Career
In two memorable World Table Tennis Championships finals he faced fellow Swede January-Ove Waldner in 1989 and 1991, losing the former and winning the latter. Persson has represented Sweden in every Olympic Games since table tennis was introduced into the Olympic program The 2012 olympics were his last (46 yrs old at the time) - he has officially retired and will therefore not play at the 2016 Olympics.
Along with Croatian Zoran Primorac and Belgian Jean-Michel Saive, he is the first table tennis player to have competed at seven Olympic Games.
His game is based on a powerful backhand stroke and a regular forehand. His best Olympic result is a fourth place at the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics.