After the bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games and last year’s World Cup success, Alexa Szvitak, excellent table tennis player at Gyor Sports Club, is focused on getting a quota for Paris in 2024. We also asked Alexa about the road to Paris.
As the current world champion, wouldn’t you automatically get the quota?
Interestingly, this is not the case for some reason. I will also come to the European Championships in England in September as the defending champions, and if I win I will get a share, but I won’t get any World Cup titles. So, until the fall, I was seriously collecting points in international World Cup competitions. I’m still ahead of the rankings, but the top group is getting tighter and tighter. At the 2024 Olympics, three competitors can compete in two more categories than Japan, so there will be 11 spots up for grabs.
How far do your thoughts revolve around games?
With a little exaggeration, I can say that I actually woke up and went to bed with Paris. After Tokyo, I really want to be there, in France. Last year’s World Championship title is the most important success of my career so far, but it would be great to add a brighter Olympic medal to my Paralympic bronze medals.
How do you prepare for competitions, who do you train with?
For several years I have been training with the best Hungarian players, and I have participated in the most prestigious domestic league, La Liga, with the physically capable. I am lucky, because such outstanding professionals as my coach Ivan Fisek, the captain of the national table tennis team Zsolt Weg, and I can count on the support of the captain of the national team Zoltan Batorve, who regularly invites me to the training camps of the national team.
How difficult is the trip to Paris in your opinion?
I am moving towards my goals step by step. If you’re really tired or there are slight fluctuations, it’s always an added incentive to actually spend this year at the Olympics. For an athlete, there is hardly a more important milestone in their career. In Győr and in GYAC all conditions were in place for successful preparation, so I am looking forward to this season with optimism.
Previously on the topic:
