Natalia Partyka, a 19-year-old from Poland, is one of the most talented young players in Europe. Left-handed, she combines silky strokeplay with a considerable tactical brain, something that has brought her gold medals at a series of junior competitions around the world.

Her brilliance is such that her opponents no longer seem to notice that she is disabled. Born with her right arm severed just below the elbow, Partyka serves by balancing the ball in the tiny nook at the top of her forearm. She won a Paralympic gold in Athens, in 2004, and in Beijing has become the first table tennis player to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Her performances in Beijing have been highly impressive, particularly in Poland's group match against Hong Kong when she extended Tie Yana, the world No10, to a deciding fifth game. Partyka is now preparing for the defence of her Paralympic title, although she expects it to be a tougher challenge than in Athens now that a number of highly skilled players have entered the disabled ranks.

The free arm in table tennis is not only used to toss the ball on service but is also crucial for a player in terms of maintaining balance when moving and striking the ball. It is a tribute to Partyka's skill that she is able to make everything look so effortless, whether she is deploying heavy topspins or gliding around the back of the court in defence.

The most impressive performance of her career to date came in February when she defeated Li Jiawei, the world No6 from Singapore, at the World Championships in Guangzhou, China. More performances like that and there is a glimmer of a chance that she may be challenging for Olympic as well as Paralympic medals come London 2012.

(Matthew Syed, Beijing) (The End)