Tag: boccia

Photo of pilot, Jenny Holl, and Sophie Unwin cycling in the velodrome waving to the crowd. The Paralympic Agitos is painted on the ground.

Paris 2024 Paralympics: Day 2 Review

Scots seal two medals on day two

The medals came in quick concession on day two of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with both being won in the velodrome (Para cycling, track).  

Fin Graham faced off against fellow ParalympicsGB teammate, Jaco van Gass, in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit. The Scot put in a tremendous performance but being four seconds off the golden time, he had to settle for silver.  

“As we said coming into it, Jaco is the one to beat, reigning world champion and he was Paralympic champion in Tokyo. It has shown he is able to peak at the right time. In this event there is no hiding, strongest man on the day wins and today that was Jaco.” 

The duo provided a lot of entertainment in the morning heats. Jaco leapfrogged Fin’s world record just minutes after the Scot set the new world best time.  

“It was a carbon copy to Tokyo – I go out, break a world record and then I have it for about five minutes, I barely get off the bike before Jaco’s taken it off me!” Said Fin.  

Also finding the podium was Scotland’s Jenny Holl, pilot for Sophie Unwin (England) in the women’s 1000m time trial.  

The pair held their nerve as the six fastest faced off on the track in what was a thrilling final. The Scottish/English duo were just 0.3 seconds away from claiming the silver medal.  

In other news, it was a positive result for Nathan Macqueen in Para archery, who felt right at home competing in the rain.  

“We excel in shooting in the rain. It’s our weather. If it’s like this for the rest of the week I’ll be laughing”, said the Scot who qualified for the last 16 with a 142-138 win against Slovakia’s Martin Doric in the men’s individual compound open.  

On his performance, Nathan said: “It went fairly well. My heart was in my mouth a little bit. I started pretty well but I was really emotional – I don’t know if it was because my family were out there. It feels like I’ve won the Paralympics and I’ve only won my first match. But here’s to the rest of it, we’ll put on a good show.” 

The 33-year-old from Addiewell will meet Iran’s Hadi Nori on Sunday (1st).  

On the boccia courts, although it was a first defeat for Patrick in Paris, Stephen’s winning ways continued and Kayleigh secured her first win of the Games.  

Stephen was first up and faced Ukraine’s Artem Kolinko in the men’s BC4 singles second group game. The 40-year-old from Hamilton gave a convincing performance, winning 7-1.  

“Artem is a pairs European champion so he’s a tough opponent with a good win in his first game. So in terms of the structure of the group it was important to get that win so I’m very happy”, said Stephen. 

Looking ahead, he said: “Boccia can be quite a funny sport – you can have a good day and then a bad day so it’s about staying as consistent as possible. Two wins out of two, I’ve got one group game left so fingers crossed. If I win that one I’m through and I top the group so that’s my goal.” 

In the women’s BC2 singles, Kayleigh Haggo took the win against Portugal’s Ana Correia in her second match. It’s the first win for Kayleigh in Paris, recording 6-2 on the board.  

“I played fantastic yesterday, I was really happy with that performance. I didn’t play as well today but I got the win and that’s all that matters. Once I knew I’d won the game it was crucial to try and get some more points on the board as that’s really important for qualification to the quarterfinals. It’s a long wait to find out if I’m in or not.” Said the 25-year-old from Ayr.  

The win for Kayleigh guarantees her a place in the women’s BC2 singles quarterfinals.  

“I came here with no expectations and no pressure so to get into the quarterfinals would be amazing”, commented Kayleigh. 

Patrick Wilson was last up out of the trio, waiting until 8:40pm for his second pool match. The Lothian athlete had a tough competition against Australia’s Daniel Michel. 

Despite a strong start, taking the opening end by two points, the Australian fought back to win the remaining three ends. The end score being 7-2.  

Patrick’s final pool game will be against South Africa’s Karabo Morapedi, tomorrow (31st).  

Martin Perry and Will Bayley’s dreams of a medal in the Para table tennis doubles came to an end tonight when home favourites, Clement Berthier and Esteban Herrault (FRA), held on to the lead to secure their spot in the men’s doubles MD14 semifinals. 

The British pair looked to have an incredible comeback. After trailing 0-2 the duo fought hard to draw equal before conceding the final game, 11-9. The final score being 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9).

