Thomas Matthews (table tennis)

Thomas Matthews
Personal information
Born (1992-08-19) 19 August 1992 (age 32)
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Great Britain
Sport
Country United Kingdom
SportPara table tennis
Disability classC1
Medal record
Para table tennis
Representing  Great Britain
Paralympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Singles C1
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Lasko Singles C1
World Team Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Bratislava Teams C1
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Vejle Teams C1
Silver medal – second place 2017 Lasko Singles C1
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Vejle Singles C1

Thomas "Tom" Matthews (born 19 August 1992) is a British Paralympic table tennis player.[1] At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he won a bronze medal in the Men's individual class 1 event.[1] Matthews is also a European champion and a World bronze medalist.[2][3]

In 2009, Matthews was a very keen mountain biker, he went out for a bike ride with his uncle and a friend. Matthews went over the handle bars and broke his neck after going down a mountain too fast. While in rehabilitation in Rookwood Hospital, he was encouraged to try table tennis by Welsh para table tennis Paralympic medalist James Munkley when Munkley was visiting hospital wards in Wales and then Matthews joined the Welsh table tennis team in 2013 and competed internationally a year later.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Table Tennis - MATTHEWS Thomas". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Thomas Matthews - IPTTC Profile". IPTTC.org. International Para Table Tennis Federation. 1 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
  3. ^ "It's Super Saturday as our GB Para Table Tennis Players Shine in Tokyo!". tabletennis.wales. Table Tennis Wales. 28 August 2021. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Grassroots to Glory - Tom Matthews". lotterygoodcauses.org.uk. The National Lottery. 1 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.