Nobody managed to win all three titles on the final day of the 5th PPP World Championships in Lasko. This time, only two competitors managed to win two gold medals, and these were the two individual winners in the highest competition category.
After Thorsten Flues (GER) had not lost a match at two previous World Championships, this streak came to an end today in the doubles alongside Thorsten Boomhuis (GER). Hamid Ezzat-Ahmadi/Ilya Rozenblat (USA) gained revenge for last year’s defeat in the final of the men’s 1 doubles semi-final, before the two Americans then secured the title in the final against Norbert Hase/Heiko Probst (GER). In the singles and mixed, however, Flues kept his clean slate and defended both titles – in the men’s 1 singles against Ilya Rozenblat, as in the previous year, and in the mixed 1 again alongside Silke Kind (GER), this time against Melanie Jeska/Norbert Hase (GER).
The mixed final was also the only defeat for Melanie Jeska, who was competing at a World Championships for the first time. With two gold medals in the women’s singles against the defending champion Rie Koyama (JPN) and in the women’s doubles alongside Agnes Jan (AUT) against the former world champions Margie Alley (USA) and Elisabeth Ildal (DEN) and the silver medal in the mixed, she became the most successful starter in Lasko straight away.
A total of eight other starters won a gold medal and another one, five of them silver. Thomas Lunde (DEN) dominated the doubles in class 2 after winning the men’s 3 doubles last year, again alongside Allan Holm (DEN). He also came second in the men’s 2 singles. Tina Fischer (SUI) reached the women’s 2 doubles and singles finals, winning the doubles together with Daniela Beurer (SUI), who was defeated in the mixed doubles alongside Carlo Zanatta (SUI) in the final this time after winning the title last year. Thorsten Wottrich (GER) won gold in the men’s doubles 3 and silver in the mixed doubles 3.
Silke Kind (GER), Hamid Ezzat-Ahmadi and Gillian Lacey-Solymar (ENG) won gold and bronze, while nine other players won two medals in Lasko.
On the final day, there was a great atmosphere in the Tri Lilije hall when the team mates loudly cheered on their finalists or when the medallists climbed onto the podium at the award ceremony. The PPP Slovenia team, led by Vinko and Biljana Kurent, Ales Antolinc, Gal Kocbek and Luka Javsink, organised the tournament very well, with the active support of the two German experts Michael Theis and Hilmar Heinrichmeyer and head referee Matija Krnc.