World Para Table Tennis Championships: GB's Felicity Pickard and Grace Williams win gold
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Felicity Pickard (pictured) and Grace Williams only started playing para table tennis together last year
Felicity Pickard and Grace Williams beat top seeds Germany in the women's class 14 doubles to take gold at the World Para Table Tennis Championships.
The British pair only started playing together last year but secured a 3-0 victory over the favourites Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf.
They defeated France in the semi-final on Monday to exceed expectations at the championships in Granada, Spain.
"I knew we'd get there one day," said 28-year-old Pickard.
"But I never thought it would happen so soon. Yesterday was a real breakthrough for us and I knew if we could play the same way again today we had a chance."
Pickard and Welsh teenager Williams fought back from 9-7 down to take the first set 11-9, before dominating the second set 11-4.
In the third set, they had two unsuccessful match points at 10-8 but as the game reached 11-10, Grebe's shot flew high into the air to hand Pickard and Williams a 12-10 set victory and the world title.
Pickard was a singles bronze medallist in Slovenia four years ago but was devastated to miss out on qualification for the Paralympic Games last summer.
"From where I was just before Tokyo to now is indescribable and I think I can be very proud of myself," she said.
"Not just with how far I've come as an athlete but as a person as well and the way I'm able to communicate and conduct myself within the team. I can be incredibly proud of that."
Williams, from Llanfyllin in North Wales, was given a wildcard to compete in the world championships and said she expected to play in Spain "for the experience".
"But the fact that I'm here and I've got a gold medal is just surreal and I can't believe it," the 19-year-old added.
Following her doubles success on Wednesday, Pickard's bid to win a singles title in the women's class 6 was ended by Hanna Hammad from Egypt in a 3-2 defeat.
Williams has to wait until Thursday morning for her first match in the women's class 8 against Aneth Araya from Costa Rica.