The final Great Britain Special Olympics medal tally has been totalled up and the athletes achieved a wonderful 187 medals at the event in Athens with the table tennis squad contributing a wonderful two golds, three silvers and two bronzes.
The Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens was the biggest multi-sports event in Greece since 2004’s Olympic Games and the largest in the world this year with 180 countries represented and 7000 learning disabled athletes participating.
Holding true to the Olympic ideals of goodwill, sportsmanship and honest effort, Special Olympics GB’s 157 learning disabled athletes headed into competition with a genuine passion and sense of national pride.
According to Table Tennis Head Coach Kevin Watt, it was ‘mission accomplished’ at the Games as the talented GB squad posted at least two medals each across the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.
“After a few days of divisioning, the waters finally settled and the GB squad performed brilliantly,” explained Kevin, “with Montrose’s Ian Bradford, one of the oldest athletes in the team at 50, winning ten games on the trot at one point.”
Ian went on to secure a deserved gold in the singles with Leicester lad Patrick Cox doing likewise in his final. Gwillam Jones and Jenny Turner, both of Shropshire, also got on the podium in the singles events.
In the doubles event, Jane McCrudden of Nantwich and Jenny Turner got on the board together with a bronze. Jane then linked up well with Ian to win silver in the mixed doubles.
Cox and Jones also combined well in the men’s doubles to secure a silver, leaving Head Coach Watt a proud man: “This little team of athletes has stuck together throughout the week and their camaraderie has been a joy to witness.”
“They are all stars in my eyes!” concluded Kevin.
Table Tennis Results
| Ian | Bradford | Montrose | Gold (singles) Silver (mixed doubles) |
| Patrick | Cox | Blaby | Gold (singles) Silver (doubles) 5th (mixed doubles) |
| Gwilliam | Jones | Oswestry | Bronze (singles) Silver (doubles) |
| Jane | McCrudden | Nantwich | Bronze (doubles) 7th (singles) Silver (mixed doubles) |
| Jennifer | Turner | Wem | Silver (singles) Bronze (doubles) 5th (mixed doubles) |