1936 World Table Tennis Championships
The 10th World Table Tennis Championship took place from March 12 to 18, 1936 in Prague (Czechoslovakia) in the social hall " Lucerne " instead.
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Again, the 14 participating men's teams were divided into two preliminary round groups. Germany introduced again a men's team to also advertise sporty face of the upcoming Olympic Games in Berlin.
In the very first round lost the reigning World Team Champion Hungary against Romania sensational 5-0. The cause investigated the Hungarians in the tables that were supposed to just before freshly painted. On the not quite dried paint could not play fast balls. Thus the Hungarians could not cope.
Romania has more wins their group. Only the last game against Poland was lost with 0:5. The foundations for the Polish victory put Aloizy "Alex" Ehrlich: Against Farkas Paneth he played completely defensive and passive back the balls with backspin. Only about two hours and ten minutes, the first rally was ended; by happy power scooter led Ehrlich 1-0 and then won the match .. (full description of this match in the article Aloizy Ehrlich) Romania gave the remaining games without a fight, as it had already been decided as a group first. Even before the team fight France against Romania was the game Vasile Goldberger -Marin (ROM) against Michel Haguenau (F) in the fifth set after more than seven hours of 5:3 for Goldberger. Then the game was canceled and decided by coin toss.
In the parallel-group, the German team lost only narrowly to the hosts Czechoslovakia; the spectators, the course cheering the home team helped Czechoslovakia. The American players surprised the other teams with a very dangerous charge: About thumb wore a rubber coating. Upon impact, they held the ball between your thumb and forefinger and staggered him while dropping using the " Gummidaumens " a strong twist. This charge, which brought some strong opponents in embarrassment, was highly controversial, but helped the Americans to 3rd place in the opening act.
The final disputed Romania and Austria. Here, too, drew the defender by passive play the various matches in the very length. After several interruptions and about twelve hours play time Austria won 5-4 and became champion. Hungary finished only fifth place.
In the women's German team reached the second place along with the United States. In the individual events saw new winner. With Stanislav Kolář from Czechoslovakia won first time in six World Championships, a non- Hungarian front of Alex Ehrlich. In the women's American Ruth Hughes Aarons won ahead of Germany's Astrid Krebsbach.
The lengthy battles called the officers on the scene: The Time game was introduced in 1937. Takes a set of 15 minutes, then serve the player must have scored no more than 12 rallies, otherwise the opponent gets the point. Furthermore, the height of the network was reduced to 15.25 cm. This height is still valid today.
Find out more
- About the above described marathon match against Ehrlich Paneth People tell the more curious details. So honestly have changed several times the racket from one hand to the other. During the rally, he was still playing a game of chess by calling out a teammate his features. Ten referees were worn; they had to be replaced mainly because of neck pain.
- Alex Ehrlich was a Polish Jew. He spent four years in Auschwitz and escaped the gas chamber because the Nazis knew him as a table tennis player in the world class.
- Ruth Hughes Aarons won the women's singles. To date (2003) it is the only time that a single title was won by the United States.
- The United States provided not on their top players Sol ship because he had signed a contract with Parker Brothers.