Dutch table tennis player
Kelly van Zon (born 15 September 1987 in Oosterhout, Netherlands) is a Dutch table tennis player competing in both disabled and able-bodied competitions. She currently plays for Dutch club TTV SKF in Veenendaal. She competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in Women's individual class 7, winning a gold medal, and in Women's team class 6–8, winning a silver medal.[1]
Biography
Van Zon began playing table tennis at the age of nine[2] at TTV BSM Dongen. She made her international debut at the 2002 Malmö Open in Sweden. Due to a functional disability of her left hip and leg she competes in Class 7 competitions. Besides competing at a top level in table tennis, she studies Marketing and Communication at Johan Cruijff College in Nijmegen, which allows her to successfully combine sport and studies. Van Zon's old club in Dongen named their practice hall after her, the Kelly Van Zon Sportszaal.[3]
By winning the title at the 2011 European Championships in Split, Croatia, she qualified directly for the London 2012 Paralympics.[4] At those Paralympic Games, she won gold by defeating the Russian Yulia Ovsyannikova. In 2016, she added to her Paralympic titles by winning the final and defeating the Turkish Kubra Korkut.[5]
Van Zon was strongly tipped for the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics.[2][6]
Career records
Paralympic Games
2008 Beijing, China: Women's Singles Class 6/7
2012 London, England: Women's Singles Class 7
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Women's Singles Class 7
2020 Tokyo, Japan: Women's Singles Class 7
2020 Tokyo, Japan: Women's Team Class 6-8
2024 Paris, France: Women's Singles Class 7[7]
World Championships
2006 Montreux, Switzerland: Women's Singles Class 6/7
2010 Gwangju, Korea: Women's Singles Class 7
European Championships
2005 Liso di Jeolo, Italy: Women's Singles Class 6/7
2007 Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: Women's Singles Class 6/7
2009 European Championships, Genoa: Women's Singles Class 6/7
2009 Genoa, Italy: Women's Team Class 6–8
2011 European Championships, Split: Women's Singles Class 7[8]
2011 Split, Croatia: Women's Team Class 6/7
References
External links