The Var table tennis player Fabien Lamirault offered his fourth gold medal to the France team this Monday morning (August 30) at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The Habs won three sets to two in the final of the class 2 individual table tennis tournament.
Living in Nans-les-Pins, in central Var, the reigning Paralympic champion and world number 1 defeated the Polish Rafal Czuper in a remake of the Rio-2016 final. The Marseille Provence disabled table tennis licensee had to work hard to win gold again (11-6, 12-14, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9).
Thanks in particular to his high quality of service, his patience and his determination, Fabien Lamirault defeated the world number 2. Despite the many variations of the Polish candlelight enthusiast, the Varois did not let himself be trapped. Like his return to the table after a decisive time-out at 8-7 in the beautiful, by scoring a capital point before concluding the match.
The Var in search of team medals
For his third Games, at 41, Fabien Lamirault won his fifth Paralympic medal, the third individual. Paraplegic since a car accident in 1997, he discovered table tennis in a rehabilitation center. His second individual title brings the total of French medals to 27, one less than in Rio and just seven units from the goal of 35 podiums set before the Games.
Fabien Lamirault is also in search of team gold, of which he is also the title holder. Remember that this weekend, Hyéroise Thu Kamkasomphou, 52, signed a sixth individual podium (class 8) in six Games by winning bronze. She started her Paralympic adventure in 2000 with a title in Sydney (in class 9 at the time).
The Olympique Hyères Toulon Provence Méditerranée player will also defend her chances of team medals. The tournament begins on Tuesday morning (6 a.m. KST) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
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