Fliss Pickard
Date and place of birth: 17/07/94, Wordsley
Home town: Burnley
Lives: Sheffield
TT Class: 6
Current world ranking: 4
International debut: 2011
Major titles: World doubles champion 2022
Fliss’s story:
Having been keen on sport from an early age Fliss started playing table tennis when she wanted to find a sport she could play competitively. Dressage, boccia and swimming failed to provide her with the challenge that she wanted but at the age of 14 she was asked to play while volunteering at Hyndburn table tennis club. The coach spotted her natural ability and having made her international debut at the Czech Open in 2011 Fliss was selected for the GB Para Table Tennis Team Performance Squad in April 2014.
Born with cerebral palsy she inherited her competitive nature from her father Will. “Even when we were just playing a board game at home he would never let me win,” says Fliss. “Dad has always adapted things for me. It’s never been a case of ‘you can’t do that’ but ‘we’ll find a way’. He’s also tough - if I’m having a bad day he’ll just say ‘you’ve got to get on with it and find a way’. That comes from both my parents – they’ve always just made me get on with it. It might be tough but that’s life.”
Fliss missed out on qualification for the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016 but made a breakthrough at the World Championships in 2018, taking bronze in the women’s class 6 singles having earlier in the year represented Team England in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Having again just missed out on automatic qualification for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo Fliss responded by taking gold in her next three international tournaments.
She represented Team England again in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, just missing out on bronze after losing 3-1 to the class 10 Nigerian Faith Obazuaye. At the World Championships in Andalucia in 2022, Fliss combined with Grace Williams to take gold in the women’s class 14 doubles and also took bronze in the mixed class 14 doubles with Billy Shilton.
“I knew Grace and I would get there one day,” she said, “but I never thought it would happen so soon. From where I was just before Tokyo to now is indescribable and I think I can be very proud of myself. Not just with how far I’ve come as an athlete but as a person as well.”
At the European Championships in 2023 Fliss produced another great performance to take bronze in the women’s class 6 singles and also took bronze with Williams in the women’s class 14 doubles.
“I’m unbelievably proud to be able to get a European singles medal,” she said, “especially after the disappointment in the singles in the Worlds last year. I feel that I’m always learning, always growing. I’m on that journey and I feel I’m heading in the right direction.”
Fliss has continued her good form in 2024 and secured qualification for her first Paralympic Games in Paris when winning gold in the Polish Open in March.
In Paris she took bronze in the women’s class 14 doubles with 14-year-old Bly Twomey and came agonisingly close to a medal in the women’s class 6 singles, losing her quarterfinal to Camelia Ciripan 3-2, having led the Romanian 2-0.
“I knew it was going to be a tough fight from the word go,” she said. “We’ve had so many battles, and I was so pleased to see her get that wild card because she’s had an amazing year. If anyone deserves a medal it’s her – full credit to her and I’ll come back stronger. If you’d said to me four weeks ago that I could come here and fight like I did and be able to come away with a bronze medal (in the doubles) I’d have bitten your hand off so I can be incredibly proud of myself, and I’ve had a great experience. I’ll go back and have a few weeks off with the family then get back into training, get back in the thick of it and come back even stronger.”
2024 Results:
Paralympic Games, Paris – QF, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14)
Czech Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6); gold, women’s doubles (class 14)
Slovenia Open – QF, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s doubles (class 14)
Polish Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14)
Costa Brava Spanish Open – silver, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s doubles (class 14)
Lignano Masters Para Open, Italy – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); gold, women’s doubles (class 14)
2023 Results:
European Championships, Sheffield, UK – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14); QF, mixed doubles (class 14)
Czech Para Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14)
Slovenia Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s doubles (class 14); group stages, mixed doubles (class 14)
Lignano Masters Open, Italy – gold, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14); bronze, mixed doubles (class 14)
2022 Results:World Championships, Spain – L16 women’s singles (class 6); gold, women’s doubles (class 14); bronze, mixed doubles (class 14)
Greek Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6-7); silver, women’s doubles (class 14); gold, mixed doubles (class 14)
Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England – 4th women’s singles (class 6-10)
Czech Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); gold, women’s doubles (class WD14)
Slovenia Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s doubles (WD14); QF, mixed doubles (class XD14)
Costa Brava Spanish Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class WS14); bronze, mixed doubles (class XS17)
2021 Results:
French Open - gold, women's singles (class 6); group stages, women's teams (class 7-10)
Costa Brava Spanish Open - gold. women's singles (class 6); group stages, women's teams (class 6-10)
World Qualification Tournament, Slovenia – SF, women’s singles (class 6)
2019 Results:
China Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Finland Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6-7)
European Championships, Sweden – QF, women’s singles (class 6)
Czech Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-8)
Japan Open – group stages, women’s singles (class 6); 4th women’s teams (class 6-7 RR)
Polish Open – silver, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6)
Slovenia Open – QF, women’s singles (class 6); 5th women’s teams (class 6-7 RR)
Lignano Master Open, Italy – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-8)
2018 Results:
World Championships, Slovenia – bronze, women’s singles (class 6)
Czech Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Slovenia Open – QF, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Slovakia Open – silver, women’s teams (class 6-7); group stages, women’s singles (class 6)
Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia – SF, women’s singles (class 6-10)
2017 Results:
Czech Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Belgium Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6-7); bronze, women’s teams (class 6-10)
European Championships, Lasko, Slovenia – group stages, women’s singles (class 6)
Bayreuth Open, Germany – group stages, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Slovenia Open – group stages, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-7)
Lignano Master Open, Italy – group stages, women’s singles (class 6); 4th place RR, women’s teams (class 6-7)
2016 Results:
Slovenia Open - bronze, women’s teams (class 6-7); group stages, women’s singles (class 6)
Lignano Master Open, Italy - group stages, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s teams (class 6-7)
2015 Results:
Belgium Open - gold, women’s singles (class 6)
2014 Results:
Slovenia Open - group stages, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s team (class 6-7)
Lignano Master Open, Italy - group stages, women’s singles (class 6); group stages, women’s team (class 6-7)
Career Highlights:
2024: Czech Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6); gold, women’s doubles (class 14)
Polish Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6)
2023: European Championships, Sheffield, UK – bronze, women’s singles (class 6); bronze, women’s doubles (class 14)
2022: World Championships, Spain – gold, women’s doubles (class 14); bronze, mixed doubles (class 14)
Greek Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6-7); gold, mixed doubles (class 14)
Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England – 4th women’s singles (class 6-10)
Costa Brava Spanish Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6)
2021: French Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6)
Costa Brava Spanish Open - gold. women's singles (class 6)
2019: European Championships, Sweden – QF, women’s singles (class 6)
Czech Open – gold, women’s singles (class 6)
Polish Open – silver, women’s singles (class 6); silver, women’s teams (class 6)
2018: World Championships, Slovenia – bronze, women’s singles (class 6)
Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia – SF, women’s singles (class 6-10)
2017: Belgium Open – bronze, women’s singles (class 6-7); bronze, women’s teams (class 6-10)
European Championships, Lasko, Slovenia – group stages, women’s singles (class 6)
2015: Belgium Open - gold, women’s singles (class 6)
2013: European Championships, Lignano, Italy: group stages, women’s singles (Class 6)
2013: National champion (Class 6-7)