TABLE TENNIS: Melissa Tapper is on the verge of becoming the first Australian athlete to compete at both an Olympics and Paralympics, after finishing top two at the Oceania Championships in Bendigo.
26-year-old Tapper needs to finish in the top three of the five-player Olympic qualifier on Friday to formalise her nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee.
And Australia’s Jian Fang Lay is set to compete at her fifth Olympics, equaling the record held by beach volleyballer Natalie Cook.
Tapper and Jian will take on two Fijians and one Tuvalu player on Friday in the battle for the three Olympic places up for grabs.
If Tapper and Jian both finish in the top three, Australia will also qualify a 3-person team to compete at the Rio Olympics.
The third athlete will likely be Sally Zhang, who Tapper beat in Thursday’s semi-final.
Tapper was born with nerve damage in her right arm.
She made history in 2014 when she qualified to compete at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and has already qualified to compete at this year’s Paralympics.
Jian first represented Australia at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and has been to every Games since.
But another multi-Olympian, Miao Miao, won’t be going to a fifth Olympics after being knocked out of the qualification race on Wednesday by Tapper.
Ross Solly
Table Tennis Australia