PARIS - One of the most remarkable runs in Paralympic history came to an end on Friday night, as China's Liu Jing suffered her first defeat in a table tennis final in 16 years.
The Chinese veteran, who collected nine gold medals after securing the women's doubles WD5 title last week, had won all her previous Paralympics finals since Beijing 2008, before the women's singles WS1-2 match against Giada Rossi of Italy.
"It was a pity to lose. Rossi was a very good player and has improved a lot in the past years. I wasn't playing in a way that made me feel comfortable. I was too hurried to attack and did not manage the details well," said 36-year-old Liu.
Two-time bronze medalist Rossi never expected to win the championship in a 3-0 straight win.
"I don't know what happened. It is unbelievable," said Rossi. "She is a strong player, and she always wins the Paralympics. But this was the right moment for me, my moment."
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"When I arrived here, I just wanted to have fun and stay focused on what I wanted to do. Having fun and doing my best, makes me very happy. I have my family here to celebrate," she added.
