Leg one of what always promised to be a legendary Lasko double-header of Para Table Tennis action lived upto expectations as the Challenger series rolled into Slovenia.
With an entry list consisting of Paris 2024 champions and icons – both of the present and the future – five days of action brought big victories for stars including Andela Muzinic Vincetic and Sandra Mikolaschek.
Returning Greats at the top of their game
And let’s begin with Mikolaschek, whose return to the ITTF Para series has proven to be truly stellar. The Paris 2024 champion in the C4 category showcased what makes her such a formidable force in Lasko, dropping just a single game in five matches across the course of the week. Mikolaschek would beat India’s Bhavina Patel in the final, before impressing in doubles actions alongside fellow German Thomas Bruechle.
For Muzinic Vincetic, she came to Lasko off the back of an event that really could not have gone any better. Fresh from a hat-trick of triumphs a week earlier in Podgorica, the Croatian added another title to her collection here in the C3 final, overcoming Brazil’s Joyce de Oliveira in a five-game thriller. And it got better for the Croatian, WD10 champion with Helena Dretar Karic.
The big winners in the individuals proved to be Great Britain though, collecting no fewer than SIX gold medals from their Lasko efforts. Jack Hunter Spivey (M4-5), Martin Perry (M6), Bly Twomey (W6-7), Will Bayley (M7), Aaron McKibbin (M8) and Joshua Stacey (M9) all shone on Thursday as the medal tally racked up for GB.
There were wins elsewhere for Sang Gu Jeong (M1), Jana Spegel (W1-2), Fabien Lamirault (M2), Jenson van Emburgh (M3), Tru Kamkasomphou (W8), Filip Radovic (M10), Samuel von Einem (M11) and Miya Yamaguchi (W11).
Shining in the Doubles action
And as Friday and Saturday rolled around, so too did the excitement as the doubles action took centre stage. Paralympic champions Jan Riapos and Peter Lavos got the better of France’s Lamirault and Julien Michaud in the MD4), while Slovakia again overcame France in the MD8 as Mitar Palikuca and Mladen Ciric defeated Yorick Adjal and Florian Merrien 3-1 in the final.
But there was a success story for France in the men’s side of the doubles though, with Clement Berthier and Esteban Herrault successful in the MD14. Spain’s Ander Cepas and Juan Batista Perez achieved gold in the MD18, with the mixed nationality duo of Grace Williams and Thea Amalie Nielsen finding success in the WD14-20.
Rounding off the action in the mixed doubles, Guilherme Marcio da Costa/Catia Olivieira of Brazil (XD4), Abdullah Ozturk/Nergiz Altintas of Turkiye (XD7), Carlos Eduardo Freire de Moraes/Joyce de Oliveira of Brazil (XD10), Will Bayley/Bly Twomey (XD14) and Makysym Nikolenko/Alexa Szvitacs of Ukraine and Hungary respectively (XD17-20) completed the podiums.
The action stays right here!
While Challenger takes a rest after back-to-back-to-back events, something special is just around the corner: the Elite series.
Showcasing the top talents on the planet, Elite is the pinnacle of our sport and debuts this coming week from Lasko again, presented by I LOVE SLOVENIA 2025. You’ll be able to follow the action as it occurs on our YouTube channel. Make sure also to keep an eye out on our social media channels for coverage each day.
