Two table tennis players will enjoy the full experience of the Paris Games. Brazil's Bruna Alexandre and Australia's Melissa Tapper are participating in the Olympics and the upcoming Paralympics, joining a select list of athletes who have done the Summer Games double. (Full Olympic Coverage|More Sports News)
Among them was Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter from South Africa who in January was released from prison after serving nearly nine years for killing his girlfriend. He competed in both events in 2012 in London.
The 29-year-old Alexandre had her right arm amputated because of a blood clot when she was a few months old. The 34-year-old Tapper has brachial plexus palsy, a type of paralysis to her right arm caused during her birth.
“It's awesome, an absolute privilege to be able to do it,” said Tapper, who also did the double in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo three years ago. She was eliminated in Paris in her opening singles match against No. 4 seed Shin Yu-bin of South Korea.
“Being out in the arena was just insane,” Tapper told The Associated Press. “The French crowd were really, really awesome. So, it was nice being out there. Get the feeling of what it's like inside the venue as well."
"And then yeah, obviously get another chance in the team event. And then when we come back in for the Paralympics, it's sort of it's nice kind of knowing your way around already before you start an event.”
Tapper, ranked No. 248 in the world and the No. 63 seed in Paris, will try to help Australia in the team competition beginning this week. The Aussies will play against Taiwan on Tuesday.
Alexandre, No. 182 in the world, didn't play in the singles, but she will be with Brazil in the team event against South Korea on Monday.
“It's so difficult to earn a spot for the Olympics, the competition is very tough,” said Alexandre, who has been competing in the Paralympics since 2016. She won two bronze medals in Rio, and a silver and a bronze in Tokyo.
“I think this is a lesson about inclusion, both in Brazil and around the world,” she told the AP. “This can motivate other people with disabilities.
"And, it can be inspiring for everyone on the Olympic side as well. When they watch me play, they see that everything is possible. It's a win-win situation, and it can open a lot of doors.”
Both Alexandre and Tapper compete in the same category at the Paralympics — one for very mild impairments on legs and playing arms.
Alexandre said there are few adaptations needed because of her disability. One of the disadvantages she has is that she can't balance her body as well as the other players, and another is that she is not as quick as most of her opponents.
But, Alexandre has some advantages, including a serve that has its unique style because she has to throw the ball with the same hand that she holds the racket.
“It's one of the strengths of my game,” Alexandre said. “The girls get a bit confused and have to try to adapt to it.”
Alexandre's coach, Jorge Fanck, said there are no significant changes in how he trains the team because of Alexandre's disability.
“She is here because of her talent. She compensates any difficulty that she may have with her talent,” he said.
“And, we are using the preparations here at the Olympics to help her arrive strong at the Paralympics in another month. There are high expectations about her results in the Paralympics.”
Tapper, who like Alexandre began playing table tennis at a very young age, won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago. She said her serve is what required the most adjustments because of the issue in her arm.
“Outside of that, to be honest, I would say my biggest disadvantage is just not having access to so many high-quality tournaments and events like the Olympics,” she said.
"The biggest disadvantage is I just haven't had that same sort of big-match experience like I got (here).”
Tapper wears a custom brace on her right forearm to give some strength to her wrist. “People just think I've sprained my hand or something,” she said.
Other athletes to have done the double in the past include one other table tennis player: Poland's Natalia Partyka, who did it in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 in London, according to the Olympics Study Centre.
South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit was in both events in Beijing, while Italian archer Paola Fantato did her double in 1996 in Atlanta.
Tapper and Alexandre will both stay in Europe between the end of the Olympics and the start of the Paralympics on August 28.
Tapper will get some rest in Portugal before returning to France, while Alexandre will join the training camp of Brazil's Paralympic delegation in northern France.