“It was an unbelievable experience. To have that atmosphere, however many thousands of us there were against the two of us, we showed our character. We were two points away from a Paralympic medal.” Said Martin, following the match. 

“We had all the momentum going into that fifth set, we had played exceptionally well to get there from 2-0 down. We always believed in each other. They are European champions, ranked two in the world. We have shown we can win major medals, we just need that bit of luck.” 

Next up for Martin is the singles MS6 competition starting on Monday (2nd).  

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here. 

Patrick Wilson playing boccia with his ramp

Boccia Begins on Day 1 of the Paralympics in Paris

Day one sees two wins out of three matches for Scotland’s Boccia athletes.

By Bethany Lee

Two Scottish athletes have won their first individual Boccia matches of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Patrick Wilson and Stephen McGuire were victorious today in Paris whilst Kayleigh Haggo was met with defeat against the current world number three ranked player (BC2).

Edinburgh’s own Patrick Wilson started off the Scottish wins with victory against ParalympicsGB teammate William Arnott, in the men’s individual BC3 Pool game.

Patrick took a drastic lead in the third end with a series of powerful shots obtaining four points.

William fought back in the last end but it was too little too late, as Patrick closed the game with a 5-3 win.

The ParalympicsGB teammates showed comradery and Arnott congratulated Wilson on his victory.

Patrick said: “It was a difficult match but I got through it. It was important to get through it. It’s always a bit awkward to play against a teammate but we did it in the right way. I’m excited to get out there and try to get my second win. I’ve got to be good to do that.”

More success came later in the afternoon with a dominant display by Stephen McGuire in the men’s individual BC4. The Lanarkshire pro dominated his game against Malaysia’s Abdul Razzaq Abdul Rahman with a stunning final score of 8-0.

The win for Stephen takes his international winning tally to 17 out of the previous 18 international matches.

The women’s individual BC2 Pool C game concluded Scotland’s outing on day one, with Aryshire’s Kayleigh Haggo taking to the court.

After years of success as a frame runner, Kayleigh joined the boccia world in 2022 and made her international debut last year.

For her first Paralympic match, she faced Korea’s Soyeong Jeong, number one in the world in the women’s BC2. Despite facing such a mighty opponent, Kayleigh took a one-point lead before losing out to Jeong by 3-1.

Tomorrow brings another packed day for the Scottish athletes with all three facing new opponents and challenges.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram . 

You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.

Photo of Martin Perry playing table tennis

Paris 2024 Paralympics: Day 1 Review

Day one in Paris did not disappoint.  

The Scots were in action in Para swimming, boccia, wheelchair basketball, Para cycling (track), Para table tennis and Para archery.  

First up was Toni Shaw who swam a great heat to secure her spot in the final of the women’s 400m freestyle S9 with a time of 4:53.38. It was a highly competitive race where the swimmer from Aberdeen found herself in a five-way battle for bronze.  

Turning seventh at the 250m mark, Toni put in one of the fastest last 50m splits in the field, touching home with a time of 4:48.44 for fifth place. Despite being off the medals, her performance was faster than her bronze medal winning swim at last year’s World Championships.  

Robyn Love and Jodie Waite got their Paralympic campaign off to a terrific start with a convincing win in the women’s wheelchair basketball Preliminary Round against Spain, winning 69-34. 

Robyn – who’s competing at her third Paralympic Games in Paris – said: “In these group stages, you can’t get too high or too low but I’m so proud of the squad and how we performed”.  

Compared to the last Paralympics where no spectators were allowed, Paris is proving to be quite special for Robyn, with her young daughter in the crowd. 

“She’s like a little good luck charm and emotional support baby for the squad and she’s definitely part of the team. The first thing I did when I came out was look for her. Whenever I see her face it makes me relaxed because I know that whatever I do, she doesn’t care about the result she’s here to watch her mummies and see her mummies and I went and had a little cuddle with her afterwards”, said Robyn. 

Winning ways continued in the boccia with Patrick Wilson (BC3) and Stephen McGuire (BC4 v Abdul Razzaq Abdul Rahman, MAS) taking their opening pool matches in the individual events, 5-3 and 8-0 respectively.  

Following his win against fellow ParalympicsGB teammate, William Arnott, Patrick said: “It was a difficult match but I got through it. It was important to get through it. It’s always a bit awkward to play against a teammate but we did it in the right way. I’m excited to get out there and try to get my second win. I’ve got to be good to do that.” 

