Two Canadians Making International Debut at World Boccia event in Poznań, Poland
Alexandre Lemaire switched to the BC3 class last year and is, already, representing Canada internationally in 2023
Ottawa, ON (August 17, 2023) – Three boccia athletes will be representing Canada at the Poznań 2023 World Boccia Challenger from August 18-25.
Marylou Martineau (Québec City, QC) and Alexandre Lemaire (Kingsey Falls, QC) will be teaming up for the BC3 Pairs event, while also competing individually. They will be accompanied by their performance partners, Josée Duquette and Francis Lemaire.
This is Alexandre’s first time competing at the international level after finding great success at the national level last year, as he took home a bronze medal at the 2022 Défi sportif AlterGo and a silver medal at the 2022 Boccia Blast.
“I’m very happy to be taking part in my first international competition ever. Especially after just over a year competing in class BC3! I’m super happy to represent Canada at this competition and I hope it’s the first of many.”
This will be Olivier Dussault’s (Québec City, QC) first international appearance, alongside his performance partner, Denis Dussault. After a fourth-place finish on home soil at the Canadian Championships in 2021, Olivier is excited about the opportunity to compete on the international stage in the BC2 individual event.
“It hasn’t fully sunk in yet that I’ll be leaving for Poland to play boccia. I’m really excited about the idea of representing my country for the very first time ever. It’s completely crazy!”
Head Coach, César Nicolai, will also be travelling to Poznań and is excited for Lemaire and Dussault to experience their first international event. “Alexandre and Olivier are excellent young athletes, very committed to their training and with an excellent attitude. They both deserve to experience the international level! This is their first competition, and the important thing here is to familiarize themselves with this new level of competition. I’m confident they’ll be able to give excellent performances at this Challenger!”
Individual play will take place from August 20-22, while team and pairs play will be on August 23 and 24. You catch get the latest news and updates at www.worldboccia-poznan.com and on the Poznan 2023 World Boccia Challenger Facebook page here. Also, consult the Boccia Canada Facebook page here for more updates around performances by the Canadian Team.
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