Tapper closes in on double Rio dream

Victoria table tennis player Melissa Tapper is one step closer to becoming the first Australian to compete at both the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio.

Melissa Tapper

Table tennis athlete Melissa Tapper will compete in the Olympics and Paralympics. (AAP)

Table tennis player Melissa Tapper is one step closer to her dream of representing Australia at both the Olympics and Paralympics this year.

The 25-year-old has qualified for next month's Oceania Olympic table tennis qualifiers in Bendigo after finishing third at the Tweed Heads tournament on Monday night.

The London Paralympian needed a top-five finish.

Tapper will be joined in Victoria by four-time Olympian, Miao Miao, and London Olympian, Vivian Dederko - both are new mothers.

In the men's draw, Gold Coast brothers Kane and Wade Townsend, and Victoria's David Powell, are all Bendigo bound.

If Australia qualifies for Rio it can only take three male and three female players, and Tapper said finishing third at Tweed Heads has given her plenty of confidence.

The Victorian said being under constant pressure in high quality matches will help her preparation for the Paralympics in Brazil.

"If I'm lucky enough to get to go the Olympics as well, it's another event I'll get to check off on," she said.

Tapper had never beaten Vivian Dederko before, but defeated her twice in Tweed Heads.

Dederko said it's been an enormous challenge to get back to table tennis after having a baby recently, but she's relieved to have finished fourth.

"A couple of games I didn't play very well, so I was a bit disappointed," she said.

"Now I have another chance through Bendigo to earn a singles spot for Rio."

Miao Miao took the final Bendigo spot on offer.

The top two positions for both men and women were decided on Sunday, with Sally Zhang and four-time Olympian Jian Fang Lay qualifying for the women.

Heming Hu and Chris Yan secured the men's tickets to Bendigo.


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Source: AAP



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