The ITTF World Para Elite Yvelines 2025 concluded on Thursday 30 October with a spectacular finale that crowned champions across singles and doubles events, bringing the curtain down on the Elite tier of the inaugural revamped World Para Circuit in fitting fashion.
The five-day event in Voisins-le-Bretonneux delivered exceptional competition whilst also serving as a poignant tribute to British Performance Director Gorazd Vecko MBE, who passed away on Friday 25 October. A minute of silence observed at the tournament’s opening honoured the Slovenian coach whose dynamic leadership had inspired countless athletes throughout his distinguished career.
British Team Honours Fallen Leader
A 16-strong British Para table tennis contingent honoured their late Performance Director throughout the tournament, displaying the fighting spirit and resilience that Vecko had instilled in the squad during his tenure.
The British contingent produced outstanding results across the competition, securing seven singles medals with three gold medal triumphs. Felicity Pickard emerged victorious in a dramatic five-set women’s class 6 final against Gulmira Gonobina, whilst Robert Davies captured men’s class 1 gold and William Bayley delivered a commanding performance to win the men’s class 7 title.
Bronze medals followed for Bly Twomey (women’s class 7), Paul Karabardak (men’s class 6), Aaron McKibbin (men’s class 8), and Joshua Stacey (men’s class 9), with each athlete fighting for every point in honour of their fallen coach.
BPTT Programme Manager Shaun Marples reflected on the team’s remarkable achievement: “What the team has managed to do these past few days since hearing that Gorazd had passed away and wanting to battle in his honour really demonstrates the strong family culture that Gorazd instilled within this team over a number of years. It was bigger than hitting a ball on the table. It was about doing it for Gorazd.”
Singles Champions Crowned
France celebrated multiple champions across the week, with Fabien Lamirault delivering passionate performances that culminated in reaching the men’s class 2 final, where he fell to Poland’s Rafal Czuper in a closely-contested encounter.
Mateo Boheas provided the standout French singles victory by claiming men’s class 10 gold, defeating Chile’s Manuel Echaveguren 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5) in front of jubilant home crowds. The young Frenchman’s consistent form throughout the tournament showcased why he remains one of the sport’s rising stars.
Several established champions reinforced their status at the Elite season’s finale.
Germany’s Thomas Schmidberger produced a masterclass in the men’s class 3 final, defeating USA’s world number one Jenson van Emburgh 3-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 14-12) to claim his first Elite title of the season. The victory demonstrated the German legend’s enduring quality and tactical brilliance.
Belgium’s Laurens Devos reclaimed supremacy in men’s class 9, defeating Spain’s Ander Cepas 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 14-12) in the final. The result represented a significant statement from Devos after Cepas had ended his eight-year reign as world number one earlier in the season.
The Netherlands’ Kelly van Zon maintained her WS7 dominance with a clinical 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5) victory over Turkey’s Kubra Korkut, whilst Poland’s Rafal Czuper secured MS2 gold and Natalia Partyka claimed women’s class 9-10 honours.
Japan’s Natsuki Wada continued her excellent form by winning women’s class 11 gold, defeating Turkey’s Ebru Acer 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-7). However, compatriot and teenage sensation Sophia Kelmer saw her remarkable run end in the WS8 final, where Japan’s Yuri Tomono prevailed 3-1 (12-10, 12-14, 11-3, 11-7) to claim the title.
Germany’s Valentin Baus secured men’s class 4-5 gold with a five-set thriller against Japan’s Kazuki Shichino, winning 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 13-11), whilst Denmark’s Peter Rosenmeier claimed men’s class 6 honours in another five-set epic against Paralympic champion Matteo Parenzan.
Croatia’s Andela Muzinic Vincetic dominated the women’s class 2-3 final, defeating Brazil’s Marliane Amaral Santos 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-6), and Germany’s Sandra Mikolaschek bounced back from group stage struggles to claim women’s class 4-5 gold.
