Jan-Ove Waldner
Awards & Honours
12
Awards Won
2
Honours
2
Rankings
2
Covers
4
Records
Jan-Ove Waldner's achievements are extraordinary. He is the only European to win Olympic gold in men's singles, and his 1997 World Championship victory without dropping a set is a record that may never be broken. His four World Team titles with Sweden broke China's stranglehold on the sport. He competed at five Olympics, a longevity record, and his eleven European titles place him among the continent's greatest. His career inspired generations and changed how table tennis is played.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Chinese Postage Stamp
First living foreigner to be featured on a Chinese postage stamp
Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognized for his contributions to the sport
Rankings & Lists
Best Table Tennis Player of All Time
Greatest Table Tennis Legend of All Time
Magazine Covers
The New York Times
August 23, 2008
A Swedish Face for China's Beloved Sport
The Times
May 2026
Like tennis without Federer, my sport aches for another Jan-Ove Waldner
Records & Feats
Only European to win Olympic gold in men's singles table tennis
Won at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a feat no other European has achieved.
Won World Championship singles without dropping a set
In 1997, Waldner won the World Championship without losing a single set, an unprecedented achievement.
Oldest table tennis player to compete at the Olympics
At age 46, he competed at the London 2012 Olympics, setting the record for the oldest table tennis Olympian.
First living foreigner on a Chinese postage stamp
In 2013, he became the first living non-Chinese person to be honored with a stamp.