Canadian Boccia Pair Finish Just Off the Podium in Paris
Ottawa, ON (September 5, 2024) – BC4 Pair Alison Levine (Montréal, QC) and Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal, QC), may not be leaving Paris with a medal, but on their journey to this Paralympic Games, they still gained a great deal.
After finishing ninth at the delayed 2020 Games in Tokyo, the pair retooled and battled back up the rankings, amassing four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals in BC4 Pairs events leading up to Paris in this cycle. They entered the Games ranked second in the world and targeting a podium performance but the beauty and challenge of the boccia is that it can come down to millimetres. One shot can change the entire result, as the Canadian pair experienced today.
The pair had a strong run, finishing at the top of their pool and winning their quarterfinal match against the Ukraine before dropping the semifinal 4-6 to Hong Kong and ultimately losing 6-1 to Thailand in the bronze medal match to finish fourth.
The duo started with two wins right out of the gate to finish first in their pool. They came from behind to overpower China 8-5 and won 6-4 against Croatia. Their ball placement was excellent and gave opponents little room for error.
In the quarterfinal game, Levine and Ciobanu dominated against Ukraine. They conceded no points, combining power and placement shots in a tapestry of strategy and expertise, scoring a 6-0 shutout and advancing Canada to the Paralympic semifinals for the first time since 2012.
Canada faced a lot of smashes followed by precise placement shots against world number three Hong Kong in the semifinal. Hong Kong demonstrated the high level of play and defining moments that they were known for throughout the Paralympic boccia tournament.
Canada took an early lead, but struggled to cover the jack enough to fend off the Hong Kong attack in the second end. Hong Kong had three balls left to play, which they used to score four points and take a 4-1 lead. Hong Kong added two more points in the third end. Levine capped off the game with a “Hail Mary” shot to pick up three points, but it wasn’t quite enough.
After losing 6-4 to Hong Kong, Canada moved on to play Thailand for bronze. Against Thailand, Canada dropped a point in the first end, but battled back in the second end in a back-and-forth duel. Ciobanu played an excellent fourth ball to give Canada four balls hovering around the jack. Thailand then found the pocket perfectly with a placement shot to match Canada’s scoring ball. Canada was not quite able to disrupt the equidistant balls, so both countries scored one point. Thailand led 2-1 going in to the third end.
The countries traded a flurry of displacement and scoring shots back and forth in the third end.
With his third ball, Ciobanu made a beautiful short precision shot to block Thailand’s jack and place Canada in scoring position. Nuanchan Fonsila followed with a clutch displacement to shift Ciobanu’s scoring ball and lie two points for Thailand. With Ciobanu out of balls, Levine knew she was Canada’s only option. She executed a textbook push to nudge one of Ciobanu’s balls into the jack, giving Canada the tying point with three Thai balls left to play.
Then Thai captain Pornchok Larpyen made a major smash to break up the balls and regain the point. Levine calmly responded, landing her next ball right back on the jack and retaking the point. Larpyen let loose a power shot, pushing the jack into Thailand’s ball and again regaining the point.
Down to her last ball, Levine faced a court cluttered with balls screening her view of the target. As a rambunctious crowd of Parisian school children cheered her on, she let it fly. It went through the narrowest of channels, ricocheting between two Thai balls, up and over a Canadian ball, and into scoring position. For a moment, the tie was within sight, until Larpyen responded with his final ball, a massive lob that caught a piece of the jack and pushed it back into three waiting Thai balls. A massive smash and flurry of balls around the jack was unveiled.
Canada needed four points in the final end to tie it up. Despite some solid shot making, Levine and Ciobanu could not close the gap. Thailand added a final point to win 6-1 and take the bronze. Hong Kong repeated as silver medalists, while Colombia won gold.
“It’s a great thing to be here today, to play here, in the semifinals, playing for bronze,” said Ciobanu. “Unfortunately, this is the sport.”
Head Coach, César Nicolaï, had similar sentiments. “Sport teaches people that we can be the best in the world one day and lose the next. The work we’ve done over the years is in the right direction. It’s disappointing for the program, the athletes, and the people around us, but I’m really proud of Alison and Iulian. They did everything they needed to do and left everything on the court. That’s all we can ask for.”
Levine and Ciobanu have come a long way since their partnership began. As Levine puts it, at first they were like “oil and water”, but they’ve adjusted to each other over time. Their partnership has strengthened over the past cycle and they now lean on each other.
Levine was happy to have Ciobanu by her side throughout the journey to where they are today: “I feel nothing but love for the person next to me. This wasn’t us a few years ago. It wouldn’t be like this without him and I’m grateful every day to play with Iulian. Today was also really cool. Hearing people in the stands, the number of messages from back home, and support has been incredible. It’s what we’re holding on to.”
Their journey to the Paralympic Games has been nothing short of amazing with a lot to be proud of. With the unwavering support of a nation, their teammates, and each other, Levine and Ciobanu are now looking ahead to a much-needed rest after their Paris experience.
Find all results and schedule here. Rewatch the livestream here.
About Boccia Canada
Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. We lead, develop and grow boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.
About boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 BC4, BC5, and Open.
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