Six selected for Canada’s Paralympic Boccia team
LONDON, ENGLAND 09/06/2012 Marco Dispaltro competes in the 1/8 finals of the individual Boccia BC4 at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Excel. (Photo by Daniel Marcotte/Canadian Paralympic Committee)
Via the International Paralympic Committee
MONTREAL, Que. – July 18, 2016 – Boccia Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee are proud to announce the six boccia athletes nominated for selection to Team Canada for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games this September.
Team Canada’s boccia players bring a powerful mix of youth and experience. Four of the six will be competing in Rio in their first Paralympic Games, while veterans Marco Dispaltro and Paul Gauthier bring Paralympic Games experience to the team. Dispaltro won bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, while Rio will mark the sixth Paralympic Games for Gauthier, who won gold in 2004 and two bronze in 2000.
“Canada has won medals in boccia at the last four Paralympic Games, so it’s a tradition we hope continues in Rio,” said Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc. “There are some excellent leaders and accomplished athletes in this sport who have been able to deliver consistent success across their program.”
The Canadian team represents some of boccia’s finest international athletes, with half of the players ranked in the top-20 in the world. With two silver medals last month (Dispaltro and Levine in pairs, Eric Bussiere in singles) at the final pre-Paralympic World Open in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal, the team is primed for a strong performance in Rio.
The emergence of budding stars Iulian Ciobanu, Alison Levine, Eric Bussiere and Marylou Martineau is a testament to the growth of this sport.
“All six athletes are a pleasure to work with, they are confident and they look forward to facing the challenges of the Paralympic Games,” said head coach Mario Delisle. “The last performance for many of these athletes at the international level looked great and I can feel everyone’s excitement. Some important fine tuning work is ahead in July and August, ensuring our team will be a force to reckon with in September.”
The team includes athletes in the BC4 classification, for athletes who are able to throw, and athletes in the BC3 classification who play using a ramp. In both classifications, Canada will compete in the individual and pairs divisions.
“Congratulations to the Boccia Canada athletes nominated to join Team Canada for the upcoming Rio 2016 Paralympic Games,” said the Honorable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. “Canada has a proud tradition of being a fierce competitor in boccia and I know our athletes are eager to continue to write that story this summer in Brazil. All of Canada is behind you.”
Boccia is a precision ball game, similar to bocce and lawn bowls. It is a simple game to learn, but difficult to master. With over 50 countries participating and the level of play increasing all the time, medals in Rio will be harder to come by than ever before.
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games take place September 7 to 18. Boccia team and pairs competition begins on September 11 and individual play commences on September 16.
The athletes nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Team are as follows:
BC3
Eric Bussiere (Arthabaska, Que.)
Paul Gauthier (Vancouver, B.C.)*
Marylou Martineau (Québec City, Que.)
BC4
Alison Levine (Montreal, Que.)
Marco Dispaltro (Montreal, Que.)*
Iulian Ciobanu (Montreal, Que.)
*Denotes athletes with previous Paralympic Games experience
The nominated team will be supported by the following coaching staff:
Head Coach Mario Delisle (Montreal, Que.)
BC4 Coach César Nicolaï (Montreal, Que.)
GB Boccia team announced for Rio 2016
Via Paralympics GB
“Beijing and London were both completely different experiences, and I look forward to finding out what Rio has in store for me.”
“The standard of international competition continues to go up, but I’ve remained focused on my preparations to ensure I’m in the best possible place. I hope the country will get behind us and help supercharge the team to success.”
David Smith
Matt Hammond, Team Leader for GB Boccia, said: “Today’s announcement is a proud moment for me as team leader and I’m delighted to confirm our line-up for Rio. The team is as strong as it’s ever been and these athletes have been pushed throughout the qualification period to deliver the performances needed to secure their place on the team. I’d like to congratulate the athletes and their competition partners for all of their hard work up to this point and I believe we can pose a real threat to our rivals on the court in Rio.”
Today’s announcement takes the number of selected athletes to 215 from 19 sports.
