In Paris, the table tennis pairing of Grebe and Wolf clinched the second-place finish
In the end, the grand victory eluded Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf in table tennis doubles at the Paralympics, but they managed to clinch a silver medal with an engaging performance in Paris. Ranked second globally, the German pair faced a tough challenge in the WD14 class 1 doubles final, falling 1:3 (4:11, 11:9, 8:11, 8:11) against the favored Chinese duo of Huang Wenjuan and Jin Yucheng.
Getting off to a rough start in the Arena Sud 4, Grebe (36) and Wolf (36) faced an early setback with the first set concluding in a mere five minutes. However, they displayed strength and determination from the second set, maintaining a steady tempo against the Chinese duo that didn't let off despite the massive German support.
Germany celebrated as Grebe and Wolf bagged the first silver medal for the DBS in Paris. Swimmer Maurice Wetekam had accomplished this feat earlier with his bronze medal win, marking the first German triumph.
Overcoming adversity
Grebe expanded her Paralympic medal collection with this silver win in Paris. After placing fourth in her debut in London, she won bronze in Tokyo four years later and snatched a silver medal in the individual event in Rio. Wolf, competing with cerebral palsy, made her Paralympic medal debut with this result.
Grebe and Wolf overcame numerous hurdles on the road to the final. Their opening match on Thursday saw Grebe's racket accidentally fall through the control, requiring her to use a replacement. The subsequent match against Morgen Caillaud and Lucie Hautiere was delayed due to this mishap.
In the semi-finals, the Germans faced elimination, nestled just two points away from victory with a score of 1:2 down. The top-seeded Norwegian duo Aida Husic Dahlen and Merethe Tveiten stood on the brink of a win. But Berlin's Grebe and Wolf (Eisenhuettenstadt) held their nerves and went on to deploy a captivating performance that led them to the final of the inaugural table tennis doubles event at the Paralympics since 1976.
Despite the setbacks during their Paralympic journey, including a racket mishap and a narrow escape in the semi-finals, Grebe and Wolf showcased resilience and secured a spot in the WD14 class 1 doubles final at the Paralympics. Their commendable performance in the final ultimately earned them a silver medal at the Paralympics in Paris, extending Grebe's Paralympic medal collection and marking Wolf's debut with a prestigious honor.
