The final ball of the 2024 Paralympic Games Para table tennis event was struck last night at a packed South Paris Arena 4 leaving us with a mix of excitement and nostalgia for an unforgettable Parisian summer.
Over ten days of thrilling competition Para table tennis was showcased like never before. Beyond the intense action on the court the venue was alive with vibrant crowds continuing the electric energy of the Olympic Games.
The French spectators made a last lasting impression in the ultimate session where the 21-year-old Lucas DIDIER from Le Chesnay took the stage in a bid to win France’s first Para table tennis gold of Paris 2024. The event was truly extraordinary not just through their numbers but by the unique atmosphere they created for the athletes.
Even as the holiday season ended and the school year resumed fans flocked to the arena filling the seats and generating a charged atmosphere filled with excitement and anticipation. The community spirit was palpable with passionate cheers resonating throughout as spectators embraced the nuances and unique stories of Para table tennis.
ITTF President Petra SÖRLING expressed her gratitude stating:
“I want to thank the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for delivering such an outstanding event. Table tennis and Para table tennis shone incredibly bright during this dream summer in Paris. We’ve also seen increasing interest from broadcasters in Para table tennis which shows the sport’s growing global appeal.”
The impact of Para table tennis was felt worldwide with medals won by 31 National Paralympic Committees and a multitude of inspiring stories. The Games began in spectacular fashion with Fabien LAMIRAULT lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. Historic firsts included the introduction of mixed doubles events Najlah Imad AL DAYYENI making history for Iraq by securing the nation’s first-ever Paralympic medal in Para table tennis – a gold Japan’s Natsuki WADA securing the country’s first-ever gold in a women’s event while the Netherlands’ Kelly van ZON and China’s Feng PANFENG claimed their fourth and fifth consecutive gold respectively. Adding to the excitement Team GB’s 14-year-old sensation Bly TWOMEY clinched two bronze medals in Paris and Cuba’s Yunier FERNANDEZ clinched the country’s first-ever gold.
This growing global appeal is also the fruit of successful development programme in non-traditional markets. Italy enjoyed its most successful Paralympic Games in table tennis since the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome 1960 showing the results of a determined 20-year rebuild. Once a rising presence Thailand has also established itself as a force to be reckoned with.
This exhilarating experience at Paris 2024 has elevated both table tennis and Para table tennis to new heights setting the stage for an exciting new chapter at Los Angeles 2028.
Looking ahead the ITTF is committed to maintaining this momentum with its dynamic Para table tennis series including 20 events as well as the Continental Para Table Tennis Championships next year for which the ITTF Executive Board has selected the following host nations: Egypt Brazil China Sweden and New Zealand.
ALL PARIS 2024 PARALYMPIC MEDALLISTS
Class 4 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: KIM Young-Gun (KOR)
Silver Medallist: WANCHAI Chaiwut (THA)
Bronze Medallist: KIM Jung-Gil (KOR) and Isa OGUNKUNLE (NGR)
Class 9 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Karolina PEK (POL)
Silver Medallist: XIONG Guiyan (CHN)
Bronze Medallist: LI Na Lei (AUS) and Alexa SZVITACS (HUN)
Class 6 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Najlah Al-DAYYENI (IRQ)
Silver Medallist: Maryna LYTOVCHENKO (UKR)
Bronze Medallist: Malik ALIEVA (NPA) and Camelia CIRIPAN (ROU)
Class 4 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Sandra MIKOLASCHEK (GER)
Silver Medallist: Borislava PERIC-RANKOVIC (SRB)
Bronze Medallist: GU Xiaodan (CHN) and Zhou Ying (CHN)
Class 9 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Laurens DEVOS (BEL)
Silver Medallist: Lucas DIDIER (FRA)
Bronze Medallist: MA Lin (AUS) and Ander CEPAS (ESP)
Class 8 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Viktor DIDUKH (UKR)
Silver Medallist: ZHAO Shuai (CHN)
Bronze Medallist: Maksym NIKOLENKO (UKR) and Phisit WANGPHONPHATHANASIRI (THA)
Class 8 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: HUANG Wenjuan (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Aida HUSIC DAHLEN (NOR)
Bronze Medallist: Florencia PEREZ (CHI) and Juliane WOLF (GER)
Class 3 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Andela MUZINIC VINCETIC (CRO)
Silver Medallist: YOON Jiyu (KOR)
Bronze Medallist: Carlotta RAGAZZINI (ITA) and XUE Juan (CHN)
Class 7 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: YAN Shuo (CHN)
Silver Medallist: William BAYLEY (GBR)
