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Reigning Paralympic Champions Gear Up for Tokyo 2020 Showdown
Published on June 15, 2021, by Sports Actualités
The table tennis contingent of ParalympicsGB is primed for a strong defense of their titles at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Headlining the 13-strong squad are the Rio 2016 gold medalists, Will Bayley and Rob Davies, who will be looking to repeat their heroics in the men’s class seven and class one events, respectively.
Joining the champion duo are fellow medallists Ross Wilson and Aaron McKibbin, who secured bronze in the men’s class six-eight team event in Rio alongside Bayley.
“When I won the final in Rio, I realised a dream that I had been going to sleep thinking about since I was 18 years old,” reflected Bayley. “To compete for my country and represent Great Britain is what I live for, and I’m playing the best table tennis of my career, so I know this is a great opportunity for me to show what I can do.”
The squad also features experienced campaigners such as six-time Paralympian Sue Bailey, as well as fourth-time Olympians Paul Karabardak and David Wetherill. Younger talents like Ashley Facey-Thompson and Jack Hunter-Spivey, who are set for their second Paralympic appearance, will be joined by debutants Tom Matthews, Megan Shackleton, Billy Shilton, and Joshua Stacey.
Alongside the table tennis team, ParalympicsGB’s equestrian squad has also been confirmed, headlined by the most decorated rider in the team, 11-time Paralympic champion Sir Lee Pearson. Pearson, set to compete at his sixth consecutive Games, will be paired with Breezer, while eight-time gold medalist Sophie Christiansen partners with Innuendo III. The other two defending champions from Rio 2016 are five-time Paralympic champion Natasha Baker, riding Keystone Dawn Chorus, and two-time gold medalist Sophie Wells, who will compete with C Fatal Attraction.
With a formidable lineup across both table tennis and equestrian events, ParalympicsGB will be aiming to replicate and even surpass their remarkable performance from the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where they finished second on the medals table with 64 golds, 39 silvers, and 44 bronzes.
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