Matti Launonen

Matti Launonen (31 May 1944[2] – 23 March 2019) was a Finnish para table tennis player who competed until his sudden death in 2019. He was one of the first table tennis players to win a world title in the para table tennis championships in Assen, Netherlands and a European title in Salou, Spain.[3]

Matti Launonen
Personal information
Born31 May 1944
Kuopio, Finland[1]
Died23 March 2019(2019-03-23) (aged 74)
Atlantis, Florida, United States
Sport
Country Finland
SportPara table tennis
DisabilitySpinal cord injury
Disability classC1

Launonen was seriously injured aged 18 in a car accident while travelling at more than 80 km/h, the car he was driving had handbrake fault and he couldn't stop the car: the car suddenly turned and rolled around.

He had a fall at his home and suffered a leg injury but died at hospital aged 74 in Florida.[4]

References

  1. "Merkittäviä pelaajia" (in Finnish). Kuopio Table Tennis Club. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  2. "IPTTC Profile - Matti Launonen". International Para Table Tennis Federation. 28 March 2019.
  3. "Matti Launonen, a true great of para sport, passes away". ittf.com. 27 March 2019.
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