Table tennis player Melissa Tapper returning to Rio, this time in Paralympics

MELISSA Tapper says the experience of her maiden Olympic campaign last month has her geared to push for a breakthrough Paralympics medal.

Table tennis player Melissa Tapper will make history when she plays in the Paralympics after representing Australia at the Olympics in Rio last month..

MELISSA Tapper says the experience of her maiden Olympic campaign last month has her geared to push for a breakthrough Paralympics medal when her singles tournament starts on Thursday night.

The 26-year-old table tennis groundbreaker launches the second leg of her Games campaign in Rio on the opening day with a round of pool matches, following her rise as Australia’s first athlete to complete the Olympic- Paralympic double.

She said having already tasted the atmosphere of the Games arena was a small but crucial advantage.

“From the Olympics I got to experience inside the village, inside the venue, what it felt like to compete with the crowd,” she said.

“The cards I drew were the hardest I possibly could have drawn, but that will put me in a better position when I have to start playing. We had a hit in the main hall yesterday and things felt good.

“It’s very hard to turn up for the very first match and have it all working perfectly. But my body is good, my head is good so I just have to put it all together now.”

Table tennis player Melissa Tapper will make history when she plays in the Paralympics after representing Australia at the Olympics in Rio last month.

Tapper, who plays left-handed having suffered nerve damage in her right arm at birth, finished fourth at her maiden Paralympics in London four years ago.

She said improvements in her game since 2012 — showcased by her Olympics selection — was no guarantee of a step up to the Paralympics podium this year.

“Everyone is working for the gold but it’s going to be very hard to medal,” Tapper said.

“It’s going to be very tough, my class is very strong.

“If I can get on the podium that would be amazing. But I just want to play the best table tennis I can and if I can do that, then the rest will take care of itself.”

Winning gold would mean breaking the streak of Poland powerhouse Natalia Partyka, the Class 10 Paralympic champion at the past three Games.

The 27-year-old, born without her right forearm, has also contested the past three Olympics, starting in Beijing in 2008.

Tapper, sitting out this morning’s opening ceremony to prepare for her opening pool match tonight, will also pair with Queenslander Andrea McDonald in the teams event.

Originally published as Table tennis player Melissa Tapper returning to Rio, this time in Paralympics