(JTA) — Jewish American Ian Seidenfeld upset the world No. 1 to win gold in table tennis at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday, Aug 28. The 20-year-old has now followed the footsteps of his father Mitchell, a four-time Paralympic table tennis medalist who won gold in Barcelona in 1992. The elder Seidenfeld now coaches the Team USA Paralympics table tennis squad — in addition to coaching his son and a fellow Jewish member of the team, Tahl Leibovitz. The younger Seidenfeld defeated the defending gold medal champion Peter Rosenmeier of Denmark, 3-0, to win. He had previously lost to Rosenmeier in preliminary round play.

Both Seidenfelds have Pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, an inherited bone growth disorder, and compete in Class 6, “for players who can stand but have severe impairments in their arms and legs.”

Seidenfeld, an Asian-Jewish athlete, started playing table tennis at age six and qualified for the Paralympics in 2019. Last year’s COVID-19 postponement allowed him to have more time training with his dad at home in Lakeville, Minnesota. As the team’s coach, Mitchell Seidenfeld was able to be there for his son’s gold medal moment. 

Main Photo: Ian Seidenfeld competes in a gold medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Aug. 28, 2021. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)