Gilbert Cup '98 # 9 Group B: Mikael Appelgren - Kim Taek Soo HD Version

[@NoSpeechForTheDumb]

I'm watching table tennis videos since decades and these Gilbert Cup videos still have the best lighting, angles and frame rate I ever saw. They are the pinnacle of table tennis recording.

[@jeffstevens9729]

What, you don't like the high side angle of WTT?? (major sarcasm if you can't tell)

[@NoSpeechForTheDumb]

@@jeffstevens9729 oh yes, pong style 2D table tennis, another simplification for the ignorant target viewer. LOL

[@ノブレスオブリージュ-e2j]

すんごい画質！

[@jeffstevens9729]

Hi Diego - thanks for sharing these great videos. Those invitationals were so much fun and the only time that LA players/fans were able to see the greats of the sport. Kind of shocking to me how fast the game was in that era (mid-late 90's). Most of the points seem to only be 2-4 shots. I'm guessing this was the height of the speed glue era so even formerly mid-range players like Applegren couldn't stand the heat most of the time when playing 5-10 feet back and counter-looping.

[@SuperHammaren]

He was also 38 years old and well past his prime. Waldner and Persson could compete well up in the 40's though, but as you said, they did not play as far from the table as Appelgren did.

[@NoSpeechForTheDumb]

The late 1990s were undoubtedly the fastest and spinniest era of table tennis. They tried to do something about this with many rule and material changes, with the result that creative, talented sportsmen were selected out in favor of (mostly asian) workhorses, and the long, impressive rallies became boring regularity.

[@sirushomayouni7295]

A swedish player wearing red T_ shirt? I've never seen this before!

[@WHIT3_BL4CKB1RD]

Casi que no hay intercambios...como es posible con jugadores de ese nivel?

[@AntAng-i1d]

Seriously,both Appelgren and Kim had extreme shot tolerance.Watch Appel's matches from the 80's,he never missed.He could return the ball from any position.