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‘She’s Always Been My Goal’: Qian Set For World Championship Showdown With All-Time Great

'She's Always Been My Goal': Qian Set For World Championship Showdown With All-Time Great
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As a teenager representing her native China at the London 2012 Paralympics, Qian Yang’s hope in the gold medal match against the great Natalia Partyka was to “not lose too badly”.

The result went as expected, but Qian pushed the Polish legend all the way to a deciding fifth set.

Four years later, at Rio 2016, they clashed again in the final and this time Partyka was emphatic, winning in straight sets to claim a stunning fourth consecutive Paralympic Games Class 10 title.

Qian would not be swayed. She knew that beating Partyka would put her on top of the world and she believed she had the skill and determination to do it.

At Tokyo 2020, nearly a decade after their first meeting – this time adorned in the green and gold of her new country Australia – Qian scored her greatest win, fighting back from two-sets-to-one down to defeat Partyka in the semi-final. She then beat Bruna Costa Alexandre of Brazil to win her first Paralympic singles gold medal.

“When I first started playing table tennis my coach told me there was someone in Poland who was as good as me and told me that I could serve like her,” Qian said.

“I was 16 when I first played Natalia at the London 2012 Paralympics and the goal was to not lose too badly. She has always been my goal, the person I’ve always wanted to beat, and because of that she makes me stronger. She is also a great person and player who deserves respect.”

When these two brilliant athletes compete again, at the World Para-Table Tennis Championships in Granada, Spain, starting on Sunday, Qian will be buoyed by the support of the strongest Australian team to play at the tournament. She may also feel she has a psychological advantage over Partyka, after toppling her again at the Spanish Para Open earlier this year. It was only the seven-time world champion’s second loss at an international tournament since 2008 – both times to Qian.

“I think I am playing my best table tennis now I am in Australia and this may be because of the new support that I receive here,” Qian said.

“I have learnt a lot since being in the Australian team and had some great results. Through the Australian program I have access to the Victorian Institute of Sport where I receive strength and conditioning coaching and nutrition, which have made me a better player. I love celebrating the individual wins with the whole team.”

After their unprecedented two gold medals and four silvers at Tokyo 2020, the Australian team has reason to be confident for these World Championships.

Leading the way for the 15-strong team alongside Qian will be Lina Lei, who won Paralympic gold in the Class 9 singles, and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Melissa Tapper, a two-time dual Paralympic and Olympic representative. Qian, Lina and Tapper combined to win silver in the C9-10 Team event at Tokyo and were named Team of the Year at the Paralympics Australia Awards in June.

In the men’s competition, Tokyo silver medallists Ma Lin and Sam von Einem will compete along with Nathan Pellissier, who joined the duo to win silver in the C9-10 Teams at the Games.

Full team list:

Sam von Einem (SA) – Class 11
Rory Carroll (VIC) – Class 11
Ma Lin (VIC) – Class 9
Nathan Pellissier (VIC) – Class 8
Jake Ballestrino (VIC) – Class 7
Trevor Hirth (VIC) – Class 6
Caleb Crowden (SA) – Class 4
Jessy Chen (NSW) – Class 3

Qian Yang (VIC) – Class 10
Melissa Tapper (VIC) – Class 10
Lina Lei (VIC) – Class 9
Rebecca Julian (VIC) – Class 6
Danni Di Toro (VIC) – Class 4
Amanda Tscharke (SA) – Class 3
Hayley Sands (SA) – Class 2

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 1 November 2022