Only thirty minutes needed Natalia Partyka to reach the second round in table tennis at the Olympic Games. A brilliant achievement when you know that the Polish person plays with a handicap.
Partyka was born without a right hand and forearm. She practiced with her sister at an early age and made history in 2000 when she became the youngest Paralympian at the age of eleven. Then in 2004, she became the first paralympic champion, the youngest ever in table tennis. Four years later, she had another first when she competed for her country in the team event at the Beijing Olympics.
In London, Partyka managed to qualify for the singles. After seven sets, she reached the second round, where she lost to the Dutch Li Jie.
This morning in Tokyo, the world number 80 reached the second round again. The much lower-ranked Australian Michelle Bromley was defeated in four sets: 11-3, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7. Tomorrow she will have to deal with an Egyptian, after which a confrontation with Dutch Britt Eerland may await.
