A car crash derailed Anders Lind’s Olympic table tennis dream, but he is back

PARIS – A car crash in March 2021 left Danish table tennis player Anders Lind shattered – both physically and emotionally.

His Tokyo Olympics dream was over as he suffered two smashed vertebrae and doctors said there would be a “70 to 80 per cent probability” of paralysis.

He had to relearn how to walk after having a metal rod inserted in his back, and had to wear a corset and use a Zimmer frame.

But his love for the sport helped him make a staggering comeback in Paris, where he made his long-awaited Olympic debut.

At the South Paris Arena media mixed zone, the 25-year-old said: “I cried for a week straight (after the accident).

“All of them said I wouldn’t play again. They saw how the bones had been broken. Normally with those broken bones, you’re paralysed in your legs. But because the spinal cord wasn’t touched, they could already see from the beginning that I’m going to be able to walk.

“Whether I would get full power, or have some nerve damage or whatever, no one knew.

“But table tennis is my life, I have no choice. I told myself I’m going to be back. I don’t know how good I’m going to be, but I’ll be back.”

His strong will and determination got him back on his feet and hobbling for 20, 40, 60 metres, before he could jog. Three months after the accident, he picked up his bat again and in September 2021 he was part of Denmark’s bronze-winning men’s team at the European Championships.

Two years later, he made the singles quarter-finals at the world championships.

While Lind has lost some flexibility and stability in his back, he has gained maturity and perspective, saying: “I was not serious. I was stupid, immature. Before the accident, practice felt like a burden. Then the accident happened and I realised I want to do this...

“I don’t want to work in an office. I have too much energy, I need to be active, I need to be crazy, I need to be doing things that are weird.

“And if I want to do this for the rest of my life, I need to not only be a better player, but I need to also change my personality.”

His renewed drive has showed on the table tennis circuit. His world ranking slipped from the 80s into the 200s after his accident, but rebounded to a career-high 28th in February 2024.

At the Paris Olympics, Lind’s fighting spirit was on display again. The world No. 62 swept Portugal’s 17th-ranked Marcos Freitas 4-0 before battling to a 4-3 win over world No. 74 Pole Milosz Redzimski. In the last 16 on July 31, he took the lead against Japan’s world No. 9 Tomokazu Harimoto before losing 4-1.

On Aug 5 in the men’s team event, where Denmark lost the round-of-16 tie 3-0 to Sweden, he impressed despite his 3-2 defeat by singles silver medallist Truls Moregard.

Lind dreams of a medal and knows from experience that anything is possible. But after getting a second chance to fulfil his Olympic dream, he knows that standing on the sporting world’s biggest stage is not an opportunity to take for granted.

He said: “This means so much. I can’t describe it... I’m so happy, I’m so proud.”