Chris Ryan wins gold for Great Britain at the ITTF Brazilian Para Table Tennis Open
Paralympic wheelchair rugby champion Chris Ryan is celebrating an “amazing week” winning his first gold in Para table tennis.
The victory capped a silver and bronze he also won at the ITTF Brazilian Open.
It has only been 10 months since his international debut and less than two years since he led the nation’s wheelchair rugby team to its first Paralympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
“I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved,” said Ryan, from Welwyn Garden City.
“It’s been an amazing week and it’s been great to win.
“I feel like this is the first time that I’ve played like I can in training for a consistent period.”
The 32-year-old, who was paralysed from the chest down in a car crash when he was 17, won the men’s class 4 doubles with Spanish partner Daniel Rodriguez in Sao Paolo on Sunday.
It was an upgrade on the bronze they had won at the French Para Table Tennis Open last year.
They overpowered Brazil’s home favourites Conrado Contessi and Jean Carlo de Oliveira Padilha in the final 3-0.
Megan Shakleton, a gold medal winner in Brazil in the women’s singles, secured bronze with Chris Ryan in the mixed doubles
He also took home bronze in the mixed class 4-7 doubles with his teammate Megan Shakleton, the winner of GB’s second gold of the tournament in the women’s class 4-5 singles.
The pair were beaten 3-0 in the semi-final against Chileans Luis Bustamante Flores and Tamara Leonelli Leonelli.
“Both my doubles partners have been brilliant.
“We had some good wins along the way, so lots of experience gained in terms of the tactics involved in doubles compared to singles.”
Ryan’s medal haul also included a silver in the men’s class 2 singles final against world number five Luis Rodrigo Bustamante Flores from Chile, who won 3-1.
The Welwyn and Hatfield Sportsperson of the Year award winner has always loved competing and was about to turn pro as a golfer when he had his accident. He thought he would never play sport again.
He was introduced to wheelchair rugby in 2010 during a year of rehab at Stoke Mandeville hospital’s specialist spinal unit in Buckinghamshire.
After he was discharged, he joined a club in London and in 2013 was selected to the GB squad and named vice captain a year later.
Historic victory over USA
He made his Paralympic Games debut as captain at Rio 2016 and in 2019 led the team to their third consecutive European Championships title.
His outstanding achievements in wheelchair rugby continued at Tokyo 2020 where he led the GB team to an historic 54-49 victory over three times Games’ champions USA.
Ryan is now stamping his authority on Para table tennis. If he continues to impress, he could be selected for his third Paralympics at Paris 2024 in August.
“There are a couple of things I can work on to take it to the next level and I can’t wait to build on this performance,” he said in Brazil.