The Olympics are by far the most important competition in world table tennis. When assessing a playerâ€s legacy, they are the first thing to look at that separates good players from legends.
Because of the importance of this event, the ‘International Table Tennis Federation†has a responsibility to choose the best equipment. Every single piece of equipment must be perfect.
In this article, weâ€ll go over the equipment choices for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Weâ€ll talk about the equipment the organization provides (balls, tables, etc.), and the playerâ€s equipment (what rackets theyâ€ll be using).
Weâ€ll also go over why each piece of equipment was chosen and whether it makes sense for hobbyists to purchase them. Letâ€s begin!
Page Contents (Quick Links)
Event Equipment
Four pieces of equipment have been confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympics: The official ball, the tournament table, the practice table, and the flooring.
Balls
The official ball for these Paris Olympics will be the Double Fish PAR40+ 3 star.
Source: tabletennis11
In the past Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the official ball was the DHS DJ40+ Tokyo, so the supplier has changed this time.
Double Fish is a Chinese-based brand aimed at players who want high-quality equipment without breaking the bank.
They specialize mostly in balls and tables, something quite uncommon for a table tennis brand.
Even though they are a very reputable brand in China, their products are quite uncommon outside of Asia. As for myself based in Argentina, I havenâ€t seen a Double Fish ball or table in 9 years of playing.
We havenâ€t been able to test them yet, but many players from all around the world have. Most agree that these balls are well-built, round, solid, and durable.
Double Fish has also been the ball provider for recent ‘World Table Tennis†events. Those balls are called Double Fish V40+ 3*** WTT (Available on Amazon) and they have also received mostly favorable reviews.
If the Paris balls prove to be an improvement over the already great WTT balls, they could challenge the top brands such as Nittaku and DHS for the top spot on our best table tennis balls ranking.
Tournament Table
The official Paris 2024 table will be a modified version of the incredible DHS Rainbow 2:
The DHS Rainbow 2 is probably the best table tennis table you can buy. The only other table that can compete with the DHS Rainbow 2 in terms of quality is the Butterfly Centrefold 25.
The Rainbow 2, like the Butterfly Centrefold, features a high-quality 25mm playing surface. You can expect even bounces from this table and optimal spin preservation every single time.
I have tried the original DHS Rainbow previously and it was an absolute joy to play with. It was a pretty fast table and it preserved spin very well.
According to DHS, this new Rainbow 2 was crafted with a lightweight but high-strength underframe, offering greater support to the playing surface. The alleged result is an even better, more stable bounce.
DHS also states that the production process of the Rainbow 2 is more environmentally friendly.
The only con about this table is its price: It costs upwards of $2500.
The Paris Olympics version is a modified version with 3D etchings, a pink-hued outline, and LED lights embedded around the table and remotely controlled. It’s a very high-tech table and it looks incredible.
In fact, the ITTF refer to it as a blend of “technology and romance”. Need I say any more?
Source: ITTF
Check out this awesome video of the table and lighting ready for action.
Practice Table
The practice tables at the Paris Olympics will be the DHS T1818.
The DHS T1818 also features a 25mm playing surface. I believe that the playing surface is probably the same one as the Rainbow 2â€s given that the players will practice on this table to compete with the Rainbow 2.
The main difference between the T1818 and the Rainbow 2 is the underframe. Whether it makes a difference in play, itâ€s hard to say.
We couldnâ€t find the T1818 for sale, but, if it becomes available and the price is lower than the Rainbowâ€s, this will probably be the most logical purchase out of the two.
Its playing surface is good enough for Olympians to practice with, and itâ€s most likely the same one featured in the Rainbow 2.
If the Centrefold 25 is the perfect alternative to the Rainbow 2, Iâ€d say that the alternative to the T1818 is the Joola Tour 2500, a more affordable alternative from a very reputable brand also with a 25mm playing surface.
Flooring
The official flooring for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be the Enlio Super Weaving Surface.
Choosing the proper flooring is very important so that the athletes have optimal grip – not too little but also not too much.
The flooring should be soft yet stable, grippy enough so that the players can display their great footwork, but not too much that they canâ€t slide a little bit when they want to.
The Enlio Super Weaving Surface has already been used in the World Championships, the World Cup, and the China Open. It is a tried and true, top-of-the-line playing surface.
Pictured above are Ma Long and Mattias Falck playing in the final of the 2019 World Championships on Enlio flooring.
Players†Equipment
After talking about the equipment selected for use at the Paris 2024 Olympics, letâ€s cover the individual equipment that the different players will be using.
Each racket needs to comply with international competition rules, with the most important rules being:
- The rubbers must be approved by the International Table Tennis Federation.
- The racket can be of any size or shape.
- At least 85% of the blade by thickness has to be of natural wood. It can be complemented by a non-wooden material such as carbon or arylate, but it shall not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness or 0.35mm, whichever is smaller.
- The rubber shall be used without any physical, chemical, or other treatment.
- Slight deviations from continuity of surface or uniformity of color may be allowed provided that they do not significantly change the characteristics of the surface.
Weâ€d struggle to cover the rackets being used by all 140+ players to qualify for the Olympics, so instead weâ€re going to cover just the top 5 players on the Menâ€s and Womenâ€s side.
Where possible, weâ€ve provided direct links to retailers selling the same equipment.
Itâ€s also important to recognise that professional players can change their equipment at any point before a tournament without officially announcing the change. Some may even use a different racket depending on the opponent theyâ€re playing.
Adding more complexity, some players announce that they are using their sponsors†equipment but then proceed to use a different setup during tournaments. We can only present the information thatâ€s confirmed and/or presumed.
Wang Chuqin
Blade: DHS Q968 (presumed, unconfirmed)
Forehand Rubber: DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber: DHS Hurricane 3 National
Sun Yingsha
Blade: DHS S968 (presumed)
Forehand Rubber:DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber: DHS Hurricane 8 (presumed)
Fan Zhendong
Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC
Forehand Rubber:DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber:Butterfly Dignics 09c
Wang Manyu
Blade: Stiga Inspira Plus
Forehand Rubber:DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics 05 (presumed)
Tomokazu Harimoto
Blade: Butterfly Harimoto Tomokazu Innerforce ALC
Forehand Rubber:Butterfly Dignics 05
Backhand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics 05
Hina Hayata
Blade: Nittaku Hina Hayata H2
Forehand Rubber: DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber: Butterfly Dignics 05 (presumed)
Lin Yun-Ju
Blade:Butterfly Lin Yun-Ju Super ZLC
Forehand Rubber:Butterfly Tenergy 05 hard
Backhand Rubber:Butterfly Dignics 05
Shin Yubin
Blade:DHS W968
Forehand Rubber:DHS Hurricane 3 National
Backhand Rubber:Butterfly Dignics 09c (presumed)
Felix Lebrun
Blade:Tibhar Felix Lebrun Hyper Carbon
Forehand Rubber:Tibhar Hybrid K3
Backhand Rubber:Tibhar Hybrid K3
Bernadette Szocs
Blade:Tibhar Szöcs Signature 1
Forehand Rubber:Tibhar Hybrid K3
Backhand Rubber:Tibhar Quantum X Pro Pink
Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!
Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller
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