Mike Dempsey's Lifetime Records & Titles

In Loving Memory of
Michael Henry Dempsey
1956 - 2009

"The Greatest USA Table Tennis Player That Ever Lived, 9 World Titles, 8 Consecutive Paralympics Games 1972 - 2000"
Christian Lillieroos, Paralympic Coach & Friend

Lifetime Titles & Records by Christian Lillieroos

SUMMARY

Member of 5 Hall of Fames		1) Ohio Wheelchair Sports
		2) USA Wheelchair Sports
		3) California Table Tennis
		4) USA Table Tennis
		5) San Diego Table Tennis Association
Paralympian:		8 consecutive Games from 1972-2000
Paralympic Games		Medals: 10 Gold: 2
World Championships		Medals: 12 Gold: 7

WORLD COMPETITION RESULTS DURING 30 YEARS (1971 – 2001)

1971 Kingston Para-Pan American Games (15 years old)
Men’s Singles Class 4: Gold
Men’s Doubles Class 4: Gold

1972 Heidelberg Paralympic Games
Men’s Team Class 4: Bronze
Men’s Singles Class 4: Silver

1973 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Open singles: Gold
Men’s Class 4 doubles: Gold (Gary Kerr)

1975 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Class 4 doubles: Gold (Sam Fletcher)

1976 Toronto Paralympic Games
Men’s Singles class 4-5: Silver
Men’s Team Class 4-5: Gold (Gary Kerr)

1977 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Open Wheelchair singles: Gold

1978 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Open Wheelchair singles: Gold

1979 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Open Wheelchair singles: Gold

1980 Arnhem Paralympic Games
Men’s Singles Class 4: Gold
Men’s Team Class 4: Silver (Gary Kerr)

1981 Stoke Mandeville Games (World Wheelchair Games)
Men’s Open Wheelchair singles: Gold

1984 Stoke Paralympic Games
Men’s singles class 4: Bronze

1988 Seol Paralympic Games
Men’s Wheelchair Open singles: Gold
Men’s singles Class 4 Bronze

1990 Assen World IPC Table Tennis Championships
Men’s Open Wheelchair singles: Silver
Men’s Team Class 5: Bronze (Andre Scott)

1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games
Men’s Wheelchair Open singles: Silver

1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games
Men’s team Class 5: ¼ final (Andre Scott)

2000 Sydney Paralympic Games
USA Paralympic Team Flag bearer
Men’s Singles Class 4: ¼ final
Men’s Team Class 5: ¼ final (Andre Scott)

2001 Buenos Aires Para-Pan American Table Tennis Championships
Men’s Singles Class 4: Gold
Men’s Class 5 Team: Gold

The Ohio Wheelchair Sports Hall Of Fame
Member in 1981 (23 inductees from 1978 – 2004)

Wheelchair Sports USA Hall Of Fame
Member in 1993 (63 inductees from 1970-2006)

California Table Tennis Hall Of Fame
Member in 2001 (First Paralympic athlete to be inducted)

USA Table Tennis Hall Of Fame
Member in 2002 (First Paralympic athlete to be inducted)

Condolence Letter from
Sir Philip Craven MBE
International Paralympic Committee President

Shannon Dempsey,

Condolences. Christian Lillieroos, former chairman of IPC Table Tennis, has sent me the incredibly sad news about Mike. On behalf of the Paralympic Family, I would like to tell you, that our thoughts are with you and Henry, at what must be a very difficult time.

I just wanted to tell you also what an incredible impact Mike had on me as a budding table tennis player over thirty years ago. In fact, I think his skills were so great that he convinced me without him knowing it, that I was never going to make a table tennis player in the top flight. I therefore concentrated on my number 1 passion, wheelchair basketball.

My lasting memory is of the titanic matches that Mike played against Baruch Hagai, his toughest and perennial opponent, in the finals of the Paralympic Games. The match that I remember most was in Toronto in 1976 with the match table being laid out on the basketball court and Mike and Baruch going at it hammer and tongs in an epic encounter. Finally even though I didn’t know Mike well and I know that you will have already done this, but please tell Henry what a great sportsman his dad was.

~ Sir Philip Craven MBE

This letter was written to and approved
by Shannon Dempsey to post.

This Memorial is provided on behalf of the United States Table Tennis Foundation / USTTF