Jayce
Krysten Coombs was delighted to upgrade his men’s singles bronze to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Badminton Championships.
The 33-year-old athlete lost 21-19, 21-13 to local favorite and close friend Charles Noakes in the SH6 men’s singles final.
Accompanied by a raucous French crowd and some British supporters, Coombs did his best to enjoy the moment, and Noakes acknowledged his opponent’s performance in the post-match celebrations.
“It’s amazing,” said the Totnes native. “It’s obviously not the result I wanted, but to see so many people in the crowd was fantastic.”
“We don’t get this kind of atmosphere at other para-badminton championships, so to experience this was incredible. As the match was nearing its end, I had to give it my all.”
“This is what dreams are made of. Hard work, dedication, years of sacrifice, not being able to do things with friends and family—having them here is the best part.”
“Having the support of ParalympicsGB and everyone behind me, along with many people working behind the scenes, such as UK Sport and the National Lottery, enabled me to be here and feel this atmosphere.”
“If people didn’t buy lottery tickets back home, we wouldn’t have this experience.”
Coombs, who won bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics, built up a considerable lead early in the first game, but spurred on by the home crowd, Noakes didn’t stay silent for long.
After a brief medical timeout for Coombs, he leveled the score at 11-11 and shortly after took the lead for the first time.
The Frenchman led by three points, but Coombs quickly responded, keeping the score close until Noakes secured three game points.
Coombs saved two but couldn’t stop Noakes from clinching the third, shifting the momentum in his favor.
From that point, the Frenchman comfortably took the second game, with Coombs playing attacking badminton to try and halt his opponent’s progress, but it was only temporary.
“I came here to play my best badminton and see what would happen. My dream was to win that gold medal, but it wasn’t to be,” he added.
“The momentum shifted, and he came out on top—that’s badminton, that’s how it goes. I struggled a bit in the second game, but I gave it my all.”
“We’re great friends on and off the court, and we socialize as much as we can. That’s what I love about para-badminton—making lots of friends here.”
“To share this moment with him was incredible.”
