Medals Galore for Boccia Canada Team at the Santiago World Boccia Challenger
Canadian boccia team celebrate their seven medals in the individual event
Ottawa, ON (July 1, 2023) – The Canadian Boccia Team has certainly left their mark by grabbing a total of seven medals at the World Boccia Challenger in Santiago, Chile thus far. With two golds, a silver, and four bronze to their name in the individual event, next, they will set their sights on Team and Pairs. Powerhouse Alison Levine (Montréal, QC) used a combination of power and precision placement shots in the gold medal match against Karla Manuel Enriquez of Mexico. The exciting game ended in a tiebreak, with Levine prevailing in the extra end and earning the title of Champion in BC4 female individual. “This wasn’t my first gold medal and it won’t be my last,” said Levine. Head Coach, César Nicolai was also thoroughly impressed with Levine’s performance. “After finishing second in her pool, Alison never looked back. She raised her game to beat Colombian Leidy Chica Chica, the world’s number one player, and then won the gold medal match against Karla, who showed an excellent level of play.” “Another person to recognize is Danik Allard (Bois-des-Filion, QC). His performance reflects all the time and dedication he puts in every day to improve his game strategies. What he found difficult at the last event in Montreal to make the podium, here in Santiago, he was unstoppable! He knew how to lead each of his matches by dominating his opponents’ weaknesses from beginning to end. It was a very high-level performance and I’m proud of him,” said Nicolai. London 2012 Paralympic medalist, Marco Dispaltro (Montréal, QC) continues to deliver as he took home a silver medal, beating out tough competition along the way including the number one seed, Euclides Grisales from Colombia in pool play. BC4 teammate Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal, QC) received a bronze at the competition with a convincing 9-0 win, which ended up being one of four, third place finishes for the Canadians. Kristyn Collins (St. John’s, NL) was another member of the team to win a bronze with a convincing 5-1 win over her opponent from Ecuador. “I’m very proud of my performance and knowing that I was able to win against the eventual Gold Medalist during pool play is a great boost.” It’s not the first international medal for Collins. She earned herself another well-deserved bronze in Rio de Janeiro last year and has shown she has the skills to compete against the best in the world: “I’ve already garnered more confidence since my first appearance with Team Canada on the international stage. With each opportunity I become more convinced that a podium finish is always possible.” Marylou Martineau (Quebec City, QC) becomes the first international individual BC3 female medalist for Canada grabbing a 4-2 win versus her Colombian opponent. “This bronze demonstrates to me that my numerous hours of training are paying off and that I’m capable of rivalling any opponent. I’m very proud of myself for all that I have accomplished here. Next is BC3 Pairs with my teammate, Ryan Rondeau (Edmonton, AB).” The duo will face Colombia at 11:10 AM EST today. Another bronze medalist at this event, thanks to a 7-4 victory in the third place match, Lance Cryderman (Val Caron, ON), is excited for what’s in store for the Team BC1 and BC2 event coming up since he will be competing alongside teammates Allard and Collins. “The fact that the three of us have medals in the individual competition, gives us a confidence boost in the Team BC1/2 competition. We can succeed and we’re hungry to demonstrate our skills as a cohesive unit.” Allard, Collins, and Cryderman will face their first opponents, El Salvador, live on the webcast at 2:00 PM EST today here. The venue for this event is the same one for the 2023 Santiago Parapan American Games this November, which is the biggest competition of the year for Boccia Canada. The Canadian athletes have now had the opportunity to compete on the court in Santiago and have a good feel for what the surface is like. “It’s a win-win that we collected medals at this event and now have a better idea of the playing surface,” said Nicolai. “We keenly start to shift focus now to the second part of this event.” Tune in to all schedule/results here or watch the webcast online here on court five for the remainder of the event. The Canadian Team BC1/2s are scheduled to be webcast at 2:00 PM EST today and the BC4 Pairs at 1:10 PM EST tomorrow, although the schedule is subject to change.
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