Medal rush continues for table tennis star Shackleton

Following her two bronzes in the ITTF World Para Challenger Lasko tournament last week, the 26-year-old from Todmorden produced another fine display to claim medals in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions.

Shackleton paired-up with Caroline Tabib, from Israel, in the women’s class 10 doubles. They twice fought back to level against Nergiz Altintas and Irem Oluk, from Turkey, before losing the deciding set 11-7 and progressed to the semi-finals with a 3-0 win against Khetam Abuawad and Fatem Elelimat, from Jordan.

They lost a close first set to Hatice Duman from Turkey and Thais Fraga Severo 12-10 but took the second 11-9 to level at 1-1. Having lost the third set they recovered from 6-3 down in the fourth to level at 6-6 but lost it 11-9 and the match 3-1.

“We’ve played a lot together now,” said Shackleton, “especially over the last year so I think we have definitely built our foundation, and it is just about taking it up another notch now against some of the stronger teams.

"I think I can take a lot out of all the doubles matches, mixed and women’s, and put it into my singles game.

"I’m playing a lot of the girls that I do in the singles and obviously developing my game all-round.”

Only 24 hours later, Shackleton won her second bronze medal of the tournament, teaming-up with Jack Hunter-Spivey in the mixed class 10 doubles.

The Britons began with a 3-0 win against Christopher Addis and Lisa Di Toro, from Australia, and then lost in three close sets to Ali Ozturk and Irem Oluk from Turkey.

They progressed to the quarter-finals after a 3-0 win against Nidal Faraj Abudalbouh and Khetam Abuawad, from Jordan, and then came through a tough five-set battle against Nemamja Curic and Sanja Bogunovic 11-7 in the fifth after the Serbian pair had twice come back to level.

They fought hard in the semi-final against Kim Young-Gun, the class 4 Paralympic champion and world mixed doubles champion from the Republic of Korea and Zorica Popadic, the former world team champion from Serbia and took a tight first set 14-12 but Kim and Popadic just had the edge in the next three sets and were 3-1 winners.

“I think we have had a bit of a battle over the last few weeks,” said Shackleton, “but we’ve got better as we’ve gone along which is a positive thing.

"There is always a bit more to do in training and hopefully by the European Championships at the end of the year we’ll be flying.

"We’re doing some promising stuff, and I think we’ve shown that we fight through the tough moments. You can have a bit of bad luck here and there and that can sometimes swing matches, but I feel that we have finished on a solid kind of high and can be proud of it.”