Record European champion Timo Boll is ending his table tennis career. The 43-year-old told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that. The Hesse native’s departure will therefore take place in installments.
After the Olympic Games in Paris, his international career will be over, and after one last season with his club Borussia Düsseldorf, it will be over for good.
“Constant battle against pain”
In Paris, Boll will compete in the team competition, which will be his seventh Olympic appearance. “I put off the decision for a long time and was also afraid of the day when I would have to make it. But I notice that I have reached an age that is putting a lot of pressure on my level. And that makes me unhappy. At some point you lose the constant battle against the pain and the body,” said Boll.
He has a contract in Düsseldorf for another season. Boll won two World Championship bronze medals, eight European Championship gold medals and won the prestigious World Cup twice. With the team he won two Olympic silver medals and two bronze medals. He also won four World Championship silver medals and one bronze medal. Boll’s teams were at the top seven times at the European Championships.
25 years at the top of the world
However, Boll was also repeatedly set back by injuries. “The prospect of taking part in the Olympics for the seventh time kept me going after the hell I’ve been through over the last two years,” said Boll. Boll has been suffering from shoulder problems for two years, and previously injuries to his back, cervical vertebrae and knee had slowed him down.
“I always had the talent to fight my way back after setbacks and breaks. But as I got older, it became more and more difficult. Last year was really no fun,” said the veteran. Overall, the exceptional player remained at the top of the world for 25 years and is extremely popular even in China. Boll climbed to the top of the world rankings four times in his career.
