Olympics: Luxembourg Table Tennis Player Loses to World No.1

On Wednesday 31 July 2024, Luxembourg table tennis player Ni Xia Lian lost to world number one Sun Yingsha at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

The 61-year-old Team Lëtzebuerg athlete lost 4-0 to China's Sun Yingsha (aged 23) in the second round (last 32) of the women's singles competition on Wednesday morning.

As relayed by the Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL), Ni Xia Lian said: "I'm very happy and really enjoyed the moment, because it's not every day that you can play against the best player in the world. The atmosphere was fantastic, everyone cheered me on. It was an unforgettable moment."

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, who were present in Paris, congratulated Ni Xia Lian after the match. Sharing his thoughts later on social media, Grand Duke Henri described Ni Xia Lian's performance as “extraordinary”. “Her entire career is a model of professionalism and passion, an example for all sportsmen and women”, he noted, before saying the table tennis player was “a true ambassador for Luxembourg sport throughout the world”.

Earlier that morning, Luxembourg triathlete Jeanne Lehair withdrew from the women’s triathlon final. It was initially reported that this was due to a fall but later confirmed that the reason was a mechanical issue with her bicycle. France's Cassandre Beaugrand ultimately took home gold in the competition.

In the equestrian Individual Dressage Grand Prix, Luxembourg's Nicolas Wagner-Ehlinger finished fourth in his group with a score of 71.988 but failed to progress to the next round - only the top two athletes from each group and the six with the next best scores qualify for the Grand Prix final.

As shared by COSL on its social media, Nicolas Wagner-Ehlinger commented: "I think we deserved more points, but I am really happy about today. [...] I'm very proud to represent Luxembourg at the Olympic Games and I think Luxembourg can be proud of my performance today. My horse and I were one today and therefore I am also very proud of my horse."

Luxembourg-France Networking Event

Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy reported that, one day earlier, the Maison du Luxembourg in Paris hosted a networking event allowing Luxembourgish and French companies to explore economic and tourism collaboration opportunities. Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, accompanied by the respective presidents of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the Business Club France-Luxembourg, highlighted Luxembourg and France's “long-standing friendship”.

Joined by Georges Mischo, Minister of Sport, Lex Delles took a guided tour of the Maison du Luxembourg, notably visiting the "Visit Luxembourg" tourist stand. He described the Olympic Games as "not only an exceptional sporting event, but they also have major economic and touristic stakes. […] This sporting event is a unique opportunity to present the Grand Duchy on a world stage".

Olympic Medals at a Glance

At the time of writing, China has jumped to top of the medal table, having secured nine gold, seven silver and three bronze medals (nineteen overall). France has climbed to second place and counts eight gold medals out of a total of 26 medals. Team USA continues to lead in terms of total number of medals, having obtained 30 so far; with five gold medals, the nation is currently seventh on the medal table.

Japan, which had topped the medal table in recent days, has dropped to third place, with eight gold out of fifteen medals overall. Australia and Great Britain are in fourth and fifth place, respectively; the former counts seven gold medals (sixteen medals overall) and the latter has six gold (out of seventeen medals) to its name.