Former Moscow Circus acrobat and trampolinist Evgeny 'John' Savinov will make his World Para Table Tennis Championships debut for Australia when the 2026 edition begins in Pattaya, Thailand, on Wednesday.
The Australian squad includes Paralympic gold medallists Qian Yang, Lina Lei and Ma Lin, alongside Sam von Einem, Danni Di Toro and Nathan Pellissier.
Savinov, who competes in Class 1 for athletes with significant physical impairments, discovered table tennis only six years ago after a friend invited him to a local club to have someone to play against.
Born in Russia, Savinov began trampolining at age six and progressed through the Russian sporting system to compete at European Championships, World Cups and world age-group championships.
As a teenager he also performed with the Moscow Circus, touring Australia for almost three years before deciding to stay and coach trampolining recreationally.
At 19, a training accident left him disoriented in mid-air; he landed on his head and broke his neck, spending three months at Melbourne's Austin Hospital and further time at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre.
Drawing on the discipline of elite sport, Savinov approached rehabilitation methodically and found support from wheelchair users who shared their life experiences.
After trying wheelchair rugby, skiing, skydiving and quad wheelchair tennis, he took up table tennis in 2019 and quickly progressed to the national Para squad, training at Essendon each Friday.
Competing in Class 1 presents unique challenges: limited trunk control and mobility make balance, reach and power generation unusually complex, requiring extensive equipment modifications.
Savinov's wheelchair has been modified, strapping arrangements adjusted and his bat redesigned to accommodate his grip, each alteration refined through trial and error.
The Victorian Institute of Sport has supported his development through its Para Unit, established under the national Para Uplift initiative, and he now holds a full VIS scholarship providing access to specialist services.
Savinov continues to coach trampoline, including at the National Institute of Circus Arts, while focusing on his World Championships debut.
He approaches the event without extravagant predictions, saying the experience of playing at the highest level is the primary goal.
"It's going to be all about the experience and getting that experience of playing at that high level," Savinov said. "I don't really have a lot of expectations in the way of winning or anything like that. It's more about just trying to do the best I can."
He emphasised staying in the moment and concentrating on his own game rather than external factors.
Beyond Thailand, qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games remains an ambition, though he acknowledges potential changes to qualification requirements.
Savinov said representing Australia fills him with pride after a journey that began in Russia and brought him halfway around the world.
"Putting on the uniform always makes you feel proud. Proud of the country, proud of yourself and what you've done," he said.
The championships run from Wednesday in Pattaya, where Savinov will face the world's leading Class 1 players for the first time.
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