Eight Athletes to Represent Canada at the Fortaleza 2023 World Boccia Cup
Joëlle Guérette celebrating a win at the 2023 Montréal World Cup where she made it to the quarters
Ottawa, ON (August 30, 2023) – After a strong showing at the Santiago (Chile) World Boccia Challenger earlier this summer, eight of Canada’s National Boccia Team athletes will be heading to the Fortaleza (Brazil) 2023 World Boccia Cup from September 2-9.
Danik Allard (Bois-des-Filion, QC), Kristyn Collins (St. John’s, NL), and Lance Cryderman (Val Caron, ON) will be competing as a BC1/2 Team, as well as individually. This trio had an impressive performance in Santiago, as they took home silver in team play, while Allard won gold and Collins and Cryderman both won bronze in individual play.
Alison Levine (Montréal. QC) and Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal, QC) will compete individually and team up for BC4 Pairs. In Santiago, this duo also captured a medal in every event they competed in. They secured silver in the BC4 Pairs event, and in their individual events, Levine won gold and Ciobanu won bronze.
BC4 teammate, Marco Dispaltro (Montréal, QC), will be competing individually and is coming off a silver medal in Santiago. BC3 athletes, Ryan Rondeau (Edmonton, AB) and Joelle Guerette (Ste-Sophie, QC), will also take part in individual play. Although Rondeau did not capture the podium in his individual event in Santiago, he and Marylou Martineau (Québec City, QC) took home bronze in the BC3 Pairs event. Guerette did not attend the Santiago World Boccia Challenger but is excited to be back on the court in Fortaleza.
“I’m excited to take part in this competition in Fortaleza! It’s going to be the first time I’ve competed in this city. My goal is to have a good performance in preparation for the Parapan American Games in November.”
National Team Coaches César Nicolai, Ed Richardson, and Simon Larouche will also be travelling to Fortaleza and will be encouraging their athletes to keep this recent success going. “Following the great success that was achieved by the Team at the Challenger in Santiago, both in Individual and Team play, I feel the athletes are feeling more confident than ever moving forward to the World Cup,” said Richardson. “Being a World Cup, the competition will undoubtably be tougher, but if we continue on the path we’re going, I feel we’re in a good position to challenge the best of them.”
Individual play will take place from September 4-6, while team and pair play will be on September 7 and 8. You can catch the live action on YouTube (link available soon) and get the latest news and updates on the event’s Facebook page.
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.
Media Contact
Holly Janna
Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator, Boccia Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 613-748-1430 x3 | Cell: 514-944-5193