A valuable experience for Canadians in Curitiba
Ottawa, ON (August 15, 2025) – Although none of the six Canadians competing at the 2025 Curitiba Boccia World Cup advanced to the knockout round of the individual event on Thursday, the athletes and coaches will be leaving Brazil with a lot of positive to build on.
Among them, Marco Dispaltro (Montreal, QC) was the only one to win more than one match. His two victories in four pool play matches in the BC4 category were still not enough to move on to the elimination round.
In BC3 play, Alexandre Lemaire (Kingsay Falls, QC) opened the competition strong, earning a 3-1 win over the local favourite and world No. 7 in the category, Brazilian Mateus Carvalho. “I’m very happy to have beaten my first top-10 player at this World Cup. I’m leaving this competition with a lot of learnings for the events to come,” said Lemaire, who finished his tournament with two losses.
Meanwhile, Olivier Roy (Quebec City, QC) and Danik Allard (Bois-des-Filion, QC) both competed in the BC2 men’s tournament, where they each earned one win and two losses in pool play. It was Roy’s very first World Cup, giving him the opportunity to face seasoned opponents for his debut.
“My first World Cup was full of emotions,” he said. “After winning my first match against the 15th-ranked player in the world, I had the chance to play against an athlete who’s a three-time Paralympic medallist! I lost that match, but it was tight for two ends, I hope I gave him a bit of a challenge. I made some good shots during the tournament and I’m proud of my win!”
In the women’s BC2 category, Kristyn Collins (St. John’s, NL) was defeated in all three of her pool play matches. The story is similar for her teammate Lance Cryderman (Val Caron, ON), who lost all three of his BC1 preliminary matches.
National coaches Simon Larouche and Tiffany Gaudette were satisfied after the individual competitions which also serves as preparation for the Americas Regional Championships scheduled for early October in Cali, Colombia.
“Our athletes showed incredible courage, determination, and sportsmanship, representing our country with pride. These experiences provided valuable learnings that will be extremely useful for the team heading into the next competition,” explained Gaudette, who is experiencing her first international event in Curitiba.
“I was able to strengthen my connections with the athletes I coach at the provincial level, while building new relationships with other team members,” she added.
“The knowledge gained alongside our athletes, performance partners, and Simon will greatly enhance my preparation for future events and training, contributing to the continued growth and success of Canadian boccia on the international stage.”
With the individual competitions now behind them, Olivier Roy, Kristyn Collins and Lance Cryderman will now focus on the BC1/2 team event.
For more information on Canada’s boccia program and upcoming events, visit www.bocciacanada.ca or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X).
Contact
Zoe Meil-Charbonneau
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