Krysten Coombs was delighted to improve his males’s singles bronze to silver within the Para badminton at Paris 2024.
The 33-year-old misplaced to dwelling favorite and shut buddy Charles Noakes within the SH6 males’s singles ultimate 21-19 21-13.
Towards a raucous French crowd, with pockets of British help, Coombs did his finest to savour the event with Noakes additionally recognising his opponent’s efficiency amongst jubilant post-match celebrations.
“It was superb,” the Totnes native stated. “It clearly wasn’t the end result I’d have wished however to be on the market with that crowd was unimaginable.
“We don’t have that in different para badminton tournaments so to have the ability to expertise that was superb. Close to the tip, I needed to take all of it in.
“It’s the dream. The onerous work, the dedication, the years of sacrifices, not having the ability to do issues with family and friends – to have them right here tops it off.
“To have the help of ParalympicsGB and everybody at dwelling, there’s lots of people behind the scenes who push it by way of, from UK Sport and The Nationwide Lottery which permits me to be right here and be on this environment.
“If individuals didn’t do the Lottery at dwelling, we wouldn’t have this expertise.”
It’s SILVER for Krysten Coombs within the Para badminton singles!
Performed, Krysten. #ParalympicsGB 🥈 pic.twitter.com/JLxtwUFQf9
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) September 2, 2024
Coombs, who gained bronze in Tokyo, constructed an honest lead within the opening exchanges of the primary recreation however buoyed by a house crowd, Noakes was by no means going to be quiet for lengthy.
He levelled the match at 11-11 simply after Coombs had taken a quick medical timeout earlier than taking the lead for the primary time quickly afterwards.
A 3-point hole opened up for the Frenchman however Coombs responded in form and it remained nip-and-tuck earlier than Noakes introduced up three recreation factors.
Coombs saved two however couldn’t stop the third from being transformed because the momentum switched to Noakes.
From there, the Frenchman was comfy within the second recreation, with Coombs capable of play attacking badminton as he stalled the social gathering, however solely briefly.
He added: “I got here out to play my finest badminton and see what occurred. The dream was to win that gold but it surely wasn’t to be.
“There was a momentum swing, he acquired that little edge and that’s badminton, that’s what occurs. I struggled somewhat bit to come back again out within the second set however I gave it my all.
“We’re good pals on and off courtroom, we try to socialise as a lot as we will. That’s what I really like about para badminton, there are such a lot of friendships.
“To share this second with him was simply unimaginable.”
