Ian Seidenfeld, a Para Table Tennis athlete representing the United States, continues to demonstrate remarkable success in his burgeoning career, securing his second consecutive medal at the Paralympic Games. Competing in Paris, Seidenfeld, hailing from Lakeville, Minnesota, faced Italian competitor Matteo Parenzan in a highly anticipated match for a chance to compete for the gold medal. Despite his valiant effort, Seidenfeld concluded the match with a defeat, finishing with a score of three sets to zero, which awarded him the bronze medal in the Men’s Singles MS6 classification. This accomplishment follows his gold medal victory at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games three years prior.

Reflecting on his achievements, Seidenfeld expressed gratitude for the hard work he has dedicated to his sport, emphasizing the importance of perseverance through numerous challenges faced in recent years. In his words, “I worked really hard to win both of these medals. So, the medals are great. But, I just appreciate how I persevered through a lot of challenges throughout the last three years. And then I know I’ll persevere through the next four more.”

The atmosphere during the match was electric, with supporters chanting “U.S.A, U.S.A” and creating a drumming rhythm on the bleachers. Seidenfeld noted that the fan energy had a greater impact on him in this competition than in his earlier matches, remarking, “It did seem to affect me more this time than my last two matches. I was so focused that I couldn’t hear anything in my first two matches. But this one, I seemed to be not so much ‘in-the-moment,’ unfortunately.”

The challenges presented by Parenzan’s short serves required Seidenfeld to utilize a wooden extension tool, which he personally nicknamed “The Big Stick.” This tool is necessary for preemptively blocking short serves to prevent the ball from bouncing twice on his side of the table. Although it is advantageous, Seidenfeld acknowledged that it introduced a slight disadvantage during extended rallies, stating, “I just wasn’t able to get (the extension) off fast enough. I just have some kinks to work out.”

Notably, Parenzan has become a rival for Seidenfeld, having faced him multiple times, including their match in Tokyo. Despite the past competition, Seidenfeld maintains confidence in his abilities, asserting, “I’m a much better player than he is at almost every other shot. So, I don’t need to improve my other shots as much as working on getting those short serves back. It doesn’t bring me joy to hit those shots or play against that. I really play table tennis to have fun.”

Seidenfeld hopes that his success at the Paralympics will help elevate the profile of table tennis in the United States, drawing a parallel to the increased visibility brought to the sport by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards during the recent Olympic Games. “So, getting a medal in the Paralympics is really awesome for the sport. Hopefully, we can gain more publicity,” he remarked.

In closing, Seidenfeld expressed his admiration for Anthony Edwards, aspiring to meet him one day, while also advocating for the enjoyment of table tennis at all levels. “It is a fun game,” he remarked. “And if people want to play it, then play it. Play it at a high level. Play it at a low level. Just do whatever you can do to have fun with it.”

Brendan Rourke, who authoritatively contributed to this article, serves as a digital media assistant for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) with prior experience as a writer for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

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