Wakefield’s Lee York won his first international para-table tennis medals in Costa Rica

Together with Pathway athlete Dan Bullen, 32-year-old Lee earned a bronze in the men’s 1-5 team and he also earned a bronze in the Class 4 doubles match.

Bullen and York started with a 2-0 win over the second team in Costa Rica, winning the doubles 3-0 and York won the first doubles against Sebastian Chaves Quirozia 3-0.

Against Chile’s best seed, they lost to a tight double-play 3-2 and Bullen lost just in their second five-game match to Maximiliano Rodriguez Avila 11-9 in the fifth set.

The British pair secured the group second with a 2-0 win over Canada when the doubles were 3-0 and York won the first doubles against Mohs Ali Wotto 3-0.

In the semi-finals, they faced an American / Canadian partnership with Ahad Bakhshaei Sarand and Muhammad Mudassar and had to settle for bronze when they lost a tight doubles 3-2 and Bullen won Sarand 3-0.

“I really feel like Dan and I are working well together and I feel we understand each other’s game very well,” York said.

“I think we were a little unlucky in the doubles (semi-finals) and the result could have gone in either direction.

“I know what I have to do and I can’t wait to get home and get started.

“I really want to thank the other team for their support. Everyone here has worked so well together and been there for each other.”

Lee’s GB partner Bullen said: “I love playing on the team with Lee and we played great doubles.

– He’s so supportive around the corner when I play, and he gets me excited about foursome, which is a good thing.

“This is only the third time we’ve played as a team together, and after we lost the medal in the relegation in Spain last month, it’s great to get a bronze here.

“It’s been a good experience, and I really believe we can be a force to be reckoned with in the doubles if we continue.

– It was a difficult duel for me when I beat him (Sarandin) 3-2 yesterday.

“I played well, but unfortunately he became number one, and I have to adjust a few little things to get him next time.”

In his singles match in Costa Rica, Lee started in a tough match against Chilean Maximiliano Rodriguez Avila and led 2-0 ahead of a 31-year-old Pan-American bronze medalist who won gold in the men’s 4-5 singles in the Czech Open. earlier this year, fought back to win 11-9 in the fifth set.

However, the Wakefield man secured his place in the semi-finals by winning 3-0 14-year-old Sebastian Chaves Quiroz of Costa Rica and was not ashamed of Cristian Gonzalez Astete for the top 3-0 loss. , From Chile, champion of class 4 PanAmerica.

“It was so nice to have my first international win,” York said.

“It feels like a huge weight has been lifted and what I’ve been training with is finally bearing fruit.

“The matches I lost seemed to be much closer and I’ve taken away a lot of things from them that I can handle and work out in the gym when I get home.”