Six Olympic medals and counting: Ovtcharov’s LA 2028 Dream is alive

At 37, Dimitrij Ovtcharov has ticked all the boxes for a successful table tennis career. World No. 1, European champion, World Cup winner and medals at the Olympics – you name it, he has done it.

But the fire still burns. The desire to keep going is still there. And, believe it or not, he still has a goal in mind.

Ovtcharov, the 6’1” tall German, is currently tied with Ma Long, the Chinese legend, at six for the most Olympic medals won by an individual paddler. In Ma’s case, all six are gold, while Ovtcharov has two silver and four bronze.

The two faced each other twice at the Summer Games, and it’s their second and final meeting that is still considered one of the most thrilling table tennis matches of all time.

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Even Ovtcharov counts that 3-4 (11-13, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 9-11) loss to Ma in the men’s singles semifinals in Tokyo as one of the most memorable moments of his career.

“Due to Covid-19, I had a lot of time to prepare for that match. Even though it felt like I had lost to him 100 times in the past, I believed that I was going to win that match. I had a really strong determination that I was going to make it. And yeah, it came really close,” recalled Ovtcharov on the sidelines of the WTT Star Contender event in Chennai.

While Ma retired from international table tennis in 2024, Ovtcharov plans to keep going at least till the next edition of the Olympics. “I still love the game so much. I still feel that I can compete with everyone in the world, and as long as I have this feeling, I definitely want to keep pushing (till Los Angeles 2028). My goal is to qualify for the LA Olympics and also try to win a gold there to get to seven medals, something that no other player has achieved so far,” stated the German.

The start of the cycle leading up to the LA Games wasn’t particularly pleasant for Ovtcharov. Last year, the five-time medallist had to pull out of the World Championships due to a spinal disc issue for which he had to undergo a minor endoscopic procedure.

Gradually, he has made a comeback. This season, he has already beaten someone like Hugo Calderano, the reigning World Cup champion, as well as Lin Shidong, the future of Chinese table tennis. “That was something that I needed after the surgery. To feel that the game is fully back. That’s what I’m feeling. And now, I need to have more consistency in my results,” said Ovtcharov.

Well, he couldn’t be in a better place to start on that consistency front. In 2010 and 2017, he won the India Open in New Delhi. Two years ago, he made it to the semifinals of the WTT Star Contender event in Goa. Seeded second in Chennai, World No. 25 Ovtcharov is definitely one of the title favourites.

Tough challenge at World Team Championships

After the retirement of his friend and teammate Timo Ball, Ovtcharov is expected to lead the Germans at the upcoming World Team Championships. It is the centenary year of the International Table Tennis Federation, and therefore, the event in London is going to be even more special.

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Ovtcharov has been on the circuit for so long that he has witnessed the rise of new major forces in the sport, and therefore, the German feels the battle for a medal will be very hard.

“There are many unbelievably strong teams now. France is such a young and dominating team. Sweden, Korea, Japan and China are there. And then, of course, teams like India, which are also really strong,” said the 37-year-old while adding, “I don’t want to say it was easier before, but it’s very tough now. I think our team is still very strong and capable of fighting for a medal.”.

Published on Feb 12, 2026