France, Partyka Shine in Singles at Para-Table Tennis Euros

26 Oct 2011 By IPC

While Poland’s Natalia Partyka concluded the Para-Table Tennis European Championships without losing a single game, it was the French delegation that walked away with the most gold medals in the single competition on Monday (24 October) in Split, Croatia.

France’s Thu Kamkasomphou beat Germany’s Julian Wolf in straight games in the finals to secure gold in the women’s Class 8.

“Being the favourite is not as easy as it may seem, being world No. 1, everybody expected a lot from me,” Kamkasomphou told the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

“That’s why I think that strong mindedness was key to this success.”

France picked up its other three golds on the men’s side, where Maxime Thomas edged teammate Emeric Martin in the Class 3 finals, Stephane Molliens won Class 2 and Nicolas Savant Aira came out on top in Class 5.

Meanwhile, Partyka’s predicted domination took place in the women’s Class 10, as she beat Turkey’s Umran Eertis in a one-way final.

Sweden clinched three gold medals, as Anne-Carin Alquist (women’s Class 3), Ingela Lundback (women’s Class 4-5) and Emil Andersson (men’s Class 8) all won their respective divisions.

In the men’s Class 7, Great Britain’s Will Bailey won the crown after edging the world’s top-ranked Ukranian Mykaylo Popov.

Yuliya Klymenko won an all-Ukranian encounter in the women’s Class 6 finals, defeating teammate Antonina Khodzynska for the gold.

The Championships will now resume Wednesday with the team competition.