Bronze Medallist: Jean Paul MONTANUS (NED) and Chalermpong PUNPOO (THA)
Class 1-2 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Giada ROSSI (ITA)
Silver Medallist: LIU Jing (CHN)
Bronze Medallist: Dorota BUCLAW (POL) and SEO Su Yeon (KOR)
Class 6 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Matteo PARENZAN (ITA)
Silver Medallist: Rungroj THAINIYOM (THA)
Bronze Medallist: Peter ROSENMEIER (DEN) and Ian SEIDENFELD (USA)
Class 1 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Yunier FERNANDEZ (CUB)
Silver Medallist: Robert DAVIES (GBR)
Bronze Medallist: Federico FALCO (ITA) and Endre MAJOR (HUN)
Class 11 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: KIM Gi Tae (KOR)
Silver Medallist: CHEN Po Yen (TPE)
Bronze Medallist: Samuel von EINEM (AUS) and Peter PALOS (HUN)
Class 7 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Kelly van ZON (NED)
Silver Medallist: Kubra KORKUT (TUR)
Bronze Medallist: RUI Wang (CHN) and Bly TWOMEY (GBR)
Class 3 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Feng PANFENG (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Thomas SCHMIDBERGER (GER)
Bronze Medallist: YUTTJAK Glinbancheun (THA) and JANG Yeongjin (KOR)
Class 11 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Natsuki WADA (JPN)
Silver Medallist: Elena PROKOFEVA (NPA)
Bronze Medallist: Ebru ACER (TUR) and Kanami FURUKAWA (JPN)
Class 2 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Rafal CUPER (POL)
Silver Medallist: Jiri SUCHANEK (CZE)
Bronze Medallist: Fabien LAMIRAULT (FRA) and CHA Soo Yong (KOR)
Class 10 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Patryk CHOJNOWSKI (POL)
Silver Medallist: HAO Lian (CHN)
Bronze Medallist: Filip RADOVIC (MNE) and Mateo BOHEAS (FRA)
Class 5 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: ZHANG Bian (CHN)
Silver Medallist: PAN Jiamin (CHN)
Bronze Medallist: JUNG Young A (KOR) and MOON Sunghye (KOR)
Class 10 Women’s Singles
Gold Medallist: QIAN Yang (AUS)
Silver Medallist: Natalia PARTYKA (POL)
Bronze Medallist: Bruna ALEXANDRE (BRA) and TIAN Shiau Wen (TPE)
Class 5 Men’s Singles
Gold Medallist: Tommy URHAUG (NOR)
Silver Medallist: CHENG Ming Chih (TPE)
Bronze Medallist: Ali OZTURK (TUR) and Mitar PALIKUCA (SRB)
Class 14 Men’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: LIAO Keli and YAN Shuo (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Rungroj THAINIYOM and Phisit WANGPHONPHATHANASIRI (THA)
Bronze Medallists: Paul KARABARDAK and Billy SHELTON (GBR) and Clement BERTHIER and Esteban HERRAULT (FRA)
Class 7 Mixed Doubles
Gold Medallist: FENG Panfeng and ZHOU Ying (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Yuttajak GLINBANCHEUN and Wijittra JAION (THA)
Bronze Medallists: Florian MERRIEN and Flora VAUTIER (FRA) and ZHAI Xiang and GU Xiaodan (CHN)
Class 18 Men’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: Patryk CHOJNOWSKI and Piotr GRUDZIEN (POL)
Silver Medallist: LIU Chaodong and ZHAO Yiqing (CHN)
Bronze Medallists: LIAN Hao and ZHAO Shuai (CHN) and Luiz FILIPE and Claudio MASSAD (BRA)
Class 20 Women’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: QIAN Yang and LI Na Lei (AUS)
Silver Medallist: LIN Tzu Yu and TIAN Shiau Wen (TPE)
Bronze Medallists: Natalia PARTYKA and Karolina PEK (POL) and Bruna ALEXANDRE and Danielle RAUEN (BRA)
Class 10 Women’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: GU Xiaodan and PAN Jiamin (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Nada MATIN and Borislava PERIC-RANKOVIC (SRB)
Bronze Medallists: KANG Oejeong and LEE Mi Guy (KOR) and JUNG Young A and MOON Sunghye (KOR)
Class 17 Mixed Doubles
Gold Medallist: ZHAO Shuai and MAO Jingdian (CHN)
Silver Medallist: PENG Weinan and XIONG Guiyan (CHN)
Bronze Medallists: Piotr GRUDZIEN and Karolina PEK (POL) and Viktor DIDUKH and Iryna SHUNKAROVA (UKR)
Class 4 Men’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: Jan RIAPOS and Peter LOVAS (SVK)
Silver Medallist: HANG Yeongjin and PARK Sung Joo (KOR)
Bronze Medallists: CHA Soo Yong and PARK Jin Cheol (KOR) and Fabien LAMIRAULT and Julien MICHAUD (FRA)
Class 8 Men’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: CAO Ningning and FENG Panfeng (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Valentin BAUS and Thomas SCHMIDBERGER (GER)
Bronze Medallists: Adbullah OZTURK and Nesim TURAN (TUR) and Wanchai CHAIWUT and Yuttajak GLINBANCHEUN (THA)
Class 5 Women’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: LIU Jing and XUE Juan (CHN)
Silver Medallist: SEO Su Yen and YOON Jiyu (GER)
Bronze Medallists: Caria OLIVEIRA and Joyce OLIVERIA (BRA) and Dararat ASAYUT and Chilchitparyak BOOTWANSIRINA (THA)
Class 14 Women’s Doubles
Gold Medallist: HUANG Wenjuan and JIN Yucheng (CHN)
Silver Medallist: Stephanie GREBE and Juliane WOLF (GER)
Bronze Medallists: Aida Music DAHLEN and Merethe TVEITEN (NOR) and Felicity PACKARD and Bly TWOMEY (GBR)
