Former Olympic Champion Runs with the Torch
June 24, 2008

Kong Linghui (right) passes the flame to Zhong Guoshun, the second torchbearer in rainy Wanzhou. Photo By: Lin Shujuan, China Daily

Courtesy of ITTF On Sunday June 15th, China’s Kong Linghui was torchbearer during the Beijing Olympic torch relay. The former Olympic table tennis champion became the first to run off the Wanzhou Middle School in Chongqing, Southwestern China after one minute of silence observed for the victims of the deadly earthquake that hit Sichuan province.

Table Tennis Superstar
Kong Linghui is one of the best male players of the 1990s and the early twenty-first century. Amongst other Kong won the gold medal in the Men’s Singles competition at the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games beating Sweden’s Jan-Ove Waldner. In Atlanta 1996 he became Olympic champion in the Men’s Doubles.

In his illustrious career he was also winner of the World Cup and the Pro Tour Grand Finals as well as World Singles Champion. All over he was eight times World Champion and six times runner-up. In the meanwhile he has become coach of China’s women.