Finland’s Timo Kalevi Natunen triumphed in men’s class 1, whilst Ukraine’s Maksym Nikolenko secured men’s class 8 gold, and Poland’s Maciej Makajew won men’s class 11 honours.
Doubles Excellence
The final two days witnessed spectacular doubles competition across all events, with several nations celebrating multiple titles.
The host nation enjoyed significant doubles success, with Fabien Lamirault and Julien Michaud claiming men’s doubles class 4 gold, defeating Slovakia’s Jan Riapos and Peter Lovas in the final. The French pair’s victory capped a memorable week for Lamirault despite his singles final defeat.
Mateo Boheas and Thomas Bouvais completed Boheas’s excellent tournament by winning men’s doubles class 18 gold, defeating Ukraine’s Lev Kats and Ivan Mai 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-8) in a dominant display.
Clement Berthier and Morgen Caillaud secured mixed doubles class 14 honours, defeating Poland’s Maksym Chudzicki and Katarzyna Marszal 3-2 (5-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) in a thrilling final that showcased both pairs’ tactical excellence.
Germany’s Valentin Baus and Thomas Schmidberger added men’s doubles class 8 gold to their singles successes, defeating France’s Florian Merrien and Emeric Martin 3-2 (6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 14-12) in an epic five-set final.
Thomas Bruechle and Sandra Mikolaschek secured mixed doubles class 7 honours after a dramatic group stage that concluded with their victory over France’s Florian Merrien and Flora Vautier in a decisive final group match.
Italy’s Federico Crosara and Giada Rossi claimed mixed doubles class 4 gold, defeating compatriots Federico Falco and Carlotta Ragazzini 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-6) in an all-Italian final.
Croatia’s Borna Zohil and Mirjana Lucic won mixed doubles class 17-20 gold, defeating Japan’s Koyo Iwabuchi and Yuri Tomono 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6) in the final.
Turkey’s Irem Oluk and Nergiz Altintas celebrated women’s doubles class 5-10 gold with a 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9) victory over Brazil’s Thais Fraga Severo and Marliane Amaral Santos.
Ukraine enjoyed a successful doubles campaign, with Iryna Shynkarova and Anniek van ‘t Holt (Netherlands) claiming women’s doubles class 14-20 honours 3-2 (4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2) over Olga Gorshkaleva and Anastasia Kostenevich.
Sweden’s Emil Andersson and Michael Azulay won men’s doubles class 14 gold, defeating the Netherlands’ Jean Paul Montanus and Yannick Paredis 3-1 (11-7, 12-17, 11-5, 11-7) in the final.
Brazil’s Lucas Carvalhal and Thais Fraga Severo secured mixed doubles class 10 honours after winning their group stage with victories over multiple strong pairs.
Circuit Continues
The conclusion of the Yvelines Elite event marks the end of the top tier for the inaugural revamped ITTF World Para Circuit, though the circuit itself continues with one final Challenger event before the year concludes.
The three-tier structure – Future, Challenger, and Elite – has delivered exactly what was promised throughout 2025: unprecedented opportunities for athletes at all levels, clear pathways for progression, and a growth-oriented competitive atmosphere.
The new ranking system, which awards points based on athletes’ top six results over the past year, has created compelling narratives throughout the season, with weekly rankings across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories providing transparency and motivation.
As athletes now turn their attention to 2026 – when World Championship qualification begins in earnest – the Yvelines tournament will be remembered not only for exceptional competition but also for the powerful tribute paid to Gorazd Vecko, whose legacy will continue to inspire the sport for years to come.
The British team’s Programme Manager Shaun Marples captured the sentiment perfectly: “This is the start of the GB force battling in Gorazd’s honour and continuing his legacy for years and years to come.”
The Elite series concludes in style, with Yvelines providing a fitting finale to the top tier of a year that has redefined Para table tennis excellence.
