Ukraine’s Viktor Didukh avenged his Tokyo 2020 defeat by defeating China’s Zhao Shuai in a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Class 8 Men’s Singles final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The fiercely contested match ended with Didukh claiming the gold medal in front of an enthusiastic Parisian crowd. Even Didukh himself was stunned at his performance.
“Nobody expected me to win. He is stronger, more mobile, he has two legs, I have one leg. It makes a difference having more mobility. I don’t know how I beat him, it will take a long time to work out.”
Didukh, a Paralympic gold medallist from Rio 2016, already has a bronze medal under his belt from these Games, having paired up with Iryna Shunkarova in the Class 17 Mixed Doubles earlier in the competition.
‘I feel very, very, very happy. Maybe I feel that I could be happier because I only have bronze medal, but I’m happy that this is the result, and it was very hard for us, a lot of hard training for three years. And so I’m very, very proud and happy that Mixed Double has finished like this for me.’
Viktor Didukh’s journey to Paris has been one of focus and perseverance. After narrowly missing out on the top spot at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, where he lost to China’s Zhou Shuai in the finals, Didukh has been committed to improving his game. Over the past three years, he has trained diligently, refining his skills and staying in top competitive form. He comes to Paris in top form as the World Para Table Tennis Champion and the top-ranked player in the Class 8 category, positioning him as a strong contender for the gold medal.
Viktor Didukh’s journey in table tennis took an unexpected turn in 2008 when he was diagnosed with cancer, resulting in the amputation of his left leg above the knee. Before this, he was a regular competitor on the ITTF World Tour. Despite the challenges, Didukh continued to pursue his passion for table tennis, guided by his older brother Oleksandr, also a skilled table tennis player. The Didukh brothers have a special place in table tennis history: Oleksandr competed in the men’s singles event at the London 2012 Olympic Games, while Viktor has represented Ukraine in the Paralympic Games, starting with his debut at Rio 2016 and continuing to Tokyo 2020.
During his match, he enjoyed the support of the Parisian fans and the atmosphere in Paris was electric, and Didukh has thrived in it, enjoying the support and energy of the crowd.
‘This is incredible feeling here. A lot of people was in the halls. I never played in the halls with so many people inside because in Tokyo, it was the coronavirus. In Brazil, it was my first Paralympic games. I lost in singles, so I don’t want to remember this when I lose, but here, it’s something incredible. I never I thought that it’s possible to be in a hall with so many people cheering you on something like this.’
