Playing table tennis with one hand, disabled athlete makes history at Olympics

(Dan Tri) - Brazilian table tennis player Bruna Alexandre made history by competing with only one hand at the 2024 Paris Olympics against able-bodied and very strong opponents from around the world.

Among the many impressive images after 10 days of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the detail that left the most emotions in the hearts of the audience was athlete Bruna Alexandre, a disabled Brazilian table tennis player, competing in the women's team quarterfinals against Korea yesterday (August 5).

Bruna Alexandre became the first Brazilian athlete with a disability, along with Australia's Melissa Tapper, to compete in both the Paris Olympics and the Paris Paralympics this summer (Photo: Getty).

A former Paralympian for Brazil, this is the 29-year-old's first time competing in the Olympics. Along with Australian table tennis player Melissa Tapper, Bruna Alexandre made history by becoming the first female athlete to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics this summer. Bruna Alexandre had her right arm amputated due to a brain hemorrhage when she was just a few months old. Melisa Tapper, 34, has brachial plexus palsy, a type of paralysis in her right arm that occurred at birth. However, Bruna Alexandre's image has been more admired by many people when she competes with high-class and completely healthy Korean athletes with only one arm. The 29-year-old performs smashes and slices like other table tennis players at the Paris Olympics, but when serving, she uses the racket in her left hand to throw the ball high.

Bruna Alexandre and teammate Giulia Takahashi lost 0-3 to the world-famous pair Shin Yubin and Jeon Ji-hee (pictured) and stopped at the Olympics (Photo: Getty).

However, the Brazilian women's table tennis team was eliminated early at the Olympics when they lost to South Korea with a score of 1-3. Despite her best efforts, Bruna Alexandre lost both her singles and doubles matches. "It was not the result I expected, but we are very satisfied with what we achieved. We did not give up until the last minute. South Korea is one of the strongest teams. I scored some points, which made me very happy, and I am very proud of my team for fighting until the last minute," said Alexandre. The Brazilian female tennis player affirmed that her victory was to participate in the Olympics like any other healthy athlete, because even other healthy athletes dream of participating in the world's biggest tournament like her. "I am very happy to have the opportunity to represent all Brazilians with disabilities at the Paris Olympics and prove that I can play on par with any athlete. I have a dream of becoming a Paralympic champion and competing against athletes without disabilities at the Paris Olympics makes me stronger in pursuing this goal," Bruna Alexandre told the Olympics website. "I think this makes me want to continue and pursue my dream even more, thinking not only of myself but also of all people with disabilities. I hope that one day this will become normal in the world: a disabled person playing against a person with both hands, regardless of disability," the 29-year-old concluded.

Before Bruna Alexandre and Melisa Tapper, only two athletes had competed in both the Olympics and the Paralympics: South African athlete Oscar Pistorius and Polish table tennis player Natalia Partyka. Partyka became the youngest Paralympian in table tennis history when she competed at Sydney 2000 at the age of 11, and then became the first table tennis player to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics in Beijing eight years later. Oscar Pistorius has won six gold medals at the Paralympics. At the London Olympics in 2012, Oscar impressed with his artificial legs entering the race against able-bodied athletes but he failed to win a medal.

Dantri.com.vn

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