TABLE TENNIS: Australian table tennis player, Melissa Tapper, is set to make history as the first Australian athlete to compete in an Olympics and a Paralympics after winning her way through qualifying at the Oceania qualifiers in Bendigo.
26-year-old Tapper will be nominated to the Australian Olympic Committee by Table Tennis Australia to fill one of two singles positions at this year’s Rio Olympics.
The second singles position will be filled by Jian Fang Lay, who will compete at a record-equaling fifth Olympics if her selection is ratified by the AOC.
“I was ridiculously nervous today,” Tapper said.
“Now I’m just so happy that it’s over. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, but I have a huge sense of relief.”
Tapper, who was born with nerve damage in her right arm, has already qualified to compete at this year’s Paralympics.
She earned her selection for the able-bodied Olympics by defeating Fiji’s Grace Rosi Yee in the final direct qualifying match in Bendigo.
Tapper said she hasn’t really thought about the significance of her achievement.
“I feel like that part won’t sink in until a couple of years down the track, when I finish competing,” Tapper said.
Four years after narrowly missing qualification for the London Olympics, David Powell is set to go to his first games this year after he and Chinese-born Chris Yan won the singles selection positions.
Powell beat Yan for the first time since 2010 to earn the top position, and admitted his experience from four years ago almost stopped him from trying to qualify this year.
“There was a part of me that didn’t want to try and qualify for Rio, because it was such a deflating experience before London and I really didn’t want to go through it again,” Powell said.
“But after qualifying for Glasgow in 2014 I knew I had it in me. I felt a lot of pressure today, but when I went 4-0 down in the final set I just relaxed, and everything worked out for me.”
Tapper admitted she never gave herself a chance of qualifying for a singles position on the Rio team.
“To be honest the only person who thought I could do it was (coach and husband) Simon,” she said.
“I just always thought I’d try and hang in there and try and get that third position, so then I would be in the team’s competition.
“Even coming into this week I didn’t give myself a chance. Now I’m just stoked that I get to go to the Olympics.”
Table Tennis Australia will nominate its Olympic team to the Australian Olympic Committee next week.
Ross Solly
Table Tennis Australia
