Two table tennis players compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games

PARIS (AP) Two table tennis players will thoroughly enjoy the experience of the Paris Games.

Brazil's Bruna Alexandre and Australia's Melissa Tapper are competing in the Olympic Games and the upcoming Paralympic Games, making them part of a select group of athletes who have already competed in the Summer Games twice.

Among them was Oscar Pistoriusthe double-amputee sprinter from South Africa who was released from prison in January after serving nearly nine years for murdering his girlfriend. He competed in both events in London in 2012.

Alexandre, 29, had her right arm amputated due to a bloodbath when she was a few months old. Tapper, 34, has brachial plexus palsy, a form of paralysis in her right arm that she was diagnosed with at birth.

It's amazing, an absolute privilege to be able to do this, said Tapper, who also won the doubles in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo three years ago. She was knocked out in Paris in her opening singles match by fourth-seeded Shin Yu-bin of South Korea.

Being in the arena was just amazing, Tapper told The Associated Press. The French crowd was really, really great. So it was nice to be there. Also, getting a feel for what it's like to be inside the arena. And then yeah, obviously getting another shot at the team event. And then when we come back for the Paralympics, it's kind of nice to know your way around before you go into an event.

Tapper, ranked 248 in the world and 63rd in Paris, will try to help Australia in the team competition that starts this week. The Aussies play Taiwan on Tuesday.

Alexandre, world number 182, did not play in the singles but will be in the team tournament with Brazil against South Korea on Monday.

It is so difficult to get a place in 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 AP. This can motivate other people with disabilities. And it can also be inspiring for everyone on the Olympic side. When they see me play, they see that anything 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 Paralympic Games, namely for very mild limitations in the legs and playing arms.

Alexandre said that there are few adjustments needed because of her disability. One of the disadvantages she has is that she can't balance her body as well as other players, and another is that she is not as fast as most of her opponents.

But Alexandre also has some advantages, such as a serve that has its own style because she has to throw the ball with the same hand as she holds the racket.

It's one of the strong points of my game, Alexandre said. The girls get a little confused and have to try to adapt to that.

Alexandres' coach Jorge Fanck said there are no major changes in the way he trains the team due to Alexandres' disability.

She is here because of her talent. She compensates for any difficulties she may have with her talent, he said. And we are using the preparations here for the Olympics to help her arrive strong for the Paralympics in a month. There are high expectations for her results at the Paralympics.

Tapper, who like Alexandre started playing table tennis at a young age, won a silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago. She said her serve required the most adjustments because of the problem in her arm.

Other than that, to be honest, I would say my biggest disadvantage is not having access to as many high-level tournaments and events like the Olympics, she said. The biggest disadvantage is that I just haven't had the same kind of big competition experience that I've had (here).

Tapper wears a specially designed brace on her right forearm to provide some strength to her wrist.

People just think I sprained my hand or something, she said.

Other athletes who have done the double in the past include another table tennis player: Poland's Natalia Partyka, who did it in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, according to the Olympics Study Centre. South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit competed in both events in Beijing, while Italian archer Paola Fantato did her double in Atlanta in 1996.

Tapper and Alexandre will both remain in Europe between the end of the Olympic Games and the start of the Paralympic Games on August 28. Tapper will get some rest in Portugal before returning to France, while Alexandre will join the Brazilian Paralympic delegation's training camp in northern France.

___

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games