Jan Ove Waldner

Waldner was given the nickname "Guerrilla Foreman" by his Chinese counterparts because of his domination and growing reputation. Going into the 1992 Olympic Games, Waldner had already achieved an astonishing amount at a very young age but was about to compete on a much more visible stage. Every year at the Olympics, fans of table tennis hope that their adopted sport will catch on with a larger audience and ultimately lead to the universal respect they crave. Waldner's appearance at the 1992 games did nothing to change the sport's international standing but it did earn him his first Olympic Gold medal in the men's single competition. It was the only table tennis gold the Chinese didn't win that year.

Following his Olympic performance, Waldner continued playing at a high level, even winning a European Championship in 1996. Despite a disappointing appearance in the 1996 Olympic games, Waldner surprised the experts in 1997 by taking his second World Men's Singles title at the age of thirty-one, eight years after his first. It was his fourth appearance in a world singles final. "I think the first time you win a big tournament is the best feeling," he said, following his win. "But it is eight years since I won and that is a long time. Today I remembered how good it can feel to win."