |
 Turkmenistan | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Uganda | – | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Ukraine | – | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Unified Team | URS | 6 | Dissolved | 1 | |||||||
 United States | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
 Uzbekistan | URS | EUN | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
 Vanuatu | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
 Venezuela | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 7 |
 Vietnam | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| West Germany | 6 | GER | 1 | ||||||||
| Yugoslavia | 5 | Dissolved | 1 | ||||||||
| Nations | 41 | 48 | 51 | 48 | 50 | 56 | 57 | 56 | 57 | 60 | |
| Athletes | 129 | 159 | 166 | 171 | 172 | 171 | 174 | 172 | 173 | 175 | |
| Year | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | |
Winners
Further information: List of Olympic medalists in table tennis
Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988. Since then, athletes from China have been very successful, winning many medals. They have won a lot of gold medals and have been very consistent in their performance.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Table tennis at the Summer Olympics, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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