NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lin Shidong walked out of the players' tunnel Monday night with a calm look in his eyes, his first Asian Games campaign finally over.
The 21-year-old Chinese competed in four table tennis events at the 2026 Asian Games and left with three gold medals and a silver, winning the men's singles, mixed doubles and men's doubles titles.
"I had asked some of my seniors what to expect, but you only really understand it once you're here," Lin said. "You may not get many chances like this in a lifetime, so I really treasured it."
Facing world No. 1 and compatriot Wang Chuqin in the men's singles final Monday night, Lin produced one of his most convincing performances of the tournament, winning 4-0 to claim his first Asian Games singles title.
"I didn't expect to win 4-0. I was able to attack well and connect my shots effectively," Lin said.
Wang said Lin was a deserving champion after emerging from a difficult period.
"I think he fully deserved the title," Wang said. "He may have gone through a difficult period, but he has bounced back. Athletes all go through ups and downs. As long as you have what it takes, there will always be another chance."
Lin's path to the title had been anything but straightforward.
In Monday's semifinal, he trailed Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-ju 2-0 before fighting back to win 4-3.
"He played particularly well in the first two games, but I didn't give up," Lin said. "Even when I was trailing by a lot, I kept thinking about chasing one point at a time."
He had faced another stern test in the quarterfinals, beating Japan's world No. 3 Sora Matsushima 4-2.
"I think I ultimately lost to him in terms of concentration and the will to win," Matsushima said.
Those victories formed part of a demanding campaign in which Lin repeatedly switched between events.
In mixed doubles, Lin partnered Kuai Man to a 4-0 victory over defending champions Wang and Sun Yingsha in the final.
"I had just finished the singles and didn't have much time before going into the mixed doubles final," Lin said with a smile. "I was still in the state of the match, so I could just go straight in and play."
Lin also claimed the men's doubles title alongside Huang Youzheng. The Chinese pair trailed Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto and Hiroto Shinozuka 2-1 in the final before recovering to win 4-2.
By the end of his first Asian Games, Lin had played 20 matches across four events, collecting three gold medals and a silver.
More important for the 21-year-old was the experience of navigating the pressure and intensity of a multi-sport Games for the first time.
"The intensity was very high, the pressure was huge, and every opponent was strong," Lin said. "All I could do was focus on myself and take it one point at a time."
That approach had carried him through his toughest matches and, eventually, to the top of the men's singles podium.
"Getting through such difficult matches means a lot to me," Lin said. "I hope I can build on this and take another step forward after the Asiad." ■