It wasn’t to be for Kayleigh Haggo though, who suffered a defeat to the number three seed Soyeong Jeong (KOR). She lost 3-1 in the women’s individual BC2. 

In the men’s B 4000m individual Pursuit (track cycling), Neil Fachie and pilot Matthew Rotherham finished in 13th, clocking a time of 5:33.212 in the qualification round. They’ll next be in action on Sunday 1st, in the men’s B 1000m Time Trial qualification. 

Meanwhile in the Para table tennis, debutant Martin Perry coupled with Will Bayley in the men’s doubles MD14, advance to the next round after a 3-0 win over Germany’s Thomas Rau and Bjoern Schnake.  

Martin valued having such an experienced partner to play alongside, saying after the match: “To have Will next to me, filling me with that confidence and knowing that he believes in me, meant that after that I felt like I was standing ten feet tall. We fought for every ball and we played some good stuff. To finally get a match at the Paralympic Games means so much to me.” 

The final Scot in action on day one was Nathan Macqueen in the men’s Individual Compound Open. Nathan put in a strong performance to finish sixth with a season’s best score of 696, to take him though to tomorrow’s (30th) round of 16 where he will face Slovakia’s Martin Doric.

Looking ahead to tomorrow he said: “It’s the biggest crowd that any of us have shot in front of. It’s going to be pretty special. And to have the family out there is going to be pretty cool. I’m just going to go and do my best.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here. 

Photo collage of the medallists on the podium from the Scottish Boccia Championships.

Newcomers and Squad Members Unite at Scottish Boccia Event

The National Scottish Boccia Closed Championships took place at The Peak in Stirling on Saturday 15th of July, with 25 athletes competing for the title of Scottish Champion.  

A development squad was also present on the day, with 12 athletes joining to make it the biggest draw to date.   

The development draw provided potential classifiable athletes the opportunity to compete and learn more about higher level competition; watching some of Scotland’s finest boccia players in action- proving to be a great experience for the development squad with plenty of learnings to takeaway. 

Within the development draw there were two categories: a mixed BC1,2 & 4 category with 5 athletes and a BC3 development draw with 3 athletes and their ramp operators. For some of the athletes, it was their first time competing at a National competition, whilst for others, it was their first ever boccia competition.  

“It has been a fantastic event with many close games,” said Jonathan Kennedy, SDS’s Boccia Development Officer.  

“What is really great to see is the amount of players in the development draw coming to this event. I spoke to one who said that this is their first ever event and quite a few of the other players have spoken to the Scottish squad athletes. 

“It’s great to see the Scottish squad players taking the time to talk and share their knowledge with the development players all in the same place,” said Jonathan.  

There were some fantastic games played throughout the entire day. Podium placers per each category are listed here:  

BC2: 

Gold – Alex Medley 
Silver – Kayleigh Haggo 
Bronze – Lewis McConnell 

BC3: 

Gold – Patric Wilson & Meredith Greenwood 
Silver – Ross MacNeil & Stewart MacNeil 

BC4: 

Gold – Stephen McGuire 
Silver – Tyler McLelland 
Bronze – Fiona Muirhead   

Development Draw:  

Gold – James O’Brien 
Silver – Murrin Widley 
Bronze – Layla McCloskey 

BC3 Development Draw: 

Gold – Zac Cameron & Kevin Davidson 
Silver – Ellie MacLaren & Lisa MacLaren 
Bronze – Caoimhe Potter & Katie MacMillan  

Many thanks to all the officials who helped the event run smoothly and for providing support to the development athletes; ensuring that they understood the rules and call room procedures. Thank you also to Barclays volunteers who helped support the officials. A final thank you goes to Motability and their sponsorship of this event.   

Graphic of Kayleigh Haggo qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympics

ParalympicsGB Announces Boccia Squad for Paris 2024

Three-time Paralympic champion David Smith and reigning world champion Claire Taggart head up a five-strong squad of brilliant British boccia players who will line up for ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this August.

Smith – who became Britain’s most decorated boccia player after successfully defending his Paralympic title at the rescheduled Tokyo Games three years ago – will head to the French capital looking to add to his current tally of five Paralympic medals from four Games.

