One year ago today, South Paris Arena 4 witnessed an extraordinary day of Paralympic para table tennis that rewrote history books and delivered some of the most emotionally charged moments of Paris 2024. Gold medal matches unfolded, each telling a unique story of dominance, resilience, and breakthrough achievement.
China’s Feng Panfeng achieved sporting immortality, claiming his tenth Paralympic gold medal with a commanding 3-0 victory over Germany’s Thomas Schmidberger in the Class 3 Men’s Singles final. More remarkably, it marked his fifth consecutive Paralympic title in the event – a feat of sustained excellence rarely seen in elite sport.
“I didn’t think that I could get my 10th Paralympic gold medal,” Feng reflected afterwards. “Ten gold medals is also my goal. I will continue to improve and add more new things in my technical skill, so that my opponents can’t understand.”
The final represented the 21st career meeting between Feng and Schmidberger, a rivalry spanning 17 years since 2007. Whilst Schmidberger had been one of the few players capable of challenging Feng – delivering his last international defeat back in 2018 – the Chinese master had remained unbeaten in singles competition for six years leading into Paris.
In perhaps the most dramatic match of the day, Netherlands’ Kelly van Zon produced one of the great Paralympic comebacks to secure her fourth consecutive Class 7 Women’s Singles gold medal. Trailing 0-2 against Turkey’s Kubra Korkut – who had defeated van Zon in their previous two encounters at World and European Championships – the Dutch champion dug deep to win 3-2 (7-11, 3-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7).
“I was so far behind. I don’t know what happened. All my balls went over the table,” van Zon admitted. “I tried to control everything, and it didn’t work. The plan I had in mind didn’t work. I tried to change it round. I started to believe and the balls went a little bit more on the table. I could feel the crowd behind me.”
The day’s most groundbreaking moment belonged to Japan’s Natsuki Wada, who claimed her nation’s first-ever Paralympic gold medal in women’s para table tennis with victory over defending champion Elena Prokofeva (NPA) in the Class 11 Women’s Singles final.
Wada’s 3-1 triumph (8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-4) was remarkable not just for ending Japan’s 32-year Paralympic para table tennis gold drought, but for the journey that brought her there. Having only begun playing in 2019 as a weight-loss exercise, Wada’s rise to Paralympic champion in just five years defied conventional sporting timelines.
“I am very happy that nobody else did this before,” said Wada, whose aggressive style perfectly countered Prokofeva’s defensive approach. “I am the type of person to win. I hate to lose. It is my character.”
The day concluded with Korea Republic’s Kim Gi Tae finally achieving his Paralympic dream, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chen Po Yen to claim Class 11 Men’s Singles gold. Competing in his third Paralympic Games, Kim’s victory featured breathtaking rallies, including a spectacular 24-stroke exchange that epitomised the quality on display.
“I am very happy. This medal is because I stayed strong,” Kim reflected. “I think that Chen is a better player than me, but he got a bit too nervous. It was a good match.”
Looking back one year later, 5 September 2024 stands as one of the defining days of Paralympic para table tennis. From Feng’s historic tenth gold to Wada’s breakthrough triumph, from van Zon’s stunning comeback to Kim’s perseverance paying off, it showcased everything magnificent about Paralympic sport.
