Maki Ito lost in straight sets in the semifinals of C11 women's singles table tennis action at the Tokyo Paralympics to Lea Ferney of France on Saturday, ending up with the bronze medal.
The 36-year-old Ito had said many times before the tournament that she wanted to do her best and play with loads of enthusiasm.
She went down 3-0 in the semifinal, but she whirled her racket around with aggression as she settled for bronze because there is no third-place match.
Ito has from a young age been the type of person who devotes herself and works hard at something once she makes it her focus.
When she was in elementary school, she liked to do jigsaw puzzles, and after completing them, she would turn the pieces over and redo the puzzle silently without looking at the patterns.
She also became so obsessed with table tennis, which she started in junior high school, that she set up a table at home and practiced.
At the previous Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, she was unable to play to the best of her abilities and came up short of a spot on the podium.
But Ito showed some tenacity during this tournament, telling herself, "I will not panic."
Said her coach Chiyo Ono: "She doesn't get rattled and doesn't show much with her facial expressions. I think it's hard for opponents to play against her because she has the ability to remain unaffected throughout the match."
She put her ability to hang against a tough opponent on display as she fought through on the biggest stage.
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