Northern Irish athlete Taggart heads to Paris as the world number one in her class. The 29-year-old, who claimed her first global title in 2022, will compete in the new individual female category introduced for these Games – mixed events had been on the schedule when she competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Taggart said: “I’m delighted to be selected to compete at my third Paralympic Games in Paris. It’s a huge opportunity to compete in front of family and friends, as Paris is so close. I’m really excited as well as a bit nervous!”

Former frame runner and swimmer Kayleigh Haggo will meanwhile make her Paralympic debut after an impressive season which saw her win her first major international medal in Zagreb in April.

The Scot, who has won several world titles in frame running before switching to boccia in 2022, will also compete alongside Taggart and Smith in the BC1/2 Team event, the trio fresh from winning silver at the Sao Paulo World Cup last week.

Graphic of Kayleigh Haggo having qualified for the Paris 2024 Paralympics

Smith said: “I’m really excited for my fifth Paralympic Games and it will be great to play in front of a crowd again, after the Tokyo Games was limited by Covid. While I do love playing individually, the team event has always been a strong passion of mine. The team medal was my first at a Paralympics, so it’s kind of where I learned my craft. Our team then went into a bit of a transition, so it’s always been my ambition to return us to where we were.”

Haggo, who has dreamt of competing at a Paralympic Games ever since she attended the London 2012 Paralympic Games aged 12 with her mother, said: “I cannot wait to represent ParalympicsGB. After 13 years of competing internationally across three different sports, my dream has finally come true. From the first time I played, the tactics and excitement of boccia had me hooked. And in Paris, I want to enjoy every moment and play the best I can.”

Fellow Paralympic debutants Will Arnott and teenager Sally Kidson complete a stellar squad and will line up in the BC3 Pairs event having won gold at the qualifying event in Japan earlier this year.

Kidson – who is supported by ramp assistant Hannah Stewart – is the youngest athlete in the boccia line-up. 2023 was a breakout year for the young star from Salisbury, beating the likes of world champion Ana Costa and European champion Sonia Heckel.

The 19-year-old said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have been selected to represent ParalympicsGB. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am grateful beyond words to be a part of such an incredible group of people. It’s been a crazy journey so far, filled with challenges, triumphs and many, many hours of hard work, but I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.”

Arnott, 25, is supported by ramp assistant Connor Wellfare and they both live in Reading. Together, they secured a silver medal at the 2023 Para European Championships.

Arnott said: “I am so proud to be part of this squad. It feels as if the hard work that goes on in the background is starting to pay off and I’m thrilled to make my Paralympic debut in Paris. For me and my assistant, Connor, it really is a dream come true.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said: “I’m really excited to see the ParalympicsGB team taking shape with today’s addition of David, Claire, Will, Sally and Kayleigh – our boccia squad for Paris 2024. We have a superb depth of talent among our five selected athletes, across individual and team disciplines, and I can’t wait to see them all in action this summer.”

Greg Baker, Boccia UK’s Performance Director, said: “I’m so proud of the five athletes headed to the boccia court in Paris. Since Tokyo, we’ve seen some key players retire and it’s been more difficult to qualify than ever before, so to see new players coming forward, delivering on the world stage and making their Paralympic debut is fantastic for our sport. It is also testament to our staff – the team behind the team – who have worked incredibly hard to support the squad.

“We’ve also got very experienced players in David Smith, Paralympic champion, and Claire Taggart, world champion. Of course, it is the first time that the male and female individual events will be separated at the Games, which is helping to grow the sport globally.

“We’ve had a very productive season with increased competition and international training opportunities to ensure our athletes and staff are as ready as possible for the Games. Our focus now is making sure that the next couple of months offer further great preparation for the squad, giving them the best chance to deliver great performances in Paris.”

A total of around 230 athletes from 19 sports are expected to make up the British team that will compete in Paris, with further names to be announced by ParalympicsGB in the next few weeks.

At Tokyo 2020 ParalympicsGB won medals across a record breaking 18 different sports – the highest number of any nation ever. ParalympicsGB finished second on the medal table with 124 medals overall, including 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze.

 

Full Boccia squad:

David Smith – BC1 (Athlete Competition Partner:  Misel Kranjcec)

Claire Taggart – BC2

Kayleigh Haggo – BC2

Will Arnott – BC3 (Athlete Competition Partner: Connor Wellfare)

Sally Kidson – BC3 (Athlete Competition Partner: Hannah Stewart)

Young boy sitting a wheelchair, smiling and holding a red boccia ball.

