Three years ago in Tokyo, Jewish-American table tennis star Ian Seidenfeld upset the world's number one ranked player to win gold in his Paralympic Games debut. But on Thursday he was unable to defend his title, having to settle for bronze in Paris.
The 23-year-old Seidenfeld won both his round of 16 and quarterfinal matches in the men's MS6 table tennis singles this week in three games, but lost by the same score in the semifinals on Thursday.
Seidenfeld, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota, was born with pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, a genetic bone growth disorder, and uses a paddle extension to serve short, but it was that short serve that hindered his chances in his semifinal against Matteo Parenzan of Italy.
“I'm a lot better at most other shots than he is,” Seidenfeld said after the match, according to Team USA. “So I'm just going to work on returning short serves rather than trying to improve my other shots. I don't get any joy from hitting short serves or countering short serves. I really play table tennis for the fun of it.”
With his medal in Tokyo, Seidenfeld became the first U.S. athlete to win gold in table tennis at a Paralympic Games since fellow Jew Thal Leibowitz in 1996. Seidenfeld and Leibowitz played doubles last week but lost in the first match. Leibowitz, 49, is competing in her seventh Paralympic Games.
Ian's father, Mitchell Seidenfeld, a three-time Paralympic athlete and four-time medalist himself, is the coach of the U.S. team. The younger Seidenfeld started playing table tennis at age 6 and began competing internationally at age 12. He has won gold medals at the 2019 and 2023 Parapan American Games.
Support the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Help us keep Jewish news accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities around the world for more than 100 years. Your support helps JTA continue to provide news and insight that matters. Donate now.
