RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When 19-year-old American Yijun Feng played Spaniard Zhiwen "Juanito" He on Saturday, Feng entered the table tennis match with a slight but unusual advantage, despite being outranked and lacking comparable experience.
Decades ago, He and Feng's 58-year-old coach, Massimo Constantini, were rivals.
"I used to get killed right away," Constantini said of his matches against the 54-year-old He, one of the oldest athletes in Rio de Janiero.
All these years later, He still had it, handily beating Feng four games to two in the opening round of the Olympics.
Experience matters in table tennis.