A list worthy of the title
Elite by name, elite by nature. We’re proud to be welcoming a stacked entry list to the ITTF Para Elite event in Lasko, presented by I FEEL SLOVENIA.
With World greats and Paralympic medallists from top to bottom, Poland’s Paris 2024 champion Rafal Czuper hopes to head up things in the MS2, while in MS3 Thomas Schmidberger of Germany returns to the table hoping to make 2025 another standout year in a career that has delivered nigh on everything.
Tommy Urhaug is again at the centre of the action, the multi-time World champion having put all of his focus into this competition rather than the Challenger event a few days prior.
Many of those from last week have also found the time to go again this week though, not least Will Bayley who picked up a brace of gold medals last week. It’s the same too for his countrymates including Aaron McKibbon and Josh Stacey. Can they make it a bumper double outing in Slovenia?
On the women’s side of competition, a legendary WS1 rivalry prepares for a new chapter as Aino Tapola and Dorota Buclaw resume a head-to-head that has enthralled at every opportunity in recent years.
And as with the men’s side, the women’s side has returning faces who found the first week so nice, they just had to go again! Germany’s Paris 2024 gold medallist Sandra Mikolaschek was victorious in the WS4-5 last week, as was Croatia’s Andela Muzinic-Vincetic.
But perhaps the most excitement for this week is reserved for the WS7, in which three of the four Paris medallists are competing. Last week Bly Twomey won in the category, getting the better of Turkiye’s Kubra Korkut on the way to gold. But this week promises to be somehow even more thrilling. How? By the return of Kelly van Zon. Van Zon’s return to the circuit here will have all eyes firmly on the four-time Paralympic individual gold medallist.
What happened last week?
In the Challenger event, it was a superb couple of days for Great Britain who snapped up a series of individual gold medals. With a stellar castlist including Will Bayley and Bly Twomey, it was fitting that it was those two who were part of a golden collection – not just solo but together too. Bayley and Twomey paired together for an impressive mixed victory, just a couple of days after running the show individually.
Elsewhere for Great Britain, the likes of Jack Hunter Spivey, Martin Perry, Aaron McKibbin and Joshua Stacey all stormed to success. There was joy for France too. A nation that have already shone in the series, Tru Kamkasomphou and Fabien Lamirault won gold here, while Germany were perfectly led by the iconic Sandra Mikolaschek and Jana Spegel, the duo picking up Classes 4-5 and 1-2 respectively.
What’s to come?
In the Elite series, we’ve got a couple of months to wait until the action resumes in Nakhon Ratchasima in July. But in the Future and Challenger? Expect a busy couple of months.
South America plays host to the Future competitors next as first Buenos Aires and then Santiago welcome the players in late May/early June. And from there the action returns to Europe with Ostrava from 19-21 June.
How to follow?
You can watch select action on our YouTube from today, with live results as ever on our website – just head to the events section. And keep an eye on our social media channels too for updates!
