DAVIES BECOMES NEW WORLD NUMBER ONE

Newly crowned European Champion Rob Davies has reached the top of the ITTF Para Table Tennis World Rankings in the Men’s Class 1 category, replacing Paralympic and World champion Holger Nikelis from Germany as the new world no. 1.

The 29-year-old former rugby player from Brecon was ranked fifth before the European Championships but defeated Nikelis in the semi-finals on his way to winning gold in the singles.

Davies also beat Jean-Francois Ducay, the world ranked number 3 Frenchman who had ended his Paralympic dream in the group stages in London 2012, before recording a second victory over Nikelis in the team event to allow he and team mate Paul Davies to secure gold.

The new no. 1 said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, At the start of the year I wanted to improve my world ranking and medal at the European Championships and to do what I have done is more than I could have dreamed of so I’m just very happy.”

GB Performance Director Gorazd Vecko was full of praise for the Welshman: “Rob was very disappointed after London but came back this year more determined than ever. He has worked very hard in the training hall and the gym and really deserves his success.”

The next major target for Davies and the rest of the GB squad is the World Championships in China next September.

Written by Francesca Bullock (October 22, 2013)