FOUR days after claiming bronze at the Commonwealth Games with the Australian women’s table tennis team, Hamilton export Melissa Tapper is still on cloud nine.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“It’s a pretty indescribable feeling, just amazing,” Tapper told The Standard from the Glasgow athletes’ village.
“It was a huge mix of emotions, when we had match point in the bronze game I was so nervous, right on the edge of my seat. Then when we won the medal there was a mixture of excitement and relief.
“I actually came across a photo of just after the final match and it brought all those feelings back. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Tapper sat out the medal play-off match, but played an instrumental role in the pool matches and quarter-finals, winning each of her matches convincingly.
She said not playing in the final game didn’t make her feel any different about the medal.
“We all played our part, and if someone wasn’t on court, they were on the sidelines cheering hard,” she said.
Tapper made history these Games, becoming the first Australian Paralympian to play on an able-bodied Commonwealth Games team. She said the transition had been seamless and she was loving every minute of the experience.
“I’m getting to play the best possible table tennis I can, that’s all I can ask for,” she said.
“The whole experience has been amazing, I marched in with everyone at the opening ceremony and it was just awesome. I missed out on that opportunity in London because I had early competition the next day.
Adding to the experience is the presence of Tapper’s parents Charles and Dianne, who have made the trip to watch her compete.
“It’s been great having them here, to be able to share the excitement with them. I think they are having a better time than I am,” she joked.
Tapper said her focus had shifted to the mixed doubles competition, which got under way with pool matches last night (Australian time).
The 24-year-old and her mixed doubles partner Heming Hu have been playing together for seven months and she said she was realistic about their chances.
“You always want to win gold, that’s the ultimate aim, but if we can make the round of 16 or the quarters, that will be a great result for us,” she said.
