Truls Möregårdh of Sweden Made History as First Non-Chinese Smash Champion
Sports fans love a good upset, and Malmö just gave us one for the ages. The arena was packed with nerves as 23-year-old Truls Möregårdh stepped up to face China’s world number one Lin Shidong in the European Smash final. Sweden was already swept up in table tennis fever after his double silver at the Paris Olympics last year.
By the time ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” echoed around the hall, everyone knew they had just witnessed history. Möregårdh had done what no one outside of China had ever managed: win a Grand Smash.
A Battle To The Finish
The match stretched across seven nail-biting sets that lasted 66 minutes. Möregårdh struck first with sharp rallies and won the opener 11–8, but Lin refused to fold by leveling immediately. The two traded blows, game for game, with Möregårdh pulling ahead 3–1 before Lin clawed his way back. By the sixth set, the Chinese star forced a decider after a tense 13–11 finish.
That last round was pure suspense. Möregårdh leaned into his aggressive style, mixed in clever backhand punches, and finally edged Lin 11–9 in the seventh. His face displayed shock, relief, and joy all at once.
Breaking China’s Streak
Before this night, all 14 singles titles across seven Grand Smash tournaments belonged to Chinese players. Möregårdh shattered that run in front of a Swedish audience.
The magnitude of the result hit him quickly. “This is the biggest thing I’ve ever achieved. To do it at home and be the first European. It’s unbelievable,” he said through tears after the match.
The victory came with a payday of about 950,000 kronor (approximately $99,000), but it wasn’t what had the young Swede emotional. Looking into the stands, he found his parents, brothers, girlfriend, and friends cheering him on, and he later admitted that their presence gave him calm in those final rallies.
The Journey Behind The Moment
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Marcus Cyron
Möregårdh first broke onto the scene as a teenage prodigy and collected youth titles before earning silver at the 2021 World Championships. He climbed as high as world number three in 2022 and solidified his reputation at Paris 2024 with silver medals in both singles and team events.
His style has often been compared to Swedish legend Jan-Ove Waldner, except that it includes some creativity, like his signature chop block. He’s also one of the pioneers of the hexagonal Stiga Cybershape racket, which has become part of his identity on the tour. His rise has been fueled by family support, especially his brother Malte, who also coaches him.
At just 12, his family moved to Eslöv so he could train under the right conditions. It all built up to this breakthrough: the biggest title of his career, captured in his hometown.
Sweden’s New Chapter
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Peter Porai-Koshits
The Malmö event was the first Grand Smash ever held on European soil, and it will return next year with Möregårdh set to defend his crown. This signals a shift in global table tennis; the Grand Smashes aren’t a one-race closed shop anymore.
For Sweden, a country with a proud history in table tennis, this win has revived memories of past dominance and inspired a new wave of excitement. Möregårdh will never forget the week that turned him, an Olympic silver medalist, into a Grand Smash pioneer.