Alena Kánová

Alena Kánová (born 29 March 1980) is a Slovak table tennis player who has played at the Summer Paralympics for her country, winning gold at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, and silver at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.[1] She also competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in wheelchair curling.

Alena Kánová
Alena Kánová in 2015
Personal information
National teamSlovakia
Born (1980-03-29) 29 March 1980
Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia
Sport
CountrySlovakia
SportTable tennis, Wheelchair curling
Disability classClass 3
Medal record
Women's table tennis
Representing  Slovakia
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place2000 SydneyIndividual class 3
Silver medal – second place2008 BeijingIndividual class 3
Silver medal – second place2020 TokyoIndividual class 3
Bronze medal – third place2004 AthensIndividual class 3
Bronze medal – third place2012 LondonIndividual class 3

Career

Alena Kánová was born on 29 March 1980 in Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia. At the age of 14, she was paralysed following a road accident and has been confined to a wheelchair since. After the accident, she attended the Slovakian National Rehabilitation Center for a year, before returning to school. She tried several sports, but focused on table tennis as she had a table at home on which she could practice.[2]

Kánová competed in her first Summer Paralympics at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, where she won the gold medal in the individual class 3 tournament. She continued to compete at successive Paralympic Games, winning a bronze in 2004 in Athens, Greece, and a silver at the Beijing Games in 2008. Her most recent medal came at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, when she defeated Welsh athlete Sara Head in the bronze medal match and won her nation's first medal of the competition.[3] She does not keep her Paralympic medals, instead giving them away to those who have helped her compete.[4]

Outside of table tennis, she also competes in wheelchair curling, making the Paralympic team for the Winter Paralympics in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.[5]

Wheelchair curling teams and events
Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Coach Events
2008–09 Radoslav ĎurišDušan PitoňákBranislav JakubecAlena KánováImrich LyócsaPavol PitoňákWWhCQ 2008 (10th)
2010–11 Radoslav ĎurišDušan PitoňákBranislav JakubecAlena KánováMonika KunkelováFrantišek PitoňákWWhCQ 2010 (6th)
2011–12 Radoslav ĎurišBranislav JakubecDušan PitoňákMonika KunkelováAlena KánováFrantišek PitoňákWWhCC 2012 (4th)
2012–13 Radoslav ĎurišBranislav JakubecDušan PitoňákMonika KunkelováAlena KánováFrantišek PitoňákWWhCC 2013 (7th)
2013–14 Radoslav ĎurišBranislav JakubecDušan PitoňákMonika KunkelováAlena KánováFrantišek PitoňákWPG 2014 (6th)

References
  1. "Table Tennis KANOVA Alena - Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". .. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  2. "Alena Kánová - Nad vozíkom už nepremýšľam" (in Slovak). Inak Obdareni. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. "Alena Kánová získala v Londýne prvú slovenskú medailu!" (in Slovak). Sport.sk. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  4. "Paralympionička Kánová všetky medaily darovala". Plus 7 DNI (in Slovak). 5 January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  5. "Paralympijské hry Soči 2014 – Alena Kánová". RTV (in Slovak). 6 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2017.


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