MA LONG - THE GOATEST of all GOATS

ycjason said:

With that argument, then you can add Ma Long's win in China national championship (maybe the toughest TT tournament) and wins at WTTC. In terms of level of competition, Olympics isn't really the highest level for table tennis.

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Prior to 2012, I would argue that it was much more difficult to gain a medal at the Olympics than it is now. For example, Jorgen Persson lost against Liu Guoliang in the Bronze Medal match in 2000 and against Wang Liqin in 2008. A certain Waldner who had already defeated Boll and Ma Lin had to face off against Wang Liqin in 2004. It is much more likely that both of these players could have added a few bronze medals to their tallies if they had played with the system as it is today.

The amazing thing about the Olympics is that most players manage their career such that they are at their peak during the Olympics. Dima was nowhere near his current level even at the European Championships. Waldner had a really good level in 2000 and 2004 compared to his off-season performances during that period.

Therefore, it can be harder for even Ma Long to defeat Dima at the Olympics compared to for example the Qatar Open. What I'm trying to say is that:

1. The maximum of two players has certainly nerfed the Olympics in some way
2. However, (mostly) everyone fights really hard and plays above their usual level so it does raise the standard of play. I believe this is why Timo Boll has had such a hard time because his opponents since 2004 have played much better than he would expect from them compared to a typical world tour.