Shepherd Supports Scottish Disability Sport’s Boccia Development

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) receives financial support from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors to further aid boccia development throughout Scotland.

The backing from Shepherd will help fund SDS’s ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for people of all abilities, to try and participate in boccia across the country.

Ian Fergusson, Senior Partner at Shepherd, said: “We’re delighted to financially support Scottish Disability Sport’s inspirational boccia programme.

“Boccia is a hugely inclusive sport which caters for all abilities and we look forward to playing an active part in the growth of this popular sport throughout Scotland.”

Acting as the Scottish Governing Body for boccia, SDS is continually campaigning to make the sport accessible for all; providing clear pathways to engage in the sport in both urban and rural areas of Scotland.

Currently Scotland has 36 boccia opportunities which allows over 720 people to enjoy the game of boccia. To make this happen there are over 199 volunteers who support these opportunities. These volunteers are vital in supporting the athletes thrive and develop.

“SDS is delighted to receive funding support from Shepherd Chartered Surveyors”, said Gavin MacLeod, SDS Chief Executive.

“Financial support of this nature goes a long way to allowing us to offer more players with disabilities access to this fantastic Paralympic sport. Funding will be used to enhance access to training and competition for players across Scotland. Our thanks go to everyone at Shepherd Chartered Surveyors”.

2024 is a big year for boccia in Scotland and the support from Shepherd comes at a critical time where interest in the sport is expected to rise.

Not only is SDS currently preparing to host both the Scottish Boccia Closed Championships (15th June) and the UK Boccia Championships (15-17th November) but sandwiched in-between is the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, where several Scots are hopeful of securing a spot on the team.

Two young boys using wheelchairs smile as they play a game of boccia together.

Success for Rescheduled Grampian Parasport Festival

 

After being rescheduled from September following the sad demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the 2022 Grampian Parasport Festival was an overwhelming success thanks to the efforts of a number of partner clubs and organisations working together.

This year’s attendees were treated to taster sessions in 7 different sports including judo which was introduced for the first time in Grampian this year. Kayaking, a firm favourite in 2021, also returned along with football/powerchair football, boccia, wheelchair basketball, table tennis, swimming and athletics.

After a busy day of sport, the participants had a surprise visit from Paralympic skiing gold medalists, Neil Simpson MBE and Andrew Simpson MBE who took some time out of their busy training schedule to meet the youngsters and collect the Angus Trophy which was awarded to them at this years SDS Awards event in September.

The event, held annually in the first class accessible facilities at Aberdeen Sports Village, provides an opportunity for children and young people in mainstream education across Moray, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire with physical disabilities, vision impairments or hearing loss to try out a range of adapted sport in a safe and welcoming environment. It also gives them the chance to meet other children with disabilities and for families to meet others with disabled children. The hope is that many of the attendees will try something new, develop an interest in sport and go on to participate in regular opportunities in their local area.

The Parasport Festival also serves as an invaluable education and CPD opportunity for coaches and students. It’s provides a unique experience of hands-on coaching and communication with multiple people with a variety of disability types and support needs in one location. We’re incredibly grateful to work in partnership with North East Scotland College, whose 75 Sports Coaching students and 40 Uniformed Services students underwent training and assisted with a variety of tasks including providing 1:1 support to participants, supporting coaches, directing traffic, liaising with operations staff, setting up equipment and leading groups of children.

The Parasport Festival wouldn’t be possible without the support of some of Grampian’s best clubs and organisations including Active Schools Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray, Scottish Swimming, Sport Aberdeen, Aberdeen Sports Village, Live Life Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen Kayak Club, Scottish Canoe Association, University of Aberdeen Canoe Club, Ultimate Judo, Banchory Community Football Club, Aberdeen & District Table Tennis Association, Aberdeen Amateur Athletics Club, Scottish Athletics, Grampian Flyers Wheelchair Basketball Club and Basketball Scotland.

Thanks also go to the Scottish Disability Sport staff who supported the event, and Grampian athletes (and Parasport Festival graduates) Jack Caird & Tegan Davidson who undertook registration and group leadership duties on the day.

If you, or anyone you know, lives with a physical, sensory or learning disability in Grampian or Shetland & is interested in getting involved in sport, please get in touch with Alison on alison.shaw@scottishdisabilitysport.com or 07828 744 848.