Overview
- Funk’s primary competition paddle broke during preparation in Australia and was deemed irreparable.
- Her father crafted a bespoke replacement that was checked as special baggage from Dresden and routed via Frankfurt to Singapore on its way to Australia.
- The Frankfurt–Singapore flight returned to Frankfurt due to a technical problem via Baku, and the paddle disappeared during the rebooking process.
- Singapore Airlines declined a loss report because the first segment was operated by Lufthansa, while Lufthansa could not be reached in time; team spokesperson Uta Büttner later filed a report in Sydney.
- Funk is training in Penrith with a spare paddle as the World Championships run from September 29 to October 4.