Jacques Secrétin (; 18 March 1949 – 25 November 2020) was a French international
table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...
player. He was selected for the French national team at the age of 13 and became one of the most successful table tennis players in French history. In a 26-year career Secrétin was singles champion of France 17 times and European single champion in 1976. He won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the
1977 World Table Tennis Championships
The 1977 World Table tennis, Table Tennis Championships were held in Birmingham at the then newly opened National Exhibition Centre, from March 28 to April 7, 1977.
Organisation
During these Championships, players and officials stayed at the Stud ...
in Birmingham, England. Outside of competitions he formed a show with
Vincent Purkart that demonstrated table tennis tricks and exhibitions, which made more than 4,000 performances. Secrétin remained an active veterans player until his death.
Early life
Jacques Secrétin was born on 18 March 1949 at
Carvin, in a mining region of northern France.
[ He began playing table tennis at the age of eight and in 1962, at the age of 13, was selected for the French national team.][ Secrétin, who played left-handed, won his first national singles title in 1966.]
Competition career
From 1974 to 1986 Secrétin won several medals in singles, doubles, and team events in the Table Tennis European Championships
The European Table Tennis Championships is an international table tennis competition for the national teams of the member associations of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). First held in 1958, the ETTU organised the European Championships ever ...
and five medals at the World Table Tennis Championships
The World Table Tennis Championships are table tennis competitions sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The World Championships have been held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Five individual events, which include m ...
.
He won a gold medal in the mixed doubles event with Claude Bergeret
Claude Bergeret (born 19 October 1954) is a female former international table tennis player from France.
Table tennis career
She started playing table tennis at the age of 10 in Annecy. Her style of play was based on the counterattack.
From 19 ...
at the 1977 World Table Tennis Championships
The 1977 World Table tennis, Table Tennis Championships were held in Birmingham at the then newly opened National Exhibition Centre, from March 28 to April 7, 1977.
Organisation
During these Championships, players and officials stayed at the Stud ...
in Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...
.
In a 26-year career, he was with Jean-Philippe Gatien, one of the most successful table tennis players of France, world champion mixed doubles in 1977 with Claude Bergeret, 3 times bronze medal in men's doubles, quadruple European champion (including a singles in 1976 against the Soviet Anatoly Strokatov in the final and doubles with Patrick Birocheau), 61 times champion of France (17 times in men's singles, 10 times in men's doubles, mixed doubles 11 times, 6 times with Claude Bergeret
Claude Bergeret (born 19 October 1954) is a female former international table tennis player from France.
Table tennis career
She started playing table tennis at the age of 10 in Annecy. Her style of play was based on the counterattack.
From 19 ...
, and 4 times with Martine Le Bras, 23 times in teams).
Other work
Outside of competitions Secrétin established, with Vincent Purkart, Le Show Secrétin-Purkart. During the show, which was active until 2007, they performed table tennis tricks and exhibition matches.[ They made more than 4,000 performances and at one time performed in front of 15,000 spectators.][ Secrétin also visited table tennis clubs and prisons to teach the sport.][
Secrétin died on 25 November 2020 at the age of 71.][
]
See also
* List of table tennis players
This list of table tennis players is alphabetically ordered by surname. The main source of the information included in this page is the official International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) database. More detailed information about their careers is ...
* List of World Table Tennis Championships medalists
Results of individual events
The tables below are medalists of individual events (men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed).
Men's singles
Medal table
Women's singles
The champion of women's singles in 1937 was declared ...
References
External links
Jacques Secretin at Table Tennis Media
{{DEFAULTSORT:Secretin, Jacques
1949 births
2020 deaths
French male table tennis players
Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite