At the Paris Olympics' table tennis men's singles final on August 4, Fan Zhendong from Yangpu, Shanghai secured a Grand Slam by overcoming Sweden's Truls Möregårdh 4-1.

Möregårdh was the "dark horse" who stopped China's Wang Chuqin from the last 16. It marked the first time in two decades since the 2004 Athens Olympics that China did not manage to secure both the champion and runner-up spots in advance, adding suspense to the final.

At 8:30 in the evening, more than 90 people, including young table tennis players and coaches from Shanghai Yangpu Youth Amateur Athletic School (YYAAS), as well as parent representatives, gathered at the multifunctional hall of Baiyangdian Football Fields to watch the Olympic men's table tennis singles final and cheer for Fan. The venue roared with applause and cheers each time Fan scored.

Ultimately, Fan came back from a 0-1 deficit to win four consecutive games, securing a 4:1 victory over his rival.

"I'm incredibly happy to see brother Fan Zhendong win the gold as a player from Yangpu," said Wu Rui, a junior player from YYAAS, who was on edge throughout the match. "Some of the rallies were very intense, but he managed to pull through." Another junior player Xiang Yixuan resolved to embrace a more rigorous training regimen, aspiring to emulate the Olympic champion's tenacity and refusal to surrender.

Fan made history at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships 2024 in Tokyo, claiming the title of world champion at 17 years and 103 days old. He has since claimed victory at the ITTF Men's World Cup four times; he has also secured an Olympic gold medal in the team event, a silver in singles, a World Championship title, the WTT Grand Smash men's singles title, the men's singles title in the WTT Champions Xinxiang 2023, and multiple Asian Games titles including team and doubles gold, along with a silver in singles.

Fan embarked on his third Olympic journey, evolving from the "little chubby" in Rio 2016 to the revered "Brother Dong" in Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024. His journey has seen him transition from a callow newcomer to a team mainstay, with only the Olympic men's singles title remaining for his Grand Slam accolade.

"This win is a testament to Fan Zhendong's capabilities and a boost to Yangpu's sports endeavors," said Zhou Yi, Head Coach of YYAAS and Head of the Teaching and Research Group at YYAAS. Yangpu has been dedicated to the sustainable development of competitive sports reserves. Since 2000, the school's table tennis team has sent four athletes to the national team, and over 50 to provincial and municipal teams, and more than 70 have been awarded the titles of master, national first-class athlete and national second-class athlete.

Yangpu's table tennis coaching team has expanded and grown in recent years, evolving into a diversified professional team that includes senior, intermediate and junior national coaches, as well as teaching assistants from China Table Tennis College. In the 2023 Shanghai Table Tennis Championships, the team garnered 3 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze medals, amassing 179 points and securing third place in the medal and points standings. At the 17th Shanghai Games in 2022, they captured 2 gold, 4 silver and 5 bronze medals for a total of 211 points, placing third in both the medal and points standings. Nationally, they have earned 5 gold medals and 65 points, and within this period, have contributed 4 first-tier and 6 second-tier athletes.

In 2023, the Yangpu Youth Sports Training Center was inaugurated at YYAAS as Shanghai's only pilot unit designated by the Youth Sports Department of the General Administration of Sport of China. Yangpu has made the construction of the youth training center a key task and signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Shanghai University of Sports to further amplify the talent and resource spillover effects of sports universities. Looking ahead, Yangpu will further advance the construction of the youth training center, improve the project layout, and promote the integration of sports with education, thereby cultivating more outstanding sports talents for China.