Selected athletes are:
BC1 David Smith (competition partner: Sarah Nolan)
Home town: Eastleigh
Main training base: Swansea
BC2 Nigel Murray
Home town: Leamington Spa
Main training base: Warwick St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre
BC2 Joshua Rowe
Home town: Perth
Main training base: Stirling
BC2 Claire Taggart
Home town:
Main training base:
BC3 Patrick Wilson (competition partner: Kim Smith)
Home town: Edinburgh
Main training base: Edinburgh
BC3 Jamie McCowan (competition partner: Linda McCowan)
Home town: Dundonald, Ayrshire
Main training base:
BC3 Scott McCowan (competition partner: Gary McCowan)
Home town: Dundonald, Ayrshire
Main training base:
BC4 Stephen McGuire
Home town: Hamilton
Main training base: University of the West of Scotland
BC4 Kieran Steer
Home town: Crossgates, Fife
Main training base: Fife
BC4 Evie Edwards
Home town: Ipswich
Main training base: Ipswich
Via Paralympics GB
Daniel Michel to be the first Australian boccia Paralympic competitor since 2000
Via Inside the Games
Daniel Michel is set to become the first Australian to compete in boccia at the Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000 after being selected for Rio 2016.
The 21-year-old from Sydney earned a place in Brazil after finishing sixth in the BC3 category at this year’s World Individual Championships in Beijing.
“The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) is incredibly proud of Daniel and the high performance boccia program we manage,” Australia’s Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said.
“To have a boccia athlete like Dan earn the right to represent Australia at the Paralympics for the first time since Sydney 2000 is a testament to the hard work the APC and our partners have put into developing the national programme over the past four years.”
Michel was born with spinal muscular atrophy type two, a motor neuron disorder which leaves him requiring assistance for everyday activities.
“Daniel has shown immense commitment and determination in reaching this point, and has proved himself to be a true leader for up-and-coming athletes with more severe disabilities,” said McLoughlin.
“He has been training exceptionally hard, and I’m looking forward to not only seeing him put this truly unique Paralympic sport into the spotlight in Australia, but for this to ensure a brighter future for the sport.”
Australia were represented by three men and three women at Sydney 2000 but none of them won a medal.
Daniel Michel, seen here competing at the BisFed World Championships, is set to become the first Australian to compete in boccia at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro since Sydney 2000 ©BisFed
Daniel Michel, seen here competing at the BisFed World Championships, is set to become the first Australian to compete in boccia at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro since Sydney 2000 ©BisFed
“I’m really excited to be selected,” said Michel.
It feels like a really good reward for the effort I’ve put in this qualification period.
“Being the first person to represent Australia at a Paralympic Games since Sydney 2000 is a massive honour.
“I’m really proud to have that title and to be doing that for my country.
“I’m hoping it’s going to have a huge impact on the sport and on the reputation and perception of people with severe disabilities.
“The overriding public perception surrounding severe disabilities is that people living with these disabilities aren’t really capable of succeeding in a sporting atmosphere.
“There’s an emphasis on being successful through academia, but sport is never really promoted as an avenue through which people with severe physical disabilities can achieve enjoyment and also success.
“I think when people see boccia at the Paralympics and see all these athletes competing with severe disabilities; it’s going to really widen their ideas of what people with disabilities are capable of doing. It’s going to help shift those perceptions.
“I think it’s going to go a long way in opening the eyes of people living with disabilities, and it’s going to show them the opportunities they have to play and compete in a sport.”
The winner of the Paralympic gold medal in the BC3 class at London 2012 was South Korea’s Ye-lin Choi, who beat team-mate Ho-Won Jeong in the final.
Via Inside the Games
New medals for Rio 2016 Paralympics
Via the International Paralympic Committee
With 85 days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games on Tuesday (14 June), the medals which athletes will compete for this September have been revealed by the Organising Committee and Brazilian Mint.
In addition to featuring braille, the Paralympic Games medals include a special innovation; they have a tiny device inside which makes a noise when the medal is shaken, allowing visually impaired athletes to know if they are gold, silver or bronze (gold has the loudest noise, bronze the quietest).
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will feature 4,350 athletes who will compete in 528 medal events across 22 sports. They will take place between 7-18 September.
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