Tom Matthews

Table Tennis

Region

Aberdare
Date of Birth

18/08/1992
Classification

Men’s class 1 singles

Tom was a promising mountain biker when he had a fall while out riding with his uncle and a friend in March 2009, which left him wheelchair bound at the age of 16. While undergoing rehab in Rookwood Hospital he was encouraged to try table tennis by Jim Munkley from Disability Sport Wales and after leaving hospital he played table tennis with the Welsh squad for several months before taking a break from the sport, returning to the Welsh squad in March 2013.

Tom made his international debut at the Hungarian Open that month and won his first major medals at the European Championships in 2015, taking bronze in the men’s class 1 singles and gold in the team event. Having missed out on qualification for Rio due to a broken leg he returned to win the US Open in 2016 and went on to take silver in the 2017 European Championships – losing to fellow Welshman Rob Davies in the final – and bronze in the World Championships in 2018.

Tom won his first Paralympic medal at Tokyo 2020 a bronze in the men’s singles class 1 event at his first ever Games.

Career Highlights

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Men’s Singles (Class 1): Bronze

2018: World Championships, Slovenia – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)

Lignano Master Open, Italy – gold, men’s singles (class 1); silver, men’s teams (class 1)

2017: European Championships, Lasko, Slovenia – silver, men’s singles (class 1)

Bayreuth Open, Germany – gold, men’s teams (class 1)

World Team Championships, Slovakia – bronze, men’s class 1

2016: US Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1)

2015: Copa Costa Rica - silver, men’s singles (class 1); silver, men’s teams (class 1)

European Championships, Vejle, Denmark - gold, men’s teams (class 1); bronze, men’s singles (class 1)

Bayreuth Open, Germany - gold, men’s teams (class 1); bronze, men’s singles (class 1)

2013: US Open, San Diego - silver, men’s singles (class 1)

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