Anna Hursey Savours “Special Feeling” After Becoming Wales’ Latest World Champion

Hursey, 19, made history as the first Welsh player to reach the podium at the event and only the second British athlete to medal in an individual category, following England’s Paul Drinkhall in 2008. 

Her results — gold in the under-19 Women’s Doubles, silver in Mixed Doubles and bronze in the singles — also cap a year in which she became the first Welsh table tennis player to enter the world’s top 50.

“It was very special to be world champion with Mia,” Hursey said, highlighting the Women’s Doubles title she won alongside Germany’s Mia Griesel. 

The pair had previously claimed the under-21 European crown earlier in the year.

Hursey’s week also included a Mixed Doubles silver with Romania’s Iulian Chirita and a singles bronze after defeat in the semi-finals to China’s Qin Yuxuan. 

“It was personally amazing to win a medal in the singles and extremely special to get to a final with Iiulian in Romania in front of a home crowd,” she said.

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Her results add to a trajectory that has seen the Cardiff athlete break age records throughout her career. 

She represented Wales at 10, became the youngest athlete in Commonwealth Games history at the Gold Coast in 2018, won doubles bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealths, and competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics — the first Welsh table tennis Olympian.

Assessing her performance in Romania, Hursey said she had faced multiple tight matches. 
“There were a lot of tough moments and a lot of close matches,” she said. 

“In the singles I just tried to prepare for each match the same and warm up the same and just to think that it’s any other match.

“In the doubles it was important for both pairs to talk to each other, try to encourage each other and have trust in each other.”

Recalling the Women’s Doubles final, she added: “We were 2-0 down, so I think in this moment we just tried to fight for every point and tried to believe that we could win. 

“We played a lot better after 2-0 but it was a very hard match.”

Hursey’s coach, John Murphy, said the results were a reward for the Welsh’s star’s improved fitness and physical conditioning.

“It was one of the major goals for Anna in 2025, along with the European Youth Championships and European Under-21s. We planned everything around that,” he said.

“The work she’s put in – she’s one of the most committed athletes.

“It’s a good message to the other athletes coming through the pathway that if you’re doing the right things, special results are possible.”

Murphy explained they had targeted the championships after a year focused on Olympic qualification and competition. 

“A crucial thing for Anna was she had a good rest at home after Star Contender London as she’d been on the road for a while,” he said. 

“But we know she plays well when she does tournaments back-to-back, so we had a build-up at the Feeder Portugal and Star Contender Muscat.”

Hursey and Murphy will now travel from Romania to China for a five-week training block.