THE JOURNEY HASN’T exactly been straightforward for Colin Judge.
The Para table tennis star is gearing up for his second Paralympic Games in Paris, having overcome many setbacks along the way.
Six years ago, the Dubliner’s sporting world came crashing down. In a major bolt from the blue, he was reclassified.
Paralympic sports are classified, or graded, on the severity of one’s disability. Para table tennis classes are from 1 to 5, 1 being the most severe and 5 the least.
Judge was born without three limbs. He had been class 2 since starting out on this wild journey, but suddenly his classification was 3.
“I was classified into class 2 at 12 or 13 and presumed it was something that was never going to change,” the 29-year-old explains.
“But after eight or nine years I won the European Championships in 2017 and I was reclassified into class 3 and that was really tough.
“I lost my ranking and some of my funding and I think the worst part of it was I had just missed Rio [2016 Olympics] by one place the previous year and my qualification hopes for Tokyo weren’t really looking very good now because my ranking went from fifth to 36th in the world.
“The hardest thing is I have to compete against athletes that are much physically stronger and I have had to change my game completely but the most positive way I can look at it is I’m a much better player because of it. No matter how I am measured, I know I’m a much better player than I ever would have been had I stayed in class 2. I do enjoy competing in class 3, it’s a big challenge and it’s the biggest class in para table tennis.”
Judge disputed the reclassification, which was a major shock in a standard review, but to no avail. He had “no time to adjust,” thrown into the deep end with his first game in class 3 at a tournament.
“I actually won… and then the classifiers were certain.”
“I should have thrown the game,” Judge, the European bronze medallist who now sits inside the world’s top 10, adds with a laugh.
“I suppose disability is a really difficult thing to quantify. I think I’m quite unique in para table tennis. I was born with one arm and no legs so there wouldn’t be any athlete at the top level competing with one arm and no legs, so I suppose I fell through the cracks a little.
“I was classified into class 2 and they were even looking at class 1 for me for a while when I was younger. I’m in class 3 now and I think the biggest disadvantage that I have is not being able to move the chair. All the people that have qualified for the Olympics have two arms and can move the chair quite well.
“It was really tough but I made the decision at that point to go full-time and give it everything because that is what I had to do if I wanted to qualify for Tokyo. I went from being one of the best players in the world and one of the favourites to win a medal in Tokyo to way outside qualification so it was a really hard adjustment. I had to reinvent myself and forget about results for a while and focus on getting better.”
How exactly did he do that? He worked tirelessly on his game, training for long stints in Slovakia and representing his club in Germany, eventually securing qualification for his first Paralympic Games in Tokyo the hard way.
“I was a bit disappointed with my performance there even though it was amazing to have had the experience and I think it will stand to me now. I’m a much better player now than I was three years ago. I’m ninth in the world and have beaten four of the top eight so I have every chance.
“I would have been very back hand-oriented when I was in class 2. I suppose to keep it simple, my game in class 2 was no longer good enough really to compete at the best level in class 3 so I knew I needed to play more forehand and be a lot more versatile and basically play at a better level.”
The Blackrock native is now targeting breaking into the top eight in the world with one event remaining before Paris. That’s the Czech Open in a little over a week’s time, and his goal is to win it.
Judge exudes confidence: he explains that he beat the world number three at the French Open last November and ran the number one close as he returned to the podium at the 2023 European Championships, so he backs himself against anyone.
He’s better prepared for Paris than for Tokyo, having qualified much earlier.
Coached by Sam Logue, he seems to be in a good place, having strung consistent performances together and enjoyed a rich vein of form. The Paralympics is straight knockout from the round of 32, though he may get a bye in the first round because of his ranking.
Whatever happens, Judge is ready. Why wouldn’t he be after all he has been through?
“When your back is to the wall, you either give up and that wasn’t an option for me,” Judge concludes.
“I had just missed Rio and I had been in London [2012] with my dad and knew this is what I want to do to compete in the sport that I love on the biggest stage.
“I’m grateful to have been in Tokyo and have the experience behind me and I’m really excited now for Paris 2024 and to be able to share it with my family and